Resto Pino Bar: From a Winner's Point of Review

The Chic

Resto Pino Bar is a one-stop spot in Teacher's Village, Quezon City where you can wine and dine.  Pino is also known for the interesting and inventive Filipino dishes it serves.  We ordered two of Pino Favorites.

I ate Kare-Kareng Bagnet.  It is an authentic Ilocano crispy pork belly served with Annatto-Peanut Sauce and Bagoong Rice.  I recommend to eat the skin first so it won't have a gummy texture once you eat it and for you to experience the crispiness.

My friend's order was the Red Wine Adobong Tadyang.  It is an adobo ribs with red wine twist with steamed rice.  The meat is tender and the wine gives a little kick.

The Cheap

Kare-Kareng Bagnet = P245
Red Winer Adobong Tadyang = P210


I still have P200 left from my winnings so I decided to keep it and go back to this easygoing hangout spot to try Pino's Chunky Choco Tempura.  I heard that you can bring your own fave chocolate bar and they'll deep fry it for you.  Whoah, can't wait to dine at Resto Pino Bar again.

As I said on my previous post, I'm thanking Webby of Trip Ko Lang for giving me the Resto Pino Bar GCs.  Because of her blog anniversary contest, I was able to dine and review Resto Pino Bar.

Again, thanks Webby for this wonderful experience!

Read here how I got to review Pino Bar:
http://chicandcheaps.blogspot.com/2010/04/winning-piece-resto-pino-bar-gc-from.html

Winning Piece: Resto Pino Bar GC from Trip Ko Lang

It's been a while since I've posted a "winning piece" article here in my blog.  And now, I'm bringing it back with the contest I've won from Trip Ko Lang.  It's a "share a food discovery photo and win" type of contest.

I submitted the picture I've taken from Maitre Chocolatier Boutique and wrote a caption about my experience dining at Chocolatier.  Here's my winning entry:

Welcome to Chocolatier Boutique/Luxuria in Jupiter St., Makati City!!! This is the newest dessert place in town. I love going here as its just across our building, they have this wall where you can take pictures ala photo shoot. They really have a cozy place.

And here's my prize.. P600 worth of Resto Pino Bar gift certificates.  Thank you very much, Webby!

Because I won first place, my friend and I used the GCs to have dinner at Resto Pino Bar one time and we really enjoyed it.  We also get the chance to review Resto Pino Bar.  Catch it on my next post!

Green City of the South

One of the "Go Green" projects in our company is to put potted herbs and flowering plants on the office grounds.  We have to plant and donate those plants.  I'm really wondering whre I can get one here in the city.  As we all know houses and buildings covers the metro.

Then I remember, my dad used to plant pechays on our little garden.  I asked him where did he get those seedlings.  And then he drove me to CAA, a small community in Las Pinas City.  I was shocked to see greens at the end of the road.  When I was a kid, CAA was full of illegal settles but now half of it looks more of a farm.

We bought pechay seedlings from a man we saw cultivating on his farm.  Other than pechay, my dad and the man showed to me onions, camote and gabi.  I'm really happy to see green leafy plants in the city of Las Pinas.


On our way home, I saw this sign.  And then one thing flashed on my mind, Las Pinas City was awarded as the greenest and cleanest city in NCR.  I thought that was only a press release from Sen. Manny Villar and Cynthia Villar because I haven't seen anything green in Las Pinas.  Clean?  Yes, Las Pinas is clean.  That part of CAA prove me wrong.  Now, I  can say that Las Pinas is the green city of the south.

NOTE:  I am not endorsing Sen. Manny Villar nor Congresswoman Cynthia Villar.  I just want to share with you the city that I live in which is Las Pinas and I'm hoping that other cities would follow our home, our city, Las Pinas' steps.

Gonuts Donuts' Eskimo Roll

The Chic

Everybody loves vanilla ice cream and you'll love it more once you've tried Gonuts Donuts' Eskimo Roll.  Munch on Eskimo Rolls made of a scoop of heavenly cold vanilla ice cream tucked in two pieces of chewy chip cookies.

I ordered one at Gonuts Donuts South Super Highway after work as I wanted to eat something cold, fudgy and yummy.  I thought of eating a sundae but saw the ads of Eskimo Rolls on Facebook earlier that day, so I shifted to it.  I'm happy that I did.  I just hope it is a bit bigger though, hahaha.

This is really perfect to beat your sweet merienda cravings!!!


The Cheap

Grab loads of Eskimo Roll on your nearest Gonuts Donuts Store for only P29.

Experience Travel and Giving at the Same Time

The company that I work for aims to start the year 2010 right by giving back. We have done giving donations last year from Ondoy victims, Unang Hakbang Foundation kids, street children in Sampaloc, Manila to the elders of Mary Mother of Mercy. The transcription company is inspired more to do a lot of sorting and packing of goodies and in making others happy this year.

February 26, 2010 -- At first I thought it was going to be an ordinary outreach program day at a school, but it was not! This was really a one-of-a-kind charity work we have ever done at Maharlika Daycare Center in Montalban, Rizal and trekking at Rodriguez, Rizal.

First and foremost, we started unpacking the books, toys, and clothes from the package of Dr. McCormick to our office the day before.



Morning of February 26, we headed to Rodriguez, Rizal. We were wowed by the landscape scenery, saw green-spotted mountains again and white boulder rocks around.



Going up, we were welcomed by Mt. Tapusi which Lukesh, our guide, said that it is the legendary mountain moved by Bernardo Carpio. It is the one that we read on books of "alamat" or legends during childhood days.



We thought the area is near from the "bayan" but before we reached the daycare center, we passed by huge lime stones, met caves along the way, passed by a narrow bridge made up of bamboos and metals, and walked on rough roads.









But along those hardships come more amazing spots...

Wawa Dam

Old infrastructure on top of the dam

Floating Nipa Huts where you can rest and eat

"Malayo Pa Ba?" All of us were hungry and thirsty. Not prepared for this as we thought we would just give joy to kids of the daycare center. We estimated the trek around 5km to 7km. What?! Oh, yes!

And now, at last, we came to the best part, gift giving to the students of Maharlika Daycare Center. We can't believe that there's a school on top of a mountain and that far away. We were surprised because the kids prepared a song and dance number for us. Of course, we also danced with them to the tune of Nobody by Wonder Girls.





Before going back to the office, Lukesh offered us to go to their camp where youth camps were held. It is just a short walk from the school. Lukesh's group is the one maintaining the daycare center and the protected area around the camp.

Now, GOING DOWN is much more fun than GOING UP!!! The route gets narrower and more enjoyable scenes coming right through your eyes.

We also saw the cast and crew of Matanglawin of ABS-CBN having a shoot below Wawa Dam.

WE THANK OUR BOSS AND GOD FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO SOME KIDS AND TO SEE WONDERS OF THE PROVINCE OF RIZAL.

Am I right that this is not an ordinary cause? Experience this yourselves and look for Maharlika Daycare Center in Montalban, Rizal and help the children build a better future.