Sensei Sushi Bar

I don't really get to go to the South Area much, mainly because it's so far, and I don't have a driver on weekends, so unless there's a special reason to go, we are not able to explore the restaurants that our South friends are raving about.

A few weeks back though we had to go to Paranaque to visit Tita Dingky, an Aunt who was visiting from the States who was staying with an Uncle who lived in that area. So we went to visit and then we went out for dinner nearby.

My uncle recommended Sensei Sushi Bar, the hole in the wall restaurant owned by Chef Bruce Ricketts, who has been rumored to have worked a Nobu in New York. Now, I'm not really sure how accurate that is, since I couldn't find it anywhere on his bio online, so take it with a grain of salt. Hahaha.

Sensei Sushi is a very small place, in fact, we were
lucky, because a group just left when we arrived so
we were able to get a table immediately.

They have a simple laminated back to back menu, but they also have
a black board with their Specials.

I was starving, while the family was still chatting, chatting and chatting.

I kept looking at what they were serving the table beside us and I wanted
to order the same. Hahaha. So I ordered a lot of starters to share.

They were so yummy...

I think we ordered a Cali Roll with Prawn Popcorn (Php235)

And if I were to guess I think this was Tuna and Crispy Scallop Dynamite
(Php285)

My favorite was the Tuna Tartare on KangKong Chips (Php165).
My sister says they serve something similar in Nobu, further adding
credibility to the Nobu Sous-Chef rumors. Hahaha,

Ady and I ordered a Beef Gyudon which was okay,
but I think very expensive for it's price. (Php520)

My aunt ordered the salmon, and I think the serving was quite small, (Php350)

Sof and Mama ordered Ebi Tempura, which were huge,
but only because they fry it with the head. (Php380)
Seriously, why do they do that?

Ma ordered the Japanese Fried Rice too and liked it. 

My dad ordered the steak and he said it was very good, though the serving was again on the small side. (Sorry, he was too far for me to take a photo before he ate it all up)

We ordered dessert to share. They took so long to plate it, which I don't get
because it came out looking like crap. Hahaha.
The chocolate ganache part was good though and Sof liked the bananas.
But it was such a messy plate I don't have any idea what we ordered.

So I think as long as you stick to rolls and steak, this is definitely worth visiting again (if you're in the area). I think they can definitely give Akira Back, the number two restaurant in Jakarta, which you can read about here, a run for their money, and it's a much cheaper hole in the wall too. just saying.

Sensei Sushi Bar

268 Aguirre Avenue, 

B.F. Homes, Parañaque City

How to make your own Tako Coconut Thai Dessert

Sofia loves Tako, the coconut pudding Thai dessert. She loves it so much she can eat several pieces in one sitting and she gobbles it up so fast.

The problem though with our love for Tako is that unless you go to a local food market, you need to buy them from street vendors, and finding them is like a game of chance. The other challenge is with the language barrier, you're not sure what filling you're going to get inside until you eat it. Hahaha.

The square tako is more common but they also come in cones.
My favorite filling is corn or water chestnut, but I can't stand the yam or the
more starchy ones.

On one of my recent trips to Bangkok without Sof, I was so happy to find this
DIY mix at Gourmet Market in Siam Paragon so I could bring home for Sof
to make. 

They have a 6 minute claim and they have instructions in several languages,
 English included.

Everything you need to prepare it is in the pack, corn included,
except for the Banana Leaf cups.

Sof was quite excited to try it out. We used mini cupcake pans and cupcake
liners instead. We also opted to use the stove top so we could see what
was happening vs. nuking it in the microwave.

Basically you just add water, and wait for the mixture to
thicken. This little girl is happy she can now reach the
stove without stepping on a chair.

Knowing when to remove it from the fire is key.
Then you just start scooping them into the containers to cool.

Same is true for the coconut cream topping.

We either thickened it too much, or took too long in
scooping it out because it sort of gelled on us.

It definitely tastes better than it looks.

I can't wait to go back to Bangkok to hoard more of this mix, but it would definitely better if you make them in the banana leaf cups. It's still such a steal for 50 Baht! Though I think getting them done in 6 minutes is a bit of a stretch. just saying.

Akira Back for Modern Japanese Food in Jakarta

I've only had one meal in Jakarta, and it was so good, I have no idea how to top in on my next trips. But then, I've always loved a challenge, so I am going to enjoy finding a new place to top it. Hahaha.

I've visited Jakarta twice now, but it's normally just for transit and the schedule is so tight, I barely have enough time to touch the wonderful breakfast spread at The Hotel Mulia, where I normally stay.

Fortunately or unfortunately, on my last trip, I had to stay an extra night because of the flight schedules, so I got a chance to go out for dinner and catch-up with Didi, and she found a wonderful restaurant where we had dinner.

Akira Back, it turns out, is the name of a chef from Las Vegas, who just
recently opened a restaurant named after him in Jakarta.
Akira Back is currently number 2 on Tripadvisor (I've been told).

