Sunday, October 9, 2011

Travel Food Tripping at: Watami Singapore + Meetup with the #evurl Girls

This weekend food tripping post is dedicated not only for my Singapore travel but also for my dearest friends online --- PB, Xin, Connie, Bee and Rinnah.
Most of the girls have been my online friends since the year I started blogging, we email each other or chat with each other not only about beauty but we do check how each of us were on random days!  The girls are so sweet to include me in the monthly Beauty Roundup !  Though adopted, I felt I belong.

The day has finally arrived, we've been talking about the meetup for quite some time and mind you, some of these girls have to fly all the way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the weekend just to make this "dinner" happen!  *super touched*


The place was easy to find, the girls gave me a very clear instructions!  I actually got there late not because the place was hard to find, I got there a bit late because of the funny MRT story!  

We were greeted with a huge menu!  *stomach grumbles* 
By the way, thanks girls for ordering in advance and the food came in right when I was getting hungry! :P


Kari Kari Pasta
Crispy Capellini
Very unique appetizer.  Deep-fried pasta sticks with flavoring and I found myself munching this a lot!  If only I can make this at home? 

Crispy Potato
In simple term, we just call this French Fries.  The Watami version of Crispy Potato has a bit of sour cream powder which gives a nice hint of flavoring on the very crispy fries.

Assorted Sashimi
The 2 shrimps were staring right at me so I got intimidated and did not even try this dish!  *lol*

Watami Salad
Special Watami Salad with Tuna Mayo
Really nice salad to start a meal!  I like the very fresh vegetables with nice tuna mayonnaise that's not overpowering.  All the ingredients mixed together gave a nice burst of flavors inside the mouth.

Kushi Moriawase
Assorted Skewer
I love skewers and this gave me a huge satisfaction.  'Nuff said!

Watami Tonkotsu Ramen
Marinated pork slices and noodles in special pork broth
I did not try much of this but Mr. AMW finished this up and told me the soup was super tasty and flavorful!  I agree!  I love soup and I was able to give this a try and it wasn't oily at all like other soups served in other restaurants.

Ika Maru Yaki
Grilled Squid
Reminded me of Gerry's Grilled Squid.  Soft and easy to chew and the flavor is just right.

Kimchee Nabe
Spicy kimchee pot with pork in pork broth

Cooked
Anything with kimchee gives me the excitement!  The soup may turn out quite red but its not as spicy as it looks!  I'm glad the girls also love soup so we always ask for "soup refills"! 
 

Atsuage Okaka Itame
Bite sized Tofu on Hot Pan
Tofu, tofu..how I love thee? 
I love the crispy thing on top of the tofu.  I don't know how to call them but it adds to the texture of the soft tofu.

Tori Karaage & Negi Pirikara Sauce-gake
Crispy fried chicken with spicy sauce
I'm glad I popped in an anti-histamine pill before this dinner!  I'm glad to have tasted this crispy chicken in a sauce so unique I haven't tried it back home! :)

On to the dessert!  These girls know how to enjoy food and I'm glad I'm with this bunch as food is as important as makeup!  *laughs* What a comparison!  Don't mind me, I'm just hungry as I'm typing this post!

Creme Brulee
Cream pudding
Reminded me of the various Panna Cotta I've tried back home.  This has got to be my favorite among the rest of the dessert!  What's important for me is the fact that the Creme Brulee is not that sweet!  I know desserts should be sweet but when the sweetness overcame the taste of creme, it's a huge no-no for me!

Maccha Tiramisu
Green tea flavored Tiramisu
The Tiramisu melts into the mouth with a hint of bitterness from the Maccha powder.  It's unique and flavorful!

Sumiyaki Coffee Jelly
Coffee flavored jelly
I'm a fan of coffee but this coffee jelly has a strong coffee taste!  Definitely not for the faint-hearted :)

Hot Choco Brownie
Chocolate brownie with ice cream and hot choco sauce
It wasn't that hot when we get to have a bite as we all took turns taking photo of this lovely creation!  The mix of vanilla ice cream + choco brownies + choco syrup melts perfectly into the mouth! 


Chocolate Fondant Cake
with Vanilla Ice cream
Quite similar to the Chocolate Brownie we had on photo above but the difference is the texture of the cake.  The fondant cake..obviously is softer on the inside and has a unique crunch on the outside.  Perfect with a blend of Vanilla ice cream!  You just can't go wrong combining anything chocolate with vanilla!

After dinner, we took crazy, fun shots with each other!  I had fun meeting the girls and I wish we could stay and bond longer!!!!

We vouched to each other that this won't be the last meetup!  Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines aren't that far and thanks to budget airlines, meetups can be possible! :)


We had a nice, quiet walk at Clark Quay area as Bee explained to me the "must visit" places and the "must try" food!  Thanks for the tips and thanks again girls for the wonderful time!

