Shopping & Food: Eton Centris x Asya

Everyone driving towards Quezon City via EDSA will recognize this. Ever wondered what they are? Flying saucers? No.

Welcome to Eton Centris, a "one-stop work-shop-play-live concept". Repeat 10 times. I spy a playground under the UFO's.

Located at the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, Centris Walk offers a complete dining experience like this:

Deep-fried oysters in lemon sauce

A hybrid of adobo and paksiw

halaan soup (perfect for breastfeeding mommies)

sushi party in my tummy

Fried crispy noodles, I dedicate this to my bro-in-law Vincent who introduced me to this dish.

Turon for dessert

coconut cream x sago x mango x jelly = wow

Enter this door to make the food pictures a reality! This is Asya along Eton Centris Walk which offers authentic Asian cuisine. Not fusion, the restaurant offers only the best dishes in Asia.

Asya's chairs are super fun, look at the different Asian heads!

Other restaurants to try inside the Centris Walk are My Thai Kitchen, Jack's Loft, Italiannis, Pancake House, Tutti Frutti, Pho Hoa, and Zong. Soon to open are Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Choi Garden.



Every Saturday, the Centris Weekend Market operates and offer organic food choices and fresh produce among others. A must-try and see, be there from 6AM - 2PM.

Eton Centris is so easy to get to via the MRT, just alight the train at Quezon Ave. station. Eton Centris is connected to the station which is super convenient for anyone who wants to visit the new "it" place in town.

Fashion: Florals on a Rainy Day

They say, if you are wearing floral clothes, don't go out in the rain or you will multiply x.x



I say, floral makes me look fat! I am tempted to shrink this photo horizontally *lol*

I thought prints will bring some brightness to the gloomy weather. I've been itching to get floral prints, and finally I found a piece to satisfy my fashion craving.

Although prints really make me look fat. Choosing a black printed fabric should lessen the widening effect.



And then new strappy shoes in black once more!

Event: Meet Sam Milby and Matteo Guidicelli

Later today at SM Megamall, 2PM to 6PM. And do not forget your Samsung Champ! Click on the poster for more details :)

Pirate Anya

My niece Anya has the coolest Pirate costume ever! It just keeps on getting every year. It looks like she had a stylist for this outfit.

Can't wait to dress up my little boy soon! :)

Celebrities: Chikka with Dimples Romana and Melissa Ricks

When Dimples Romana is not busy antagonizing Agua Bendita, and Melissa Ricks is not busy defending her love life guess what they get their hands on?


Celebs on webcam and Chikka!

Dimples and Mel told me they like using the new version of Chikka because it lets them I.M. for free. Who knew even celebs like free stuff? They use it to keep in touch with their family and friends. Melissa Ricks says she stays at home during her free time and just loves to sit in front of her laptop - just like most of us.

The two Chikka endorsers also shared how they use the Internet to find out the latest fashion trends. While they're at it, they can easily use Chikka to send SMS from their computers.


The super cute interface of the new Chikka

According to Dennis Mendiola, "Chikka is more relevant than ever. We observe for example that a lot of casual messaging previously exchanged via text has shifted to the social networks. Our latest version is being released, combining the cool convenience of sending an IM message when one is on-line with the personal warmth, immediacy even urgency of receiving a message as text, instantly read on ones phone.”


Chikka Founder and Chief Imagination Officer, Dennis Mendiola and Chikka Chief Executive Officer, Chito Bustamante.

Promoting even higher utility for the community, the new Chikka version features P1.00 replies during off-peak hours when a lot of Global Filipinos are driving message traffic to friends and loved ones mobiles in the Philippines. Unlimited text packages akin to popular UNLI packages being offered by Philippine telcos are also now available all day.

It is also interoperable with Google Talk while Chikka is working on partnering with other instant messaging applications to make it easier for users to keep in touch.



Now Melissa Ricks can text me for free. Chikka!

Beauty: Orly Nails Down French Manicure

I am ignorant when it comes to nail polish or manicure styles but I stick to the classic French tip whenever there's a need to look extra glam. Whether it be a first date, wedding, or client meetings I think the classic French Tip nails it down for me.



Father of the French Tip, Jeff Pink

So let me thank the inventor of the French Tip, Jeff Pink who developed this manicure style during the 70's. He is also the founder of the famous nail polish brand Orly. I had my first dibs on Orly inside Nail-a-holics in SM Mall of Asia and they were the yummiest nail colors I've ever seen.



Yet, like most girls, I can't rely on my nail styling skills and always have to have someone do it for me. Then I saw this:


Orly French Manicure Kit

And it's a fact, Orly nail polish is toxic-free and is safe to use even by pregnant women. Too bad I didn't know about Orly back then! So let's just pick which celeb endorsed Orly the best?



Ashley Judd



Hilary Duff



Kristin Davis


Jessica Alba

Shopping: What's in Eton Cyberpod?

