Fusion of Tastes at 7Flavors!

Yes, you read it right, and wait until you taste the 7 flavors they boast off - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy, umami and astringent. I'm not going to be telling you what astringent is, you might as well just savor (hindi ko lang talaga sigurado :D ).

Here's a comment to clarify what Astringent is. Hehe thanks Karlo! :)

If the 7 flavors don't excite you just yet, hold your horses, because this place offers a one stop eatery, from breakfast and snacks in their Artisan Bakery and Gourmet Cafe, to lunch and dinner in their World Fusion Buffet. 

WHERE IS IT LOCATED:

196 A. Mabini St., Brgy. Addition Hills, San Juan, Metro Manila

     The place is easily accessible by private car, not to mention their large parking space in front, however for commuters, a way I know is to ride a jeepney or fx to Puregold Shaw, then board a tricycle to 7Flavors. 

WHAT TIME DO THEY OPERATE:

Artisan Bakery is open from 6:00am until 8:00pm

     A pocket of pleasure, where you may indulge in delectable delights and tempting treats.

Gourmet Cafe is open from 6:00am until 12:00mn daily

     A fresh and casual dining spot nestled within the lush urban confines of San Juan.

World Fusion Buffet is open from 11:00am until 2:00pm for lunch daily, and at 6:00pm until 10:00pm for dinner

     A foodie's paradise, lovingly crafted by a celebrated master of the arts, the renowned, Chef Boy Logro.

HOW MUCH IS IT FOR THE BUFFET:

Monday-Thursday Lunch at Php400 / Dinner at Php500

Friday-Sunday and Holidays Lunch and Dinner at Php600

HOW'S THE AMBIANCE:

     The cafe and bakery occupy the first floor and the buffet occupies the second. It's not as grandeur as to intimidate men from all walks of life, but it's also elegant with the earth toned walls and ceiling, tables, and embellishments, also with the warm lighting which I'm very fond of, so as to be just a nice place for a date or a business meeting. They also have function rooms divided by a glass wall for some intimacy.

WHAT DO THEY OFFER:

     Well for an overview, their website says they feature several dishes from different regions everyday:

Monday - Chinese Treasures

Tuesday - Viva Italia

Wednesday - Espanya Cena

Thursday - Rasta Jamaica

Friday - Rustic Germany

Saturday - Fisher's Feast

Sunday - Samurai Specials

     What initially struck me is how well presented the meals are.

     Or am I just easily impressed? Haha :) They have Tacos Station, Ceasar Salad Action Station, Salad Bar and Fresh Fruit Station. Isn't it nice?

     The meals are packed with a wide selection of grilled, fried, baked and stewed meats, seafood, freshly cooked vegetables, and desserts. 

     I suppose I don't have to go through the viands one by one as they might differ from what they offer by the time you visit. Let's just feast into the ones my taste buds actually crave for right now.

Tofu with Chicken Liver Sauce a.k.a. Sisig. Haha :)
I called it Sisig but it doesn't mean you could skip it just because you could already imagine 
how it tastes. It has a very great umami taste that paired perfectly with their bagoong rice. 
Besides, it's healthier than the usual pork sisig ;)

Sticky Lemon Chicken.
I love the (obviously) zesty lemon flavor. It's sweet and sour and
salty all at the same time, its crisp adding to its perfection.

Pork Bagnet with Fermented Shrimp! This one's the best pair of bagoong rice.
But let me inform you right now that this is not for the faint-hearted, as this bursts spices in your 
mouth, I tasted the 7 flavors with this one (naisingit 'yong 7!). Just the right crisp and tenderness.

     Others include:

Korean Beef Stew

Buttered Chicken

Norwegian Meat Balls - my boyfriend liked this one,
but I'm not a fan of meat balls, sorry. :)

Fried squid! Oh I love this, it's tender but still has a bite to it.

Fried Fish Cantonese Style

I believe there were around 15 viands to choose from, and I tell you, I just took small servings to try taste them all, but I got so full I can't even splurge on the desserts, but of course I did. The mini cupcakes taste great as well as this (I think) a sort of Leche Flan but with a very soft and smooth texture.

Yummers!

     Aren't they sumptuous to look at? Oh just imagine how much more sumptuous they are to taste! Now give in to your taste buds and have a good munch! 

     And by the way, their 20% discount promo for the buffet runs until June 14, 2015. Feast over it for just Php320. :)

     You may check their Facebook page here or their website here :)

     Not if it's not yet obvious, and you might want to ask if I recommend visiting, well YES! Rating would be a good 9 over 10, you definitely have lots of choices for your 400, ayt? ;)

     Thanks for dropping by! <3

Oh and btw, I'd like to greet my man on our 18th month together.
Happy debut! :D
This is how we celebrate, we eat! :)

Boso-Boso Highlands Resort and Convention Center - A Hit Treat!

I know, I know summer's almost over, but I guess it'll never be too late to hit the water! (As much as I'd like to say we hit the beach, unfortunately no beach for the wicked this summer -_-)

Let me start this with a question. Do you have that thinking that you have to leave your city to see better or more exciting resorts? 
I did - guess you already know how this review will go.

