When out on another 'Saturdate' with Mark yesterday. :) I was very excited on my way to meet him, as always, but at the same time I was also feeling a little sad knowing that it will be our last 'Saturdate'. Mark already started working and I am really happy for him, even though his work schedule would mean lesser quality times for us and no more Saturday dates.

We decided to make the most out of our last Saturday together, by doing what we both love to do the most...EAT! Well that's if he's not on a diet. :p I was a bit late and so Mark was already hungry when I arrived. He chose to have our lunch at Pizza Hut Bistro.

Mark and I both had a quick glance at the menu before finally placing our orders. We were busy talking about how lovely the waiting staff were so we didn't quite feel that our orders were taking so long. Everyone was just so adorable with their smiles.

We were first served with these complimentary garlic sticks. :p I didn't have my digicam with me so the following photos were taken using my ever reliable camera phone. :D

Complimentary Garlic Sticks

Mark's order was served next. He was supposed to have their cream of chicken soup, unfortunately they didn't have any that day, so Mark just settled for their cream of mushroom soup. I insisted that he get the one with puffed pastry instead of just the croutons.

Cream of Mushroom Soup - Php 49.00

The pastry didn't really look that appetizing as it did in the photo in the menu. It also didn't taste well, it actually tasted like it was dipped/baked/fried in old oil. Good thing the complimentary garlic sticks tasted well with the soup. :p

Cream of Mushroom Soup - Php 49.00

I suddenly missed their Waldorf salad so I got an order of it. This is my favorite among Pizza Hut's salads. The sweet red apples, grapes, glazed walnuts, and crunchy celery on a bed of mixed greens, drizzled with honey cream dressing were a heaven for me. I was raving about how good this salad tastes and I'm glad Mark agreed with me. :)

Waldorf Chopped Salad - Php 139.00

I also got their Fresh Grape Smoothie which was a perfect pair for my salad. :)

Fresh Grape Smoothie - Php 79.00

The lovely waiting staff also got us ordering their Tuscani 4-Cheese Lasagna Pizza. The pizza has 4 cheese in it: Parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, and cream cheese. Aside from the layer and blobs of cheese, this pizza is actually a lasagna, with flat pasta, meat, tomato sauce, and herbs. Very satisfying for a cheese lover or a lasagna fanatic! A must try I must say! :)

Tuscani 4-Cheese Lasagna Pizza - Php 349.00 (medium: 10"), Php 549.00 (super family: 14")

We both enjoyed our lunch. Apart from our Saturday food trips and movie dates, I know I will surely miss how Saturdays has always become more fun, enjoyable, and memorable when shared and spent with the one I love. :)

PIZZA HUT BISTRO, GATEWAY MALL
Ground Level, Gourmet Tower
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: (+63 2) 912-9601
Delivery: 911-1111

     sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       @kriskamarie   @kriskamarie

Mark and I went out last Saturday to watch Breaking Dawn. It was around lunch time when we got to the Gateway mall, and so after we got our tickets for the 2:10pm showing, we headed straight to the coliseum grounds to find something to eat.

We were too lazy to walk (or I guess too hungry :p) so we settled for the first restaurant that we saw. We were greeted by the friendly waiting staff when we entered Gloria Maris, who handed us the menu as we were seated. I can't remember having dined at Gloria Maris, so I'm considering this as my first time. :)

Our drinks were served a few minutes after we placed our orders. I wasn't able to bring my digicam, good thing my camera phone come in handy. :)

Watermelon Shake and Fresh Orange Juice - Php 78.00 each

Mark wasn't that hungry so he settled for noodles and some siomai, while I wanted to have rice so I had a rice meal and dumplings. :p Mark's beef brisket with tendon noodle soup was served first. The soup looked appetizing. The soup has a generous amount of beef and some white chunks, which I initially thought were slabs of fat. :p

Beef Brisket with Tendon Noodle Soup - Php 198.00

Mark enjoyed his dish. He said that he can actually taste the beef just by merely sipping the soup. He also loved the tendons. He said that eating tendons are like eating fat without actually having to worry about the those extra bulges.