I know you were just as curious as me! Eton Cyberpod's building suddenly rose across Robinson's Galleria. People were asking me if it's a mall or an office building. It's a Cyberpod!



Now what do we see inside a cyberpod that was launched to the Earth by Lucio Tan?



aliens from the future



Ironman and War Machine's offspring



even Michael Jackson!

What's even more unusual is this:


A cd-r king store without people lining up like ants over gadgets!

You can't imagine how elated and amused I was when I entered this shop inside Eton Cyberpod Corinthian. I could actually browse cd-r king's super affordable but cool gadgets. Wasteland of techies indeed.


V-Store

Eton Cyberpod is just the coolest haven for geeks and a blogger like me. Soon, they'll have every corner of the E-Life mall which spans the ground floors of a total of four buildings, wifi ready. The upper floors are where people form the BPO industry hold their office.

Among the 27 tenants of E-life who opened their doors to the excited stream of consumers were Villman Computers, Compex International, E2 GameZone, Datablitz, Zoom Out, TCA, Net Gear, CDR King, National Book Store, Jollibee, Mercury Drug, LBC Express, Bargo Restaurant and Bar, KFC, Mang Inasal and the Philippine National Bank. More stores are scheduled to open within the next two weeks.


Fighting aliens at Eton Cyberpod

Just last Saturday, they wrapped up The Ultimate Championship Cosplay which is the last leg of the four-week cosplay convention, Cosplay Genre Wars.

Eton Cyberpod Corinthian is a project of Eton Properties Philippines, Inc., the global real estate brand of the Lucio Tan Group of companies. It is strategically situated at the corner of EDSA and Ortigas Avenue, next to Corinthian Gardens and just across Robinsons Galleria.

Shopping: Mega Shoes and Bag Sale!

The much awaited Mega Shoes and Bag Sale is now here! Grab your purses and head to SM Megatrade Hall on August 27 to 30. Actually, it's going to be Megatrade Halls 1 & 2!


I don't normally partake in this crazy sale (read: Crocs is participating) until I fell in love with Parisian shoes. I am not even sure if they will participate but I am going to take my chances, rawr!

Other brands that are gonna get the red tag are Hush Puppies, Chinese Laundry, Ipanema, Grendha, and CROCS! Drag your man too because Cole Haan, Nike, Adidas, Converse, Vans, Merrell, Skechers, Pony, Puma, Reebok, Fila, AND1, New Balance, Rockport, and GBX are going to be there as well. See you? See you!

Big Mouths Eat This! Chili's Big Mouth Burgers

I just met the perfect burger for cheat days, bad days, and glutton days. Everyday, this burger is waiting for you at Chili's:

Designer is to clothes, and gourmet is to this burger! Meet Chili's Ultimate Mushroom Burger that's accessorized with a rich mushroom sauce that takes the flavor up a notch, and seals the deal with melted Swiss cheese and crispy onion strings.

Beware this hypnotic sign!

The crispy onion strings surely made my tastebuds happy, I wish they'd put more in it but could this burger get any bigger? I am not alone in wishful thinking because my friends loved the mushroom sauce because it's just super yummy and their wish is to have more of it. Talk about a total pig out!



I couldn't believe this, but somehow my tummy had enough room for not one, but two servings of this dessert. B1 and B2 would be scared!



Chili's new Banana Cream Pie. Made of graham cracker crust with banana custard filling that’s topped with fresh whipped cream, drizzled caramel and cocoa powder.

This pie similar to banofee pies is not that sweet, the cream is a cross of a flan and custard which is not too strong on your tastebuds.

Enjoy your Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers and the new Banana Cream Pie at Chili's Greenbelt 5, Northeast Greenhills,Tomas Morato,and Power Plant Mall, Rockwell.

Mixed Feelings on Yakimix

People waiting for Yakimix to open as early as 5PM

Being food monsters, my sister and I decided one day to go to Yakimix. We've been reading and hearing about it everywhere so we planned to line up at 5PM. At Yakimix Mall of Asia, 5PM is not early to line up for dinner. How crazy is that? At 5PM we were already the 29th walk-in customer to wait to be seated when the restaurant opens at 5.30PM


Me and my lil sis super excited to eat!

We thought we would have a seat inside but after the 27th customer - all tables were full and we had to have dinner al fresco :( Did I mention that a lady using a megaphone calls the names listed? And everyone was standing up waiting at the door. It was bad that the lady was reading some names incorrectly, we almost skipped ours because she amputated my sister's last name. The scenario was not really classy, we felt like waiting in a terminal. But for food, we were all willing to undergo this 'experience'. I was in a bit of panic because I was with my 2 month old son and it is always sticky humid in this area. Thank God for the evaporative fan beside our table.



Now onto the food, Yakimix offers lots of maki aka sushi. These are made fresh at the Japanese station where sashimi is also served. If you are a Japanese food lover like me then you are in for a treat!


