Chew on this: Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken

"Home of the World Famous Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken"

Piri-piri, Peri-peri or Peli-peli is the name used in Portuguese and a number of African languages to describe the African bird's eye chili, a member of the Capsicum plant genus. This is a small and extremely spicy variety. The variations in spelling derive from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Africa, although "Piri-piri" is the correct spelling in Portuguese. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piri_piri)

So, just looking at the definition you can already assume that Peri-peri chicken would have an exotic taste. Hmmmm....Interesting right?!

Together with my dad and sister we went at SM Megamall because my sister is planning to buy a new phone and my dad need to buy new clothes for their company outing. Since, it's tiring to go around the mall and walk through each stores, Mr. Stomach was growling and that was our signal that we should eat to pacify our hunger. It's hard to decide where to eat in a place as big as SM Megamall because there are really lots of good restaurants to choose from but this particular restaurant caught my eye simply and lured to this place out of pure hunger, the SM Megamall branch located on the Bridgeway 3rd level of building B in between Racks and Tokyo Cafe was conveniently situated. Chicken lovers can rejoice with the menu filled with chicken dishes from salads, entrees, wraps, sandwiches, pasta and of course, the Filipino staple, platters and combo meals. If you're craving chicken minus the grease then their charcoal-grilled chicken is a very good alternative.

"OLA, SENOR, SENORA!!!" that will be the greeting you will hear upon entering the restaurant. The place is nice. They got these yellow lanterns above each tables that made it a happy, bright looking place. It has a very light ambiance too. I got excited. I don't know why but the very easy and light feeling made me feel excited to the chicken that we will be ordering.

I ordered the Everyday Platter B (1/4 pc. Peri-peri chicken, 2pcs. Parmesan shrimp, Corn and Carrots, Java rice and gravy for P235) because I was so hungry, excited and my appetite has been crazy lately I forgot to take the picture of it! Hehe :P And I chose the Lemon and Garlic flavor for my chicken . It's worth it. The price is reasonable as the serving is big. Big enough for a little girl with a monster stomach like me. My chicken? Simot-sarap! As in sarap to the bones. ^-^ The chicken tasted different than the usual grilled chicken that I'm familiar with. You can taste some herbs and other flavors on it and the good things is, you don't need to dip it in gravy to enjoy the chicken because it is good as it is.

My dad ordered just a 1/4 pc. Peri-peri chicken also in a Lemon and Garlic flavor and my sister chose to have Classic Carbonara with 2 pcs. finger bread on the side. Every time you order chicken the servers will ask you what marinade you prefer. They have Lemon and Garlic, Mild spicy and Hot and Spicy. Service at this branch was fast which was perfect because we were all starving.

Classic Carbonara

1/4 pc. Peri-peri Chicken (Lemon & Garlic)

The Platters (A,B,C) seems to be making it big, eliminating the need to decide on a three-course meal, being budget friendly. The best thing about Peri-peri is the P49 unlimited soup and beverages promo. Take note, the soup is not just something cupped out from a dish; we are talking about the real soup here. 

Their menu and price list

Depending on the day (they have two choices per day) and based on my experience, they have Mushroom Soup, Corn Soup, Carrot and Pumpkin Soup and Broccoli Cream soup. May be because it's weekend that there are many soup choices. 

My top pick is unexpectedly the Carrot and Pumpkin Soup. Creamy, tasty and healthy. Second on my list is the Corn Soup because I am just a corn person. The Broccoli Cream Soup is a must try too, although the Mushroom soup is so-so.

Carrot and Pumpkin Soup

Mushroom Soup

For the beverages, they've got tons. I ordered a mango shake coz' I don't feel like the drinks available for the promo. Hihihi Mango juice, Lemon Iced tea, Strawberry juice, Sodas (Pepsi products), Coffee, Hot tea and the list goes on.....The soup and drinks were self-service so you can really get as much as you want. How would they know you availed of the unlimited deal? :P They use different glasses and soup bowls than those for regular servings, of course! 

Whether you are a big eater or on a diet, there's always a room for you. Average price per meal range around P150 - P250, depending on the included number of sides. They also serve Salads, Burger and Quesadillas. One thing I'm sad with Peri-peri is they didn't offer any kind of desserts or sweets! :( I hope they will add it up in their menu in future time. 

My handsome father

Me, Daddy and big sister happy tummy!!

With all our orders in Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken, overall, I must say that this restaurant is actually highly recommended since they are not the usual chicken mean you will have plus considering the price, they are not really costly. It was still a satisfying meal. We'll go back there for sure and still have to try other good food that they offer next time. I couldn't move out of really bloated tummy by then! If you come across this restaurant, try it, don't chicken out!! Indulge!! :D

My SuperWoman-Fun-Freakin-Tastic MOMMY!