Beef Brisket with Tendon Noodle Soup - Php 198.00

My roast duck was served next. The duck was served with steamed white rice, some steamed pechay, and slices of century egg. The roast duck was yummy and I thought was a lot tastier than roast chickens. Its skin was crispy and the duck meat was tender and juicy. The sauce, which I also loved, had this distinct Chinese taste which I'm guessing was from star anis. It also came with a sweet and tangy dip which I also enjoyed. :)

Roast Duck with Rice - Php 248.00

We were almost done with our main dishes when we figured that our dimsums were still not served. The waiting staff went straight to the kitchen when we called his attention. And yes, I guessed it right, he actually forgot about the dimsums. I just found it kinda weird how he forgot that dimsums are usually served first. :p

We didn't want the usual pork siomai and hakaw dimsums so we went adventurous that time and tried their Japanese siomai and sharksfin dumpling.

Japanese Siomai - Php 98.00

The Japanese siomai had crab meat, pork, and some tuna wrapped in nori and topped with minced carrots. I would have enjoyed this dish if not for the nori wrapper which made the siomai taste a little fishy. That steamed nori was just not a hit for me. With the gooey feel and fishy taste, I nearly puked on my first bite!

Sharksfin Dumpling - Php 98.00

The sharksfin dumpling wasn't also a show stopper as it was kind of dry. But I preferred it more than the Japanese siomai. :p I was not that satisfied with my dumplings so I only had one and gave the rest to Mark.

GLORIA MARIS, ARANETA CENTER
4th Floor, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 332-5067

Since we were still early for the movie, I thought of buying some Christmas gifts first. On our way, I thought of checking the movie tickets and was shocked to see that our tickets were for the 12:10pm showing, and it was already past 1pm, oh great! So there, we just decided to buy tickets for a later schedule and just have some desserts to kill time. :)

I insisted that we have our desserts at Starbucks since I was also collecting some stickers for their planner. I got two stickers for these frappes. Yay! :p

Venti Java Chip Frappuccino - Php 175.00 and Venti Dark Mocha Frappuccino - Php 185.00

Mark was still choosing among the tasty treats, while I already knew what I want--the triple decker cheesecake with snickers! *drools* The cheesecake was loaded with chunks of Snickers in a chocolate cookie crust. Each layer has its distinct taste, the bottom layer was the usual cream cheese, the second layer has caramel and cream cheese, and the top layer has chocolate and cream cheese. It was also topped with a chocolate fudge icing and roasted chopped peanuts.

Triple Decker Cheesecake with Snickers - Php 130.00

I know my health condition requires me to cut down on my sweets intake, but this cheesecake just has all the good things which I so love: peanuts, caramel, and chocolate. Really something to die for! :p

Mark still can't decide what to have so I suggested that he try the butterscotch twirl. I've already tried this before and fell in love with it. The pastry was light and flaky and stuffed with cinnamon and creamy vanilla. It was also topped with roasted pecans and drizzles of butterscotch sauce and white chocolate. I know how high Mark's standards are when it comes to pastries and breads, and I'm sure that this will definitely meet his standards. And yes, he also loved it as I did. :p

Pecan Butterscotch Twirl - Php 85.00

STARBUCKS COFFEE, GATEWAY
Upper Ground Floor, Gateway Mall
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 421-1076

The movie ended around early evening and got us all hungry so we decided to have dinner as well. Mark wanted grilled chicken but knew that I was not into World Chicken that time because I just had one the day before, so he suggested that we dine at Reyes Barbecue. :)

Boneless Quarter Chicken Barbecue Meal - 109.00

Mark got their chicken barbecue while I had pork. :p As always, we were again satisfied by Reyes Barbecue meals. Aside from the delicious grilled delicacies, their java rice, atchara, and their famous peanut sauce were also a hit for both of us. :)

2-pc Pork Barbecue Meal - Php 98.00

The service in Gateway's branch was not impeccable though. Yes it's good that they serve their dishes fresh from the grill which roughly takes around 5-10 minutes, but their staff should be more attentive in getting the correct orders and relaying them to the cooks. The server actually gave me the wrong chicken part and still argued that it was what I ordered, even if the receipt says she's wrong. :| Good thing she apologized but I still hate that I had to wait for my food for 15 minutes more.