Boso-Boso Highlands Resort, located along Marcos Highway in Sitio Cabading, Brgy. San Jose, Antipolo City, is nestled in the lush Sierra Madre ranges perfect for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and swimmers (and frustrated swimmers) of course. As of the moment, and hopefully for longer generations, the place is still free from pollution, the amazing view is quite picturesque it is impossible to leave without a photo taken (that is if you have a cam with you).

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW:
Is it affordable? Yes, just the usual rates these days.
Is it clean? Yes, the place is quite refreshing (although I think peak season's over, so...)
Is it worth the money? Yes!

WHEN DID WE GO:
Just yesterday, June 7, 2015, so details as to the entrance fees and all are the current ones.

HOW TO GET HERE:
Coming from Manila/Cubao:
Ride the LRT2 to Santolan, then ride a jeep/fx to Cogeo Gate2. From there, ride the jeep to Paenaan, then just inform the driver to drop you off at the resort. Easy peasy! Travel time from Cubao might take you 1 1/2 hour.

HOW MUCH ARE THE ENTRANCE FEE AND COTTAGES:

As of June 2015

Their 150 rate for kids are available for 3-7 years old. 2 years old and below are for free. You can also add 70/50, adult/kid, for an extension of 3 hours.

For other queries, you may check here, especially since their facebook page is not that active and updated.

SOME RULES:

Unfortunately, this is not indicated in their website nor in their facebook page. What caught my attention is the prohibition of dark colored shirts; you might want to bear that in mind, although I don't know why they did not call my attention as I'm wearing all black. 

WHAT TO DO HERE:

So here's the fun part!

#1 - Of course cherish nature!

I'm really a nature lover so this is already worth the money for me!

#2 - Enjoy your company - have a social media detox for a while!

Places become better a thousandfold if spent with your loved ones!

Who doesn't have a jump shot?! Ugh, me.

And random poses?!

Grill and chill!

Take selfies!

And groupies!

And brothies! What?!

#3 - Zipline!

Doesn't get too old!

#4 - Hold your events here!

The place is quite vast they have lots of spaces, rooms and amenities for events like wedding, teambuilding activities or conferences. Here are sample photos I grabbed from their page. 

Here's a vicinity map for a better overview of what amenities they offer

This resort boasts off their Convention Hall, cottages and villas, open fields for activities, basketball court, playgrounds, and of course their swimming pools, which leads us to the next thing to do!

#5 - Swim, slide, have a massage and a workout!

They have 6 pools, save the private and hotel pools, of different depths, which is really nice and safer. 

The first pool that'll welcome you is their awesome kiddie pool! 

This is by far the best kiddie pool I've ever seen, it makes want to be a kid again even just for the time being! Kids will definitely have a very good time with this one. The round arcs squirt sort of cold water so staying inside is really a must try!

Then the 3 other pools are strategically placed in terraces form, if you may call it that. Hehe

This is the topmost pool. it has a small slide and an even smaller slide with water
sprinkling above. I stayed here for a little while 'cause it's just relaxing.
This is around 5 feet in depth I think.

Then these are the 2 lower pools. The 2nd and 3rd pool is 4 feet and 6 feet in depth
respectively, I think. Poor in measurement, sorry. Haha I just know I already
 tiptoed on the edges and I'm 5'2" in height. I can barely reach the center area, poor me.

I love the fact that it has differing depths so you'd feel free to choose which one you'll dip into. The topmost and the lowest pool have slides which are pretty awesome. I slid down the longer slide for more than 5 times just because it was really fun! (even if I have to ask my dad to wait for me down the pool and grab me to the edge 'cause I told you I can't reach the flooring :( )

Then, a little too far from these 4 pools are the 2 others. You have to go down the 250-step stairs or use your 4x4 vehicle 'cause that's the only car they allow down here.

A glimpse of the *gulp* stairs

This is the pool in front of the Paradise Hotel

And then the wave pool!

So just when you think they're still the usual pools! It's pretty cool and not bad for the 170 entrance fee we paid! Too bad I wasn't able to use this slide 'cause the area with the wave ball is 7 feet in depth I think. Will surely drown!

Don't fret if you can't swim, the long and tiring walk is still worth it because the area near the, sort of, breakwater is more shallow, while that with the 2 dolphins are really shallow just enough for you to sit, relax or have a massage on the 2 dolphin fountains, if you may call it that :D.

OTHER QUESTIONS:
Do they have a canteen? Yes.
May we bring in food? Yes, but take note of the corkage fees for some drinks. Check here.
May we bring in electrical appliances? Yes, but they also incur electrical charges.
Are the hotel rooms nice? I'm sorry I don't have an input 'cause we only rented a cottage. You may check their website or check reviews.
How is their customer service? Well, let us just say I don't care so much about it, but we noticed that they seldom smile, they talk to us with a poker face, but maybe I just don't mind too much about it since I'm there to enjoy. Let's just keep our temper cool, shall we? Hehehe


FINAL THOUGHTS: 
I surely loved the place! I recommend it. You just really have to pace yourself for the strenuous walks and slides, but for the price you pay, you'll definitely have a lot of things to do here!