How do you define super woman? Someone talented? Strong? Exceptional? or perhaps remarkable? Those are few definitions of a super woman. Yes. I believe superwomen exist in our life. They are all around us and we see them everyday. They are with us every time, ready to lend us a helping hand whenever we need it. We even take them for granted at times. I'm most definitely talking about our Mothers -- Mom, Mama, Nanay, Mommy, Mumzie, Mudra or whatever we call them. 

There is no denying just how influential our mothers are in our lives. They are not the only ones responsible for giving birth to us but also taking care and loving us. That is why this day, even though it's a late post for Mother's Day! I would like to dedicate this blog post for one great woman in my life. She is no less than my MOM.

Oftentimes, we forget the many sacrifices our mother do for us. It takes a whole lot of skills and "super powers" to be a mom -- at least that's what I believe because I'm not yet even a mother, maybe in the future. All I know is that it's never an easy job but it's also a BEST job there is.

In honor of all the mothers out there, this month of May, we celebrates "Mother's Day". That even just for a day, we are given a chance to celebrate and give appreciation for all the goodness they have unconditionally given us all these years in our lives.

Indeed, this day calls for a celebration for countless reasons. For without our mothers, we wouldn't be where we are right now. We won't be the own persons that we are if our mothers have not been there for us all this time. I can actually call my mom a "super woman" for the same reason that you call your own moms "super woman" also. I believe that description suits my mom and yours perfectly well. No objection!! Haha :)) Imagine, taking care of me and my sister, of course with the help my dad but still was never an easy task.

She is more than a mother to us. She is my best friend, sister, my adviser, my teacher, my everything. She taught me in my 21 years of existence. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! I hope you're all having a lovely day with your moms and letting her know just how amazing she is. I love my mom to bits. She has been an inspiration and someone who is always there to offer words of wisdom and encouragement. To my mother who sacrificed so much, toiled so much and gave up so much for us, WE LOVE YOU! And, we shall continue loving you.

Words cannot describe how grateful I am to Lord God for giving me such a great parents, with their assets and imperfections altogether, they made my life perfect enough. So for Mother's Day, let us all greet our moms a happy one... and always give hugs and kisses. :))

This life is what you make it

This life is what you make it. No matter what, you're going to mess up sometimes, it's a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you're going to mess it up. Girls will be your friends -- they'll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything - they're your true best friends. Don't let go of them. Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they'll come and go too. And babe, I hate to say it, most of them - actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can't give up because if you give up, you'll never find your soul mate. You'll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don't, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about. 

- Marilyn Monroe

Eat less, But Eat Often

I just read it from a magazine, I know this will help some people. :)) Especially to girls out there who are body conscious and on a diet. And I just wanna share it.

When you are trying to cut back on the amount of food you eat, you will be tempted to cut back on the number of times you are eating. After all, if you are trying to reduce calories, isn't it easiest to reduce the number of meals? This strategy, however, is a recipe for failure.

Aside from the difficulties you might experience because of hunger from skipping meals, eating fewer times per day reduces the efficiency of our bodies in processing food as fuels. In other words, skipping meals maximizes the caloric effect of the food we do eat. A study at Oxford University found that people who ate five to six times a day had a 5% lower total cholesterol and were 45% more likely to be able to sustain their target weight than people who ate once or twice a day. - David Niven, Ph.D., The 100 simple secrets of healthy people

I hope this article will help to maintain your body healthy and have a sexy curve.

Be FIT and FAB!!

FUN whenever.....wherever!

Last May 9, 2012 my friends, Jen and Vivian special event! They had this special party at the garden of Casa Espanol. The place is so solemn and has a good ambiance. 

L-R: Jen and Vivian, The STARS of the night!

It was fun! I had a great time spending the evening cause I had a chance to go see them again and spend some time to bond and chat with my lovely Petix friends. It's almost been a year since our barkada become complete for one event. It really feels great to unwind and have some bonding time together with your friends as you share the laughters, heartaches, experiences, advices and other stuffs. We do crazy things and enjoy it a lot! Here are some of the pics we had during that night.

L-R: Daniel, Gaena, Me, Bern & Kat

Boys of Petix: L-R: Jorine, Daniel, Jen, Vivian, Winchy & JD

My lovely Girlfriends: L-R: Bern, Sha, Gaena, Jen, Kat & Me

L-R: Sha, Daniel and Me

L-R: Jen, Daniel, Winchy & Vivian

L-R: Mon, Kat & Mela

Ayun oh, F4 - Boys of Petix

And to end this blog post, there is one realization that I liked the most during our bonding and 'serious' talk. We realized that "nag-iisa lang talaga ang barkada namin!" - One of a kind!! Even if we had years and years and years of being apart, I guess our barkada would still remain intact. The communication and getting updates is still continued. We are like we never run out of kwentos every time we see each other. Some things never changed at all.