REYES BARBECUE, GATEWAY
3/F Gateway Mall, Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 913-1951


      sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       @kriskamarie   @kriskamarie

One of the food trips that Mark and I had since he came home was at Kangaroo Jack at the Araneta Center. We've been passing by this restaurant for quite some time and have been seeing a lot of diners piling up over their buffet.


I'm just not sure if they also have buffet dinner but there was none during that time. But then again, there were a number of diners who seemed to be enjoying so we decided to give Kangaroo Jack a try.

Mark wanted something hot for his stomach so he ordered for their mushroom soup. His hot soup was served a few minutes after we got our drinks.

Iced Tea (Php 45.00) and Pineapple Juice (Php 55.00)

There was nothing really special with this soup. Mark even said that it tasted like the ones that are taken right out from the can. :p

Mushroom Soup - Php 50.00

Mark's order was served next. The sirloin steak comes with java rice, corn, and veggies. Unlike the very appetizing picture on the menu, the actual thing wasn't that appealing. I think what ruined the look was the pool of gravy. :p Taste-wise, Mark said that it was just so-so. The steak was tender yes, but unlike high-end steak houses with steaks that are to die for, Kangaroo Jack's was just ordinary-tasting.

Sirloin Steak - Php 145.00

I was craving for sausage that time so I went for their Hungarian Sausage Sizzler. Aside from the egg, the dish also came with java rice and veggies. This one got me drooling the moment it was served, but the spicy sausage killed the deal. I wasn't even able to savor the sausage's taste because the spiciness was overpowering.

I don't know but I'm just not really into spicy dishes. I just had a spoonful or two of the dish, and then Mark finished the rest. And Mark's verdict? It was just another so-so dish. :p

Hungarian Sausage Sizzler - Php 135.00

Although the food was not that good (or at least the ones that we had), their service was still commendable. Our orders were served a few minutes after we placed them. They also have a live band which is perfect for the diners who were also having some rounds of alcoholic drinks.


Though not a perfect place for some gastronomic treats, I think it would be heaven for those who just want to unwind and chill while being serenaded by a live band with old time favorites. :p

KANGAROO JACK, Araneta Center
Araneta Center, Gen. McArthur Ave.
Cubao, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 352-6838

      sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       @kriskamarie   @kriskamarie

I bought this pair of Mario D'boro sandals along with the Parisian Comfy Flats. Buying this sandals wasn't really planned at all. :p I wasn't really supposed to buy anything except for a pair of flats, but as I looked around I remembered that I still don't have any pair to go with my black and gold getup. :p

Mario D'boro Sandals - Php 899.00

A few months back, I bought a black sleeveless dress and some golden bronze accessories as part of my retail therapy. :p I still haven't figured when to wear these until Mark told me that he's coming home.

This is what my baby brother has become when he got to taste Dairy Queen's Chocolate Dipped Cone, a DQ addict! :p


His addiction started more than a year ago, when I, together with Gia and Jaoey, went to have some bonding time with Mark's mom when Mark left for Qatar.


I would usually take them along with me on Sunday's to visit Mark's mom. We would usually drop by first at a photo shop in Ali Mall to have Mark's photos developed for his mom. The photo developing takes around 45 minutes, and so chillin' at Dairy Queen has been our way to kill time.


Gia and I would always try different DQ Blizzard flavors, while Jaoey would always stick to his favorite DQ Chocolate Dipped Cone. Jaoey loves the chocolate coating so much that he always saves it and eats it last. He would just nibble the tip of the dipped cone to poke a small hole and then sip the soft serve ice cream through the hole.


His style of eating makes him so messy and so I would always have to order another plain DQ Blizzard for him just to have a cup that would hold his dipped cone. :p


Since then, whenever we would go to malls, Dairy Queen stalls would definitely catch Jaoey's eyes and he would always have me buy him a chocolate dipped cone and a plain blizzard. :p