The food is quite pricey, but just reading the menu is enough to make
you drool. Hello Foie Gras, Fatty Tuna (which we didn't order), and Steak.

For a place with posh prices, the ambiance was quite casual.
The place has an open kitchen (which you can see behind the busy table).

It's also located on a high floor of MD Place Building,so if you're lucky,
you'll get to enjoy a nice view too. See far window of room at the back.

At first we weren't sure if the dishes were for sharing, so we just ordered everything we wanted, mostly appetizers, and a main course to share.

Didi ordered Salmon to show Noel. Hihihi.
So sweet. I didn't touch this.

Then we had the Pan Seared Foie Gras with Croquettes and miso and honey
sauce. Quite a busy plate but everything worked well together.

Dishes are definitely meant for sharing.
This was my portion of the Foie Gras. Yumyumyum..

We ordered one of the safe rolls with tempura which we saw from another
table. Unfortunately, they served it way after we demolished the main course.

We also tried the Grilled Octopus with Chorizo Dumplings because we weren't
sure if the food we ordered was enough.
This was good too... though it was the most ordinary among the rest.

For our main, we ordered the steak to share. It looks horrible, but it tastes so
much better than it looks. Perfectly cooked, and melts in your mouth.

Dessert was really a pleasant surprise though,
We ordered the Yuzu Cheesecake with Berry Ice Cream.
Not only does it look beautiful, it was light and delicious too!
A perfect end to our really yummy dinner.

Be ready to pay roughly 900,000 Rupiahs per person though, and we weren't even drinking wine! But I must say, it was truly a great meal! Thanks for this great find Didi!!! Can't wait to catch up again. Hope our next meal is as good as this without being as expensive. Hahaha. just saying.

Akira Back

MD Place Lt. 12 Jalan Setia Budi Selatan No. 7

Jakara, DKI Jakarta 12910, Indonesia

AVA Atheletica proudly Philippine made sportswear for women that make you look great, even before you get moving!

I'm so happy I finally got my AVA Athletica stash.

Confession time. I refuse to pay a lot of money for exercise outfits, simply because I don't exercise! Well, I used to, in my past life (B.S. or Before Sofia) but since then I'd rather spend quality time with my little girl, or with my blog than sweat it out in the gym.

I've always said, I don't mind exercise, as long as it's incorporated in my lifestyle, ie walking around Singapore because we didn't have a car, but Orchard Road, the old office location, and Sofia's school was just within 15 minutes walking distance. Same was true when I lived in Paris, every Metro station was just 5-10 minutes away.

When I used to exercise, my favorite brand of sportswear was Nike, but it was so pricey, I normally just bought it when it was on sale, and most of my stuff was actually gifted to me by my godmother.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, my really close friend at work, Aina, is the brains behind AVA Athletica and the only reason I finally discovered the greatness this brand has to offer is because I started a new job where I travel and eat more than normal, and when we're with the local teams, if they exercise, then so do we.

Aina kept on laughing (seriously!) at my outfits because they were sponsored by Clear and Rexona! Hahaha.

Clear Jersey for Zumba

Rexona for Mountain Climbing

Thankfully Aina to pity on me and brought me several outfits to try, and the great thing is, everything fit so I got to keep them all. They fit so nicely too!!!

The material is really nice, so the outfits feel really comfortable and cool (even as you sweat - not that I've tested it), and the bottoms feel like magic. It's as if the pants and shorts have a magic force-field that sucks (or feels like) your tummy fat in. Hahaha.

They can definitely give Nike sportswear a run for their money any day comfort wise, but AVA Athletica is a level above if we're talking style and fashion.

I love my new green stripe hoodie (Php800)
and leggings (Php780).

Sleeveless Top (Php715) Cycling Shorts (Php650)

My favorite is the Top with Peek-a-Boo back (Php715)
with Cycling Shorts (Php650) 

My photos haven't really done the clothes much justice, so it's a good thing that AVA Athletica now has a website where you can shop to your hearts content.

Just go to www.avaathletica.com

For Inquiries or Orders:

Email:avaathletica@yahoo.com

Phone: +639178833795

Suffice it to say I am now a convert, and I want to buy more outfits because you can wear them, not just to exercise, since they're comfortable, well made and flattering, you can just skip the gym altogether. just saying.

Seven Cities in Two Weeks: Amazing Race Manila, Singapore, Istanbul, Athens, Hydra, Mati and KL

If the title of this blog post has sort of made you crazy, just imagine how I feel after surviving all of that, in two weeks no less, with a million stories to tell... but since I don't have time for it now, here's a taste of what happens when play and work collide. Hahaha.

But let me start this post with a caveat. When I initially planned to go on holiday for a little over a week to Turkey and Greece, I had no idea I would be moving to a new role just shortly before my vacation. I also had no idea that it would be a travelling role. Hahaha.