Also, BUM-ity is just in the corner. I just want to quote what my friend, Daniel commented, "BUM PETIX - Best Unemployed Members of Team Petix..", "Well..ganun talaga..We are the best in bumming around..:D San ka makakakita ng magaganda/pogi, cool, matatalino na Bum?! Tayo lang yun...kaya tayo walang trabaho kasi kung magkakaroon pa, sh*t sobrang perfect na natin...invalid na ang mga katagang..."Nobody's Perfect!" Hahaha" Sorry for the super build up of our barkada! That's the way we are. Here's the latest pic of TEAM PETIX after a year!! 

We go anywhere. We go anytime. Too busy. Too far from here. Too many other friends to bother joining. Too many other reasons. But, I MISS THEM. I MISS THEM A LOT. :)

Filipinos™ tease Times Square: A Must See

Found this short clip on Youtube and thought I'd share it with you.

WOW! A surprising teaser from Times Square New York. Looks promising! I like the promotion...It's about great and how amazing Filipinos are!

"Change the way you look at nation." Interesting. What's this all about? Curious? Yeah, I do! Now, can't wait for June 12, 2012. Mabuhay Pilipinas!!

Driving is.....FUN!!!

Last April 17, 2012 I started my very first driving lessons. I was nervous and excited about it. Yes, I do have a background in driving I knew how to drive but in an automatic type of car only. My dad decided to enrolled me in a driving school for me to learn how to drive a manual transmission cars. Because according to my dad, that once you know how to drive manual car, it is easy for you drive any types of cars. I enrolled for a five days - one hour per day course.

During my first day, they give us a two hour orientation to help us be familiar on the different parts and how they function. Afterwards, I meet my driving instructor,  Sir Ronald. Before letting me drive, he explained again about the gears, brakes, clutch and accelerator (gas) pedal which was quite confusing at first but after he let me tried it by myself, it was alright. My instructor was very helpful as he really guided me with patience, of course! And didn't get any scoldings from him. Basically, my first lessons was all about the first-things-to-do and how-to-stop-and-go. I was just going round and round till my lesson ended. Am I a slow learner?? Well, let's see! :))

My second day, my instructor will let me drive on the main road. OMG!!O_O Am I ready and brave enough?? My first day lessons was rather more fun than challenging. It's my first time in a manual car, driving in a main road. Such an exhilarating moment for me! However, the car did broke down twice meaning the engine stall as I wasn't really familiar with clutch and this was my first time driving. Proud to say that I didn't bang or get any honks from anyone. I even conquered the big and small roundabouts, bridges and U-turns. Other than that, driving was fun!

On my third day, I had encountered many challenges throughout the lessons. First, my instructor taught me the maneuvering procedures: U-turn, 2pt. turn and 3pt. turn. Unfortunately, I was panicked during my 2pt. turn. and the engine stall. Luckily, no cars were behind of me. I feel unsatisfied in that moment because I didn't managed to perfectly do it while I'm driving on the road. :( Second, I was taught how to drive up or they called the hanging procedure without reversing the car. In this part, foot works is very important, it should be fast when pressing between the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals. Hand brake is also very useful and important when you're driving up. But sometimes I have problems of using it coz' its hard and stiff. Still, I managed to learn it after few attempts. Need more practice in my foot works!! Fighting!!

It's my fourth day, another challenge again is how to go up and down the slope especially if there is traffic. It was fun and thrilling. But, I can say that this one is difficult. Because the most challenging part was getting up and you got to press the accelerator pedal till the engine sound heard loudly. If not, the car will go backwards and your car will end up banging another car. I was damn nervous! After a few attempts, I can do it even though there are times I experienced engine breaking down. Anyways, my instructor told me I'm not that bad because I did it a few times. 

On my fifth and last day, the weather was damn hot!! terribly hot!! I was sweating a lot and I didn't know whether I smell bad when my instructor sat beside me after I sweated a lot...Anyways, my last day was all about reviewing all the lessons we had and applying it. Also, we had all about parking. There are so many techniques and formulas to remember. Just for the steering and the number of turns you should made. Everything must be done in no hurry and accurate within 3-5 minutes. You can't miss a step or forget to turn or over turn the steering to the amount that is needed.

I forgot to include where I had my driving lessons. I enrolled at SMART Driving School in Pasig City. So, to those boys and girls who wants to learn SMART driving, enrolled now!! They have different courses available and you can also decide your own schedule. 

For me, driving is actually easy if you apply the techniques and formulas that your instructor have taught you. Of course, you should know how to follow traffic rules and regulations. Take the lessons to brush up your skills and be confident and ask questions to your instructor, don't be shy!! The most important thing is to stay focus, have presence of mind while driving, just calm down and do it as usual.

So, that's my driving experience! Happy driving folks!! :))