Mr. AMW took this shot of us posing on random human shaped rocks!  *lol*


I have another meet up with a lovely Filipina blogger based in Singapore --- Mhean!  I will post about it soon together with the food that drove me crazy! :P

Thanks to blogging for giving me the opportunity to meet more people who share the same passion as myself!  Thanks to YOU for always reading my posts and hearing what I have to say!

Love you guys!
Keep smilin'
Stay happy!


Saturday, October 8, 2011

Nail Art Tutorial: "Singapore's Kimmidoll"

Hi gorgeous people!!! It's weekend!!!  Thank you Lord that I did not have anything planned out today because I needed all the rest I can get!  I'm feeling the muscle pain and all those aches the day after my super enjoyable trip!  Its all worth it I tell you!!!

I will post to you a nail art tutorial inspired by "nothing" but turned out to be something after my trip!  As seen on the photo below, I actually saw a character in a shop in Singapore selling a cute looking doll called Kimmidoll that looks a tiny bit like my nail art!  



Of course Kimmidoll looks way better! Keep in mind that the nail art tutorial was done prior to my Singapore trip, but I can't help but call this my "Singapore's Kimmidoll  nails"!  

Step 1:
Use your preferred base coat to protect your nails.  Apply 2 coats of matte white polish.  The Face Shop polish was used for this tutorial.

Friday, October 7, 2011

AMW Bulletin: Be Informed!

Dear Philippine Readers:
I've only been away for 5 days but there's a whole bunch of "happenings" worth sharing!

Fashion Palooza: A Trendsetter's Bazaar

If you plan to visit the bazaar, do wear your most fashionable piece as the team will be giving away special prizes to the fashionista shoppers.

All attendees are entitled to join the raffle promo as well and get the chance to win unique finds from participating brands ---- Stylebreak by Laureen Uy, Monroe, La Pirouette, Olivia and Fifth, Koi Swimwear, Phoemela Baranda, Jean and Rosz, Das My Shoes, Faith and Fashion, Style On Air, Peace Love Fashion, Eight.One, Soule Phenomenon, Sewn Sandals, Fashion Galore, Estrella Manila, Pink Chocolate, Sole Sister, Hoola Clothing, Props, Argan Moroccan Oil and much more!


Be there at Rockwell Tent October 7-9!

Party Gal Coupon for AMW Readers
Our friends from PartyGal added new designs in their gallery (click HERE). They are kind enough to give my readers exclusive discount card in which all you need to do is to input the discount code when placing an order!

The discount cards are valid until October 31 and can be used for unlimited number of times per person within the promo period!  These discount cards cannot be used in conjunction with any other existing PartyGal Lingerie promotions, whether offered in their flagship site or by other partner sites.  Last but not the least, these discount cards can only be used for PartyGal Lingerie branded items (includes all lingerie, costumes and swimwear collections).

If you have friends who are getting married or if you're the one who's going to be a MISSUS soon?  Go and check out their super cute and sexy collection!

The Beauty High Tea Series
at Studio SnR

If you're looking for a foundation and concealer that matches your skin, Bobbi Brown will help you find the perfect formula!  20 slots available on October 15, 2011 from 1:30-5:30pm.  Book now and get a Php500.00 worth of Gift Voucher.  For the workshop price of Php3,500, you get to learn how to get perfect, natural-looking skin at the same time, bring home a gift from Bobbi Brown and other offerings from Studio SnR. :)

Sunbaked Studio FB Promo
(click poster to enlarge)


New Arrivals on Ferretti Shoes
Feel free to check out the STORE for your shoe shopping bliss!


Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign


October, as we all know is a Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Estee Lauder is inviting YOU to share your message of hope to support this campaign digitally and raise awareness for breat cancer all over the world!  

How to do your part?
  • Like Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign on Facebook.
  • In order to share your message of hope, click on the "Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign" tab and then "Click To Share Your Message of Hope Today".
  • Enter your message of hope to illuminate Philippines in our global illumination map.
You may also visit www.bcacampaign.com to read more about the campaign this year.  You can also follow them on twitter @BCAcampaign.

Free Snickers Bar Up for Grabs
Starting today, Snickers® Philippines is giving away FREE Snickers® 35g bar! Check out www.facebook.com/SnickersPhilippines to see for yourself! 

What to do?
One lucky winner of Samsung Galaxy Tab 1000 will be drawn from the top 100 people with the most likes.  Promo runs until November 5, 2011!  Goodluck!



Keep smilin'
Stay happy!

