Binondo, Manila: Spoil Your Taste Buds At Wai Ying Fast-Food

Once upon a time(Well, most stories start with this) I remember we were riding in a jeepney on our way home when one of my colleagues said, Let's go to Binondo! Let's eat there! Everyone was looking each other. I was really hesitant that time. I was like, are you sure? We just came from a very tiring day at work, everyone was sleepyhead and silent. I really thought that would not happen because the plan was just to eat near our place and it was quite far from us. On the other hand, I was also thinking to push this. We have been planning this even before to eat there. We knew there's a lot of savory chinese restaurants. After a small discussion about where to eat, we decided to let this happen. Ok, so majority won. My hungry stomach didn't win the battle. We rode another jeepney going there, it was traffic and we were like sardines inside amid rush hour.

Wai Ying Fastfood. I will recommend this right now. Eating here is a must try! Foods were really unforgettable. This was my second time to eat in chinese resto, my first was when we ate in golden fortune. I'm sorry but I really love siomai it may be steamed or fried I can eat unlimited. Ohh My, so mouthwatering! I will surely go here again. We went there roughly 9 in the morning, there were only few people. The place was very cool for me, because it was entirely painted blue. I was really hungry that time. When you're in a place like this which is new to you make sure you're with someone who is very knowledgeable. Good thing, Kenneth was there, our colleague who is half chinese and near the place. He said they eat almost every sunday in Wai Ying before. So we bet he knew a lot about the best of the best foods in town. We then gave way and just waited. So these were the foods we ate. I actually inserted "A must try!" to those I am confident can be a main reason of going back. 

Beef Mami
(Photo credit: Ise Fabillar)

Mixed Meat Congee

Century Egg Congee


                        

Tai Pao. A must try!

Fried Wanton. A must try!

(Photo credit: Ise Fabillar)

Curry Beef Siomai. A must try!

(Photo credit: Ise Fabillar)

Siomai. A must try!

(Photo credit: Ise Fabillar)

                                                     

                                                   Hakaw                                                    

Tea

Radish Cake  

(Photo credit: Ise Fabillar)

Two Thumbs Up! I honestly can't wait to eat here again. I still remember the taste of each food we ate, that was totally like a hit by the storm. I really am fell in love with chinese foods. What's interesting for me is that I didn't crave for rice which is very unusual if the food is really good. Perfect if you don't want to gain weight. What were on the table were enough. "Our stomach were full as well as our friendships were filled with great memories"

Dampa, Manila: Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We don’t have Turkey! But we have Seafoods! This was how we celebrated thanksgiving. You may be thinking now, there’s a thanksgiving in the Philippines? Well, none! I know this is an American celebration but good thing we are working in a U.S. based call center so we had a chance to feel and enjoy this, everyone didn’t have a schedule, we are totally free. We may not in the states but the fact that most of us had given another day off it was already like you won jackpot on the lottery, too bad I’m not one of them since this holiday fell on my rest day anyhow this one day was really precious too us, we don’t really have long time to get bonded, only this day so we made the most out of it. In this kind of industry where we are working, our rest days are really important especially if you came from your last shift of the week with high volume of calls all you just need is too have a long sleep so that you can rest your throat and voice. I know you can relate.

Double Celebration! We have also celebrated the birthday of one of our team leaders in the program, TL Noemi. Since we are in the Philippines, thanksgiving and eating turkey are not religiously practiced we just had our very own Filipino version that time. We went to Dampa, this is really famous place in Manila, you get to see different restaurants serving great foods. They are very well known for serving  sea foods.  It was roughly my fourth time to go here though. I just couldn’t wait to eat buttered shrimp that time.

Dampa, Market. Before we go inside the resto we just took pictures of these fresh seafoods. I remember when the vendor was joking and said to me that I needed to pay for every picture I’d take. So, I just gave a 5 peso coin tip as a way to thank him allowing me to take some pics. Then, we went back to Sharmila.

Want to go here? If this is your first time to go here, expect as you enter the place, there’s a lot of invites coming from different restaurants, they will talk to you without hesitation and ask if you are with someone or if you already have place to eat if not they will welcome you inside their restaurant, seems treating you like a King or a Queen. This is understandable, they want to earn profit from you. If you find it irritating, the best way is not to entertain them right away, go straight ahead to the market and buy fresh sea foods or meat, if you buy a lot you can ask for discount, I’m sure they will give you. Then, once done this is already your time to look for a restaurant that will cook for you, depending on their menu and what you like. For example if you buy 1 kilo of shrimp, you will just check on their menu if you want to cook it as buttered shrimp. Here is the place where you can experience “Paluto” it’s like I’ll buy, you’ll cook.  No worries, to those who are allergic on sea foods they also have menu for white and red meat.