For a while, I even briefly considered giving up my vacation if only I could have my ticket transferred to someone else but since there were also no takers, I'm glad I decided to take it instead.

So here's the condensed version of my amazing race last 2 weeks.

We left Manila on an evening flight to Istanbul via Singapore, so we will start the vacation with our first day in Istanbul.

Day 1 0 The AirBNB Experience from Hell. Seriously.
We arrived at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport with no issues, pick up was smooth, arranged by our AirBNB no-good host, who's is a property manager peddling his flats in AirBNB.

It was only when we got to the flat did we realize (they did NOT tell us)
that they were giving us a smaller flat that what we rented.
The guy in the white shirt was the good for nothing landlord's representative,

After two hours of arguing and a lot of stress, we finally booked ourselves into a nearby hotel. More on this in a separate post. Let's just say, I couldn't believe it was happening to us after all my positive AirBNB experiences.

After that, we did a lot of stress eating. Finding a nice hotel nearby, in a much better location definitely helped energize us. Good thing getting on the Big Bus Istanbul Tour was also very low maintenance.

Day 1 Sightseeing around Old Istanbul
I decided to restart the vacation here. Hahaha.

Hagia Sophia as seen from the Blue Mosque

Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe (where we were) and Asia
It still thrills me, that you just need to cross the bridge to cross continents.

Day 2 Shopping at the Grand Bazaar
If I were to be honest, my bucket list didn't just say Turkey or Istanbul. It says - Shop at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul! It's very, very touristy, but nothing that a professional shopaholic like me can't handle - so watch out for my post on Grand Bazaar Shopping Tips!

Day 3 Crossing Over to Asia
While the rest of our group went on a fly in fly out day tour of Cappadocia (which didn't interest me), I decided to cross over and visit Asia through the water instead.

It rained so hard, I got stranded in Asia!

I loved the hustle and bustle of Kadikoy Market. Good shopping too!
Much cheaper for souvenirs than the Grand Bazaar!

Day 4 Fly to Athens where we were welcomed by another AirBNB Nightmare. Seriously. Why?!? Why was this happening to us?

Our scary apartment in the Psyri Area.
Well. If only our landlady welcomed us as agreed, we wouldn't have freaked out.

Day 5 Things were right in my world again. 

The Agora, with shops open was within (far) walking distance.

I finally got a local sim so I had mobile data.
Hooray.

And since I've been to Athens before I was happy enough
to do my sightseeing from the shade.

Day 6 Shopping in Athens Day
Yes, I hoarded the Pink Salt and the sandals.

Day 7 Greek Island - here we come!!! But since we didn't have enough time for Santorini, we decided to take the ferry to Hydra instead... just like a local. (Thanks to friends Thodoris and Sonia for their recommendations)

Even from the Port, you can already see that it's beautiful.

With the sunset glow.

There are no cars allowed so you either walk...

Or ride the pony.

Day 8 We found a private beach off San Nikolas.

Camping out under the rocks is so much better than
paying for a 3Euro beach chair beside 100 other people.

Day 9 Seaside Resort Village of Mati
I honestly thought we were already transiting on our way home, so I just chose a hotel closer to the airport. It was such a pleasant surprise to realize that we were staying at a nice seaside hotel. Perfect day to wind down from the vacation before heading back.

Day 10 Fly back to Singapore via Istanbul 
No highlights, unless you count Melatonin on the plane.

Day 11 Hello Singapore!
Yes, we arrived at 5am, had breakfast at the airport, headed to Ikea, did some shopping, then flew to Manila on the 2pm flight. How's that for efficiency. The sad part is, I was back at Changi less than 24 hrs after I left it.

Touchdown Manila!!!

So happy to have a few hours with this little one!

Day 12 I was on the first flight to Singapore. Seriously. The one you need to get up at 5:00am to catch.

Look at the bright side. Karl had an errand, so I was able
to quickly secure 4 containers of Salted Egg Potato Chips!

After a quick lunch at Aston's, my favorite lunch place at MBC from my
Singapore days, we just went straight to the meeting, then to the airport.

Off to KL! I think at this point I was sleeping more on
the plane than on a bed.

Day 13 Full day meeting and Trade Visits in KL, but glad to have time to meet up with all my KL-based friends for dinner.

Day 14 After a full day session in KL, I flew to Singapore just in time for a late dinner with Tim.

Winner Black Angus RibEye, with Steak Rice, Foie Gras Satay and Foie
Gras with Truffle Poached Egg.

Day 15 Had an early morning meeting at the Singapore Office, then I rushed to the airport to fly home to Manila, got stuck for more than an hour waiting for the traffic to move at the Worst Airport in the World, NINOY AQUINO International Airport, but finally made it in time to dinner at Jipan. Not Japan. Hahaha. Hindi na kaya ng powers ko yun.

Sadly, Sof was too tired to join us.

So after eating I rushed home to her!!!

There you have it! So many more stories to tell. This is just a teaser. I was so tired, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything else. just saying.