AMW Reports: UBE at Tagaytay

I'm back from my wonderful Singapore trip!  Thank you Lord for the chance and opportunity given to me to explore such wonderful country!

I'll stop talking about Singapore FOR THE DAY as the last day wasn't that exciting for a tourist but it was exciting for me as I was able to meet my long time blogger friend Mhean!!! Thanks Mhean for the meetup!  I appreciate it that you came all the way from "never land" to treat me lunch!  Boy am I lucky! :P

This post was written before I left for Singapore....

The year is almost over!  It was a year ago (same month) when I visited one of my "must visit" country --- Korea!  I used to watch Korean Telenovelas and hoped to experience eating authentic Korean food or stroll in one of their parks, etc...  Dreams do come true huh? 

Speaking of dreams, my co-beauty bloggers turned real-life-friends dreamed about a weekend "Ultimate Bonding Experience" which can also mean "Ultimate Barkada Experience" which we fondly call U.B.E. (yam in Tagalog).  We toyed with the idea for months and....

The weekend finally happened!  Here's the proof!

 **photo taken from Shen
Rewind.  The lovely day started with an early morning meetup.  Thanks Shen for driving us to our destination with flair! :)  We thought we needed chips to keep us all awake but funny how it all ended inside the trunk as we gabbed our way to Tagaytay!

Sophie helped us book the hotel called Hotel Dominique located at Aguinaldo Highway which wasn't hard to find. 

Check-in starts at 2:00pm and it was around 11 something in the morning when we arrived so we have decided to visit  Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm.

Ilog Maria, the brand, isn't a stranger to me as I've read about this in a magazine several years ago!  I was just a fresh graduate back then and I read that the local actress Rica Peralejo's favorite skincare product is from Ilog Maria.

I got so intrigued with the brand and this was the first "virtual" shopping I did!  

I recall purchasing their facial wash, toner and honey milk soap!  


 The work area is clean and air is fresh with all the greenery

And there is such thing called "Bee Sting Therapy".  If you want to learn more about this therapy, feel free to smile and say BEE!  Not everyone is up for this and it all depends on how your body would react, so do your research well! :)
 
We met a very cute dog and the owner!  Funny how he trained his dog inspired by Cesar Millan of Dog Whisperer!   I do the same!  

 

We rested at the huge swing that can even fit 5 of us!  
 **photo taken by Shen
 This was our lovely view!  Greenery, bee hives and a rooster!  *lol*

Then we took a shot of Shen ...
because she's crazy and fun in any way! 


Then we went back to the reason why we visited Ilog Maria Farm, 
to shop!!!
 Arrays of soaps

Did you know that I read each and every product they sell?

 Their product line definitely grew!
They are also making aromatherapy oil and candles!

I think I got almost all of their tiny soaps!  I added Propolis Ointment, as I have skin irritations on certain areas and I'd love to give this a try!  I also bought their Honey Propolis Throat Spray as highly recommended by Sophie.  I do wake up once in a while with dry throat and with 2 spritz, it helps relieve the itchiness and dryness! :)

Oh, my dogs do have something from me too!  Bought them Dog soaps!  I hope I can see them smile this time when they take a bathe....okay, lets remove the smiling, it's freaky!  *laughs*


Us, enjoying our loots!
Okay, this look like an ad photo but its all according to our will! :) 
Thanks to the busy sales lady who willingly took this shot! 

Okay, no photos on the night event, after dinner we took out all our junkies (junk foods) and there goes the unlimited drinks!  *crazy laugh*  Thanks to Dang for creating the mini game turned into ULTIMATE bonding and sharing of deep dark secrets!  *tee hee heee*  It's all recorded ladies! :P  (just joking).

Though tired, we were able to wake up for breakfast and got ready to face day 2 of UBE!  Say hello to my roommates Sophie and Phoebe!

That morning after a cold shower! 
FYI: Hotel uses Solar Energy

We had a gorgeous lunch at Buon Giorno and had a nice Mochiko Ice Cream for dessert.  It was a first for me and I had Vanilla and I loved it!

We took a road trip back to Manila but did not forget our loved ones back in Manila.  We stopped by Rowena's and took home some goodies!  

The trip doesn't end inside the car, there's dancing (yes dancing!), singing and belting of songs from MY decade!  *laughs*

**photo grabbed from Phoebe
**photo grabbed from Dang

I want to thank the girls not only for the fun but the friendship that has blossomed!  Our friendship definitely has turned into a whole new level and I believe each of us has touched each others' lives one way or the other. 

Beauty blogging is just skin deep, the real friendship starts when we opened up and talked not only about beauty, but about life in general..our thoughts, our dreams, our issues in life...

Thank you Lord for blogging, thank you Lord for introducing me to wonderful people!
Keep smilin'
Stay happy!