Mark and I spent the day together on his birthday last February 7. We met past lunch time and had a light lunch over at Hap Chan in Alimall, and then watched a movie at Gateway Cineplex after lunch.

We then headed to Lola Cafe+Bar in Scout Lozano in Tomas Morato for our dinner. We got to the restaurant around 8pm.  I've read in reviews how the restaurant is always filled with people, but I wasn't worried that we won't have any tables since I have already reserved a table for two while we were still at Gateway. :)

Parking Area

Lola Cafe+Bar has a nice laid back and homey feel with its cozy vibe and minimalistic design. The restaurant was comfy and spacious and has three dining areas.

Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday which marked the start of the season of Lent. And since meat is not allowed during the season, the next best alternative would be fish.

Fried fish would always be a common dish during Lent, but this tends to be dry and bland, so I'm sharing with you this easy sweet and sour fish recipe that I'm sure you'll enjoy. It's basically deep fried cream dory chunks and deep fried tofu in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples, onions, and bell peppers.

I cooked this for lunch on Ash Wednesday and my family loved it! :D

Sweet and Sour Cream Dory with Tofu

It's Valentine's Day today! How did you guys spend your day? I spent mine with no less than my loves: my family and Mark. :)

Mark and I went out earlier today for his checkup. After his checkup we went to the mall and feasted on congee and DQ Blizzard for lunch since he's still on soft diet.  We did some shopping after lunch and then watched Safe Haven. :D

We headed home and had a simple dinner with my family and we all had a wonderful time!

Shakey's Pepperoni Pizza, Crispy Pata, Red Ribbon Black Forest Cake
Shakey's Chick 'n Chips, Home-cooked Pork Sinigang
Shakey's Ultimate Garlic and Cheese Pizza, Nestle Temptations Double Dutch Daydream Icecream

As simple as our Valentine's celebration may be, I still enjoyed today. Nothing still compares to a love-filled day with your loved ones!

We headed back to Segara after our snacks at Meat Plus Cafe.  After our night dip at Segara's pool, Mark and I got hungry so we went out to grab some food for dinner. :p

We drove around Subic Bay Freeport Zone to search for a place to dine.  We ended up driving along the Water Front Road and finally decided to dine at Texas Joe's House of Ribs.

After parking our car at their spacious parking area, Mark and I decided to do away with the al fresco dining at Texas Joe's since there were only a few tables available. We were ushered by their waiting staff inside and accompanied us to a table at the far end of the restaurant.



The restaurant is an authentic American smokehouse which takes pride of its tender briskets, pit-smoked pulled pork, and ribs. The interiors were very country-style, more of a Texas saloon.  It also has a bar, a pool table, and flat screen TVs; ideal for a night of drinking and unwinding.

Our accommodation at Summit Ridge Hotel includes a breakfast buffet for two and a complimentary use of their gym and swimming pool.

C2 Classic Cuisine, which is at the ground floor of the hotel, was were the buffet breakfast was served. The food choices weren't that extensive but they were definitely an eye candy.  The omelette section was what welcomed us as we entered the restaurant.  There were bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, and parmesan cheese which guests may freely choose for their omelette. Since I don't know which to choose, I just had the staff choose everything for my omellete. :p

Omelette Section

Starting the long buffet table is a salad and soup section and at the far end is the waffles and pancakes section.  The soup of the day was egg drop soup while the salad section includes lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, and a choice of Asian or Caesar dressings.

We headed back to Tagaytay City proper after our hearty breakfast at Sonya's Garden. Since we're still early for the hotel check-in, we decided to kill time by enjoying the cool breeze and wonderful view at Tagaytay Picnic Grove.

Taal Lake

Summit Ridge Hotel was were we stayed during our Tagaytay trip. Since we didn't have any plans for the trip, this hotel was indeed a perfect choice for Mark and I since we just wanted to relax and spend some quality time together.