bethgstories

CNBLUE Tokyo pictures made me do this. Jungshin's, Minhyuk's, and Yonghwa's IG posts of ramen and other stories made me drool over them  and crave a decent ramen fix. I wanted something light and savory and filling. Something that feels like a hug on the insides since I am forbidden from drinking coffee these days.  Nagi Izakaya  opened last May, and it waves hello to me whenever I am on my way to SM Megamall. It is located on The Podium's ground floor and its DRINK SAKE EAT RAMEN neon sign makes it hard to miss. Just in case you're wondering, it's brought to us by the same people who brought us  Ramen Nagi . It depicts an informal Japanese bar that serves alcohol and snacks where people would want to unwind after work, hence its name.  But I went there during lunch hour, on a family day, when I was forbidden alcoholic drinks. Plus I had umami cravings. Jungshin's IG story didn't help either.  So it easily became Ramen Sunday.  I ordered the  Truffle Ki

In this week's episode on How To Make My Weekends Awesome, I Googled a place I've never been in - and luckily I stumbled upon La Casetta De Britt , a fine-looking restaurant that's just located in my hometown. I knew this place is packed with Instagrammable cafes; but restaurants that look like you need to make a reservation for a dinner for two, I'm not so sure. This place is tucked away in the same subdivision where San Beda Rizal Campus can be found, a place that's scarce of public transport that Grab can only pick you up if it was only dropping off someone else. I suppose there are tricycles somewhere to bring you out of the subdivision but I had no idea where to find them.  The place is small and cozy, and I reserved an al fresco table in case it'd be too crowded on the inside. Luckily, they were having a slow lunch, and there were only a couple of other tables occupied while I was there. It was easy to take pictures. I was low-key imagining it would be a b

I always misspell BANH MI, forgive me. Banh Mi Kitchen has been one of my go-to favorites whenever I need that quick fix of a no-rice heavy meal. There’s only two branches I know of—the one in Pearl Drive where I would normally go since it’s near my workplace and the other one is in SM Megamall and I’m not even sure if it’s still there. This signature Vietnamese sandwich is something that everyone should try because in my opinion, it’s healthier and more socially acceptable when it came to quality and price. Let’s take a closer look of what it is made of. The bread. I’ve read somewhere that white bread is bad. They provide excess calories and since they are pre-sliced and packaged, they mostly consist of highly-processed simple carbs that is digested quickly and do not really provide many nutrients (Medical News Today, 2017). This Vietnamese baguette which is most probably average pre-packaged white bread is so crunchy the sound will make your forget the bad things in ev

foodie - noun | food·ie | ˈfü-dē : a person who enjoys and cares about food very much (Merriam Webster)  I guess I am a foodie. Or maybe I am just always hungry.  Acquiring myasthenia gravis gave me a tangible reason to believe that indeed life's too short and that I should enjoy each and every moment of being alive and go for adventures. My intubation experience in 2013 when I had to eat through that little hose attached to my nostrils made me think of all the food I wanted to eat but couldn't, and god, what if I couldn't swallow food for the rest of my life? I got too scared it'll happen to me again (God forbid) and so I vowed to myself I'm going to do everything in my power to indulge in food (a confession of a girl who likes to eat). Lately, I've been taking myself out on a date on weekends just to give myself a pat on the back for the great job I did during the week that just ended (not just for being able to survive but also for being a productive hoe and

Disclaimer: I am not a vegan. I'm not even a chef. Or a nutritionist. This is entirely based on my experience.  Like what I’ve posted previously, meal prep has become part of my weekly routine. It’s an effective stress-reliever, from planning out the meals for the week down to Instagramming the finish product. Plus, it’s healthy, much cheaper and I don’t need to worry about contractual labor by resorting to fast food meals. If you have been following me on IG (and that’s @bethgstories if you haven’t), you’d see my stories are always about food (though other times I post my goofy self because it’s fun). Lately, I’ve been trying much too hard to do a #meatlessFriday, and that's how I came up with this healthy vegan pasta soup. However, more often than not, I don’t succeed because my colleagues’ food are also impossible to be ignored. You can do this thing and save yourself from unhealthy food the entire week Just so you know, I like to keep my meals not only heal