Sharmila Restaurant. We spent our whole time here, place was clean and very inviting. It was my second time to eat here. They have private rooms where each has long and wide table, perfect for group of roughly 10 up. Plus, it will not be Filipino celebration if there’s no karaoke, a very much loved when it comes to entertainment.

The Groupies Addict! We waited roughly an hour for all the foods to get cooked and also for remaining people still on their way that time we expected to join on this once a year celebration. So while waiting, to break the awkward hour this what happened. It was a non-stop picture taking.

Time to Eat!!! Fresh from the Sea. We waited for an hour but that’s ok though. Foods were really great. What a gastronomic experience. It was like everyone wouldn’t wanted to talk and we just continued eating.

Great Foods with Great People. Everyone was bloated after and we just continued this photo shoot.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! They say that in America, this time is a celebration of thanking our Creator for all the blessings. Well, I believe that every day is a blessing, so never forget to thank Him. This was really special. This day served as a reminder to give God like a tap on his back and say “Thank You for all, I hope You continue showering me with these blessings” This day also gave way for us to get know each other more and spend quality time. I am just so blessed that I have colleagues like them so cool. We may have a lot of differences but that’s spice up a great team in a company. I had so much great memories on this last thanksgiving, I know you too. I’m hoping for more blasting holiday next year. 

Southwinds Resort, Laguna: Not my ordinary out of town

      We headed South. So here I am again, it's my fourth entry on my blog. I know this is kinda late but I just wanna share my really not so usual out of town with my colleagues. Yes, it was really not. I had a fever and cough that time. I also remember, we were in the midst of a storm coming straight ahead Manila, there were downpours and it was really windy. We had planned it for a month, originally we were four then became roughly ten but because of this typhoon we ended five survivors. Nothing really beats those were prepared and all set.

After shift at work. So we were the original four(from left to right: Me, Ise, Clarisse, at the back: Kaye) who planned it and where is Uela here? Well she was off to the office that time to meet us. We just bought "something to chew on" in a convenience store while waiting. Everyone was like graced under pressure. Am I right?

Welcome to Southwinds Resort, Laguna! Ok, so we arrived safe and sound. It took us roughly almost an hour rode on a very cold bus of  DLTB. I didn't feel there was a storm that time, it's really windy though and clouds were not so dark. What I felt was my fever and cough. That was really owh dilemma! I was not sure if I'm going to swim or just stay in the cottage. Anyhow, when we went there it was really a very cool place and clean, seems it was brand new. As I expected, there were only few people. Yes, there was a storm, only few jumped into the pool. So going forward, here are our other pictures taken inside. Enjoy!

Our Something to Chew On! These were the foods we ate from morning til evening, we spent 12 hours there, it was not a lot, just enough for five of us. So we had chopped tomatoes and salted eggs mixed, roasted chicken. Plus as usual junk foods, soda, alcoholic drinks, etc.

 High Five to Us! So we were completed here, from morning when we were still fresh until evening when everyone was cockeyed. ¥oung? Wild and Totally Drunk!

Swimming Time! We enjoyed the water, it was not cold. We swam from 2 feet to 5 feet. Every pool was clean though.

The Slide and Uela(she was the one missing on the 1st pic) We really forgot the time, we never thought it was almost dark, we just continued swimming and enjoyed the warm water.

From workmates to close friends. It was normal in an office you get to know a lot of people which your colleagues but not all you get to know more than their names, their schedules, their usual perfumes, not all. It's a good thing that this whirlwind experience allowed me to build friendships. I took risk to go even if there was a storm, I had fever and cough. This out of town was not really my usual but this helped me to know my friends more and me as well to them. I should say there were silverlinings. To sum it all up, what we do, expect you will learn after. 

FYI! Ok, so Pansol, Laguna is really known for different private pools, public resorts and hotsprings. Southwinds Resort, this was my first time here, it's beyond I expected. Very clean pools. This is really a must try especially if you're just in Metro Manila. Plus entrance fee is very cheap it was like less than P100 per adult. You might wanna check their facebook for more details.  Southwinds-Resort-Pansol-Laguna 

Manila Bay: Long Walk+Sweat+Discover

I chose to be healthy. As we get older, as year goes by ,I'd want to make my life more productive.No question, each of us has really goals in life, we have lots of "to be this"or "to have that". For me, one thing I can assure, I want to take care of my body. In order for me to do the things I want to do and be the best on it.With healthy mind and body certainly lead to better us.We can achieve a lot, this is what you call "Holistic Approach"

"The start of a new chapter"



I started with a long walk. October 11, 2015 It was that day after my shift when I went to Mall of Asia, I really thought I could run but hundreds of people welcomed me, everywhere you look you would see them running and there were groups dancing(we call it "Zumba" too, thanks Brazil for this).I realized that we were not few in this goal. It was really inspiring to see a lot of Filipinos making a huge effort to get fit. I knew that it would be hard for me to run since it was crowded. So I ended up walking along the seaside.