Yey! for the seaweed salad

Aside from the sushi and sashimi, there's the crowd favorite - tempura which disappears in seconds from the buffet table. I actually waited for the tempura to be brought out and the diners swarm to the plate like bees to honey. The tempura is good but I wish they had more of it and I couldn't find the tempura sauce too. It also takes a lot of time before they replenish this tempura. Otherwise, it would have been more relaxed to eat.

Up next are the dishes, they had lechon macau with sauce which is heavenly crispy, fried chicken which I found tasty but a bit dry, vegetables with mushrooms which are juicy and tasty, and other dishes I didn't had space in my stomach to try.



Yakimix is known for grilling on the table, shabu-shabu style. But here, it's solely for bbq. You can choose from different meats like pork, beef, shrimps - all were really tender. I loved how the bbq was soft to the bite, it was perfect with hot rice. The grilling activity also makes dining more fun, I grilled hotdogs and vegetables wrapped in bacon.

For dessert, I first ran to the nearby Coffe Bean and Tea Leaf shop to buy a latte. I knew this would be the perfect match for all the sweets! I grabbed blueberry cheesecake which were in tiny slices, so I had to get 4 servings. Then, I also grabbed an egg tart which was also tasty. I wished they had real round cakes that guests can slice for themselves. The only cake that was present was an ube mango cake



Other desserts available are Selecta Icecream, popsicles,brownies, and fruits (Pineapple and Watermelon).

I could have missed some items but overall, Yakimix is a good casual place to enjoy an affordable buffet with friends. I would like to think more casual because it is a busy place, people lining outside waiting to be seated, diners walking to and from the buffet area, and busy servers. It might take some minutes before you can get their attention but with the price of Yakimix's buffet P599 - I guess this is just alright.

Lesson learned is to set a reservation to fully enjoy Yakimix minus the stress. Then maybe, come in at exactly 6PM when walk-ins have been seated and the crowd waiting outside are settled. It was Saturday when we went to Yakimix and we got to enjoy the free fireworks display by SM Mall of Asia. It also pays that you do not have any appointments after dinner so you can enjoy dinner and the buffet for a long time and be able to pace yourself :)

Point your fingers to Nail-a-holics!

It's so easy to forget about our fingers especially when our hands are full (read busy mommies and working ladies). I'm guilty of not having a proper mani and pedi since I gave birth eek.



So yesterday, I thought it would be nice to try Nail-a-Holics in SM Mall of Asia. I've seen them since they opened in June and their shop is such an eye candy with the colorful sofas, their beach wall paintings, and just everything from their logo to their floor are super cute!



Me and my blogger friend Earth looking at nail-a-holic's extensive menu

I went crazy and asked for a Seasurf Manicure, Pedicure, and Foot Spa with Algae Wrap that comes with a free hand and foot massage. Woot! Simply delicious when someone else is doing it for you when you've always been busy doing things for others right?


My nails enjoying a soak, I hear them say ahhhh

Honestly, nail-a-holics is the best nail salon I've ever been too. I am tired of noisy salons where attendants take forever to look for their tools especially foot soaks that drip on the floor, with water that's either to hot or dead cool. Yes?

No wonder I spotted these fashionistas at nail-a-holics too!


Beauty addict Shen


Stylekit Jane


Bea with her cool GE camera

At Nail-a-holics, they're focused on tips and toes so you are sure you're stepping on the right place. There's generous space to comfortably tuck yourself on soft sofa seats with good choice of pillows. Trained and uniformed attendants are focused on you, their tools are clean and organized, and they use the sushal Orly nail polish!

I actually stared in awe at the lady taking care of my hands as she worked on my cuticles like a surgeon without any ouchie boo-boos. My nails looked so neat after cleaning, all she had to do was buff them and they shone like glass after. I skipped the nail polish because I wanted to enjoy the smooth squeeky clean nails I've missed so much :) I took note on how using cuticle oil and nail buffer would already make a big difference.


My tootsies getting a massage

Then, the Algae wrap which was 'whitening' gave my legs a nice glow especially that I was wearing shorts yesterday. I received more than a couple of compliments on how my legs looked great, thanks to Mr. Algae. Girls, get this done before going on a date!

The complimentary hand and leg massage was kinda bitin but of course, if you want serious massage then you can ask for nail-a-holic's Huntington Beach Therapeutic Foot Reflexology. My husband did and it stopped him from complaining too much on why he was at the nail salon with me. In the end he said nail-a-holics wasn't just for girls and he loved the foot massage so much it is now his go-to place when his feet are tired. How macho is that?



Nail-a-Holics is right when they said this was one family place where everyone can be happy. Even barkadas can enjoy spa parties here, just make reservations :) The mani and pedi I got felt more than just that, it was destressing, rewarding, and energizing. It was another level of getting primped at nail-a-holics. Now point your browsers to www.nailaholics.com and make your fingers and toes happy!