~~

I live in Antipolo City and going here just took us more or less 30 minutes! This outing was actually unplanned, and we really doubted if we'll like the place just because it isn't located in the usual summer destinations such as Laguna or Batangas. Sorry for not being localistic, but I surely learned a lesson. This makes me want to try some more of the nearby resorts. It pays going against the bandwagon sometimes! I think this resort is somewhat underrated because they're quite hidden in the mountains, but I think that's what sets them apart from the usual pool resorts! I guess this is going to be my next place to just hang out and relax! Hope you'll like it too!

Thanks for reading! :*

Sodam Experience: Pigging out over Korean food for only 299!

Hey fellas! Here's another blog for you, but this time it's not about travel, but about some munchies - and good munchies they are!

Is it Affordable? Indeed!
Is it Yummy? Good enough!
Is it Worth Trying? Absolutely! (well, that is if you like Korean food :p)

First thing, let us not talk about the exact names of the food, and I'm not Korean either, so let's do away with the usual descriptive terms I know. ;)

HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO PAY:

Surprisingly, pigging out starts at only 299 Philippine pesos! I know lots of a la carte meals are less than 299, but, face it, meals in fast food chains and small restaurants range from 60 pesos to even 300 pesos! So 299 pesos is a real steal considering you get to have lots of choices, and you can keep getting more!

For 299, you may have all the dishes they serve, as well as beef and pork slices which are also unlimited! However, if you prefer to ask for an unlimited serving of beef alone, the charge will then be 399 pesos.

For children below 4ft, they only charge 199.

WHAT TIME ARE THEY OPEN:

Lunch: 11:30-2:30pm
Dinner: 6-10pm
They are also open during weekends and even holidays.

WHERE IS IT LOCATED:

Along P. Guevarra St., Little Baguio, San Juan City

They occupy quite a small building, in fact, their parking area
in front could accommodate just 3 cars I think.

HOW'S THE AMBIANCE:

The place is simple and clean, nothing too fancy, it has basic chairs like these and some warm lights and korean embellishments on the walls. The place is small, and the airconditioning might burden you a bit when the place is crowded, 'cause it doesn't seem to cope up with the smoke and the heat, so that's one thing to consider. Also, I don't think it's recommendable to those couples looking for some formal dates because the seats and tables are close to each other, duh, y'know what I mean, haha, there couldn't be 'alone times' in this place. Anyway I still think the place is really nice, again considering the price you pay.

WHAT ARE THE DISHES OFFERED:

Here's the yummy part! Again, I don't know what the dishes are called, so please bear with me. ;)

They offer kimchi, potato balls, korean vegetable pancake, mussels, fish fillet, japchae, a station for bibimbap, soups, beef and pork slices to grill and more that I do not know what to call. :D

Here are the dishes that I personally loved:

This one is a combination of fried eggplant, other 
veggies, and crab stick, coated with egg, nyahaha,
I am not even sure what it's called, 
but this tastes great with the dipping sauce.

This, I think, is sort of chop suey (Chinese, I know) 
'cause it contains random vegetables. :D 
I liked it because it has kikiam, also my favorite. Haha

This is LOVE! My boyfriend wrapped some grilled
beef with the fresh lettuce,
added some dipping sauce in it, and it's perfect!

I would highly suggest that you do this!
Spread some of their red and yellow sauce
(again I don't know what that is! :D)
on the grilled beef strips. 
I also love love love this one!

This one is the vegetable pancake, well I call 
it pizza as well. This one is my favorite I am 
actually craving for it now. It has a tinge of 
seaweed flavor which I love, and it has 
a soft and chewy texture, 
but there's still a good bite. 
Perfect snack!

Take note that the dishes they offer everyday may vary, so I'm not sure which ones here are available by the time you visit, but then of course, that only means you have many other dishes to choose from. Also, they replenish their dishes depending on the customers at the time.

Some other dishes include:

Here are the beef and pork belly slices for 
grilling; remember, this is part of the buffet! 
Love!
You may grill it the way you like, but we 
personally liked them still tender, 'cause 
overcooking may cause 'em to be makunat :D

All in all, the dishes are great! With their wide array, for sure you'll have some you'll love! I guess it's all about experimenting with their dipping sauces available as well, unfortunately I'm bad at that, good thing I have my boyfriend with me to do it for me, (and it's his treat! <3). ;)

OTHER INFORMATION YOU MIGHT NEED TO KNOW:

The 299 or 399 doesn't include beverages.
Water isn't considered as a beverage, ayt? Hehe ;)
Water is for free, of course. :D

Obviously because they offer drinks
and ice cream for sale, that's why. :D
Aaand, the place is wifi ready for an
instagram post right away! ;)

I believe Waze can show you the way. :D 

For other questions or reservation, feel free to inquire:
(02) 654-6428
0905-3934190

WOULD I RECOMMEND:

Definitely! Absolutely! Totally! Lylyly!


So that concludes our mouth watering blog today. Feel free to tag me in your photos and blogs about Sodam, ayt?! Thanks for reading! Until next chika. ;)

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