I used to be under the impression that meal prepping is such a huge task that’s gonna take all my time and energy. The planning, the search for recipes, listing down of ingredients, going to the grocery store and the actual cooking consume all my strength just thinking about it. But times have changed, and maybe I just grew out of all my childish excuses. It’s been a few weeks since I started preparing my meals for work, and let me tell you why I continue doing so. Korean chicken curry I am so serious about living the healthy life, I swear! Living with an autoimmune condition is a bitch, and you don’t have any choice but to fight it. Every. Single. Day. If you’ve read my About Me page, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’d say I am so lucky to have met a doctor that was able to alleviate my symptoms through proper dosage of medications and surgery. But then it shouldn’t end at that. I also have to do something in order to experience that overly-coveted remission. And so I

Batang Jollibee here! Yep, I was one of the kids who craved for Jollibee back in the day, though I always preferred the burger steak and palabok while everyone wants their Chicken Joy and spaghetti (and this happens until now). And I should say Jollibee has become my go-to fast food whenever I wanna feel nostalgic vibes in order to get that suspended novel going. Talk about comfort and homey feels. Anyway, Jollibee (not so) recently launched their newest product and I didn't think something would beat the savory tuna pie as one of my favorite Jollibee desserts. And yes, it's the Ube Pie . I have been looking for an opportunity to try this out I am overly excited and yesterday was finally the chance! Ube jam is something that I'd always ask someone to bring me back when they go to Baguio (well, apart from the snowballs and strawberries). I'd either put it in bread or eat it as it is - but Jollibee has given me more than that! My excitement about this Ube Pie was too over

I've always wanted my waffle savory - tuna waffle is my ultimate favorite. Sometimes I like it with banana and peanut butter. But to top it with green tea or blueberry or the classic Bavarian filling which is my ultimate favorite when it came to donuts ? You're kidding me, right?  But then it's no joke. Because there's actually a food kiosk that offers exactly that. Wo-nut isn't exactly the newest pasalubong craze in town since it has been in the business for three years. But it's the first time that I've heard of it as it opens its newest branch at the SM City Taytay. people lining up for free waffle This happened last Saturday when a priest was also invited to bless the newly opened business and they've given away free donuts to the first 50 customers. I'm not sure if this is also new to you, but according to the company's executive vice president, Angelica Castillo, they already have several kiosk around Metro Manila, and most of them are lo

If you are in search of a new place to hang out, brace yourself! Ruins Foos Park Project is now open to provide you with simply the best of everything you need for a relaxing weekend.  Ruins Food Park Project is a newly established food park in Metropolitan Makati - it used to be an old parking space converted into a place where you and your friends could make it your new "tambayan." The ambience gives you that feel good vibes, because of the fresh air, good music and, of course, food!  So what can you possibly expect when you come to this food park? Let me tell you what I had. 😄 1. Variety of Food. Since it is a food park, expect different kinds of food, from Vietnamese to American (burgers!), and even shawarma. There's food for dinner and also for light snacks, as well as stalls that serve alcoholic drinks.  [caption width="548" align="aligncenter"] Complimentary food from Pho Yoh. The fried spring rolls are called chagio, and the fresh ones are cal

After the PPCRV volunteering I did for the elections, the somewhat depressing outcome of the results and the day today that was so tiring yet fulfilling, I figured I deserved a treat. Although chocolate cake and coffee could have been heaven, I decided to go for pasta and pizza for lunch. My stop? Gotti's Ristorante. I discovered this place a few weeks ago. I tried their puttanesca and as much as I wanted to also try the pizza margherita , my doubt for my appetite that day prevailed. Good thing there's always next time, and it happened today. I had Joe's minestrone first - something that I haven't had for quite a while now. The tomato goodness of the soup and the finely diced vegetables made up for the lack of pasta. Macaroni is missing, and instead it was replaced with a few strands of spaghetti. I've been reading minestrone recipes online and all of them have macaronis so I don't know if Joe's version is something original in some places in Italy. Joe'