"When sea is calm, you get to see great picture of it"


I discovered a bridge and crossed it.I had a conversation with my friend Ise on facebook, I knew she would also run along CCP(Cultural Center of the Philippines) It was on the other side of the bay, I was not sure how far it was from Mall of Asia so I asked her if there would be a way for me to go there, she was not sure. A really long walk plus a strong gut feeling answered me. Yes,there was a bridge! Eureka! I just realized sometimes you need to try for you to learn.

"Cultural Center of the Philippines facade, one of best places to run in the Metro"


I finally got there! Everything was worth it, by just walking it took me more than 30 minutes, I remembered I just followed a group of people running toward the bridge, without knowing it was the way to CCP. It's like I followed the correct light. I have realized that, in every decision we make, it's not only gut feeling. We need to be aware in our surroundings and analyze before you act.

"I just caught him through my cam running, Isn't this perfect shot?"


Another 30 Minutes of walk and run combo. I just rested for awhile, I sat on a stone beside the theater. I felt I was already exhausted still my friend Ise was not yet there.So I just enjoyed the view and drunk water once in awhile. I just let my sweats go out of my body and let the toxic join them.

"Constructions everywhere in the Metro continue"

"I want to discover the best of me"

My assessment.  Running or exercising religiously was really not a priority for me before. So thanks for this quote "The only constant in this world is change" I really let this happen,without second thought. I want to allow myself to learn after all running is not that risky only your fats.

"Breaking the norms! It really amazed me to see this unusual architecture"

We went back to Mall of Asia. So we stayed in CCP for more than an hour,I met my friend Ise and her mini pinscher Kenshin.We decided to go back to MoA to eat and have a coffee. I told her to be prepared for a long walk and expect for more sweats. Well, that was way way better for me, I didn't walk alone.

"I was boggled when I saw this building. I was wowed!"

"Running will surely continues"

Sweats were also hard earned. I believe in taking risk but it should always be calculated, it may not apply to everyone but this perception works for me. I just tried to run because I want be healthy, not because its trending.With this experience I have learned a lot while you are sweating freely you get to appreciate your surroundings and you get to build strong friendship too. What I have learned also here is we human, we do have different bridges or paths we can take in our lives so make sure to choose what's beneficial for us. Surely, everything falls into place after.

Microtel Manila: Have A Break, Have A Staycation!

"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life" How does this quote affect you? I hope you're not that busy to think now. I just read it online, honestly this seems a punched on my face. Are you workaholic? So am I.My life is not like a normal employee, working on a regular eight hours a day, forty hours a week, I'm beyond that.I have also businesses on the side. I guess, because my mindset is like everybody's mindset which is to be successful and to fulfill our dreams.Literally, my life is my work.

However, as we get older we need to balance everything.Working hard is not an issue but not resting for awhile is.I always believe that our body and mind are like engines it need to rest to set for another loads of work.The quote made me realize that sometimes humps and bumps in our life are way for us to know that it is precious, it should not be taken for granted. When at this moment, we can see life in a bigger picture.When we make a sudden rest, we can think more and appreciate what's in our surroundings.So allow me to stop for awhile as I would like to share my story how I valued life in this way.

This is how it started.So we had a great deal online, my friends and I were really burned out at work, we were thinking what would be the best way to break this everyday work mode.After several plans we decided to have a staycation.

What is Staycation? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary app it is a vacation spent at home or nearby.

How can you make a reservation? So we chose to go to Microtel by Wyndham near Mall of Asia Manila, Philippines since my friend said that pool is great and you can see amazing views of Manila bay(even on google images you can see the truth) It was 1 night-room has 2 bedrooms good for 4 persons-with buffet breakfast, we paid P4999.00.We went online and searched www.microtelphilippines.com.We checked the promos, availability then booked.Easy as 1.2.3. Right? There are different ways to pay like online and bank deposit.Since I didn't have cash and I don't pay online, I just went straight ahead and swipe my card at the front desk, staff was very helpful though.

All my bags are packed and ready to go.Officially, this was my first staycation in hotel and I'd make sure to create memories with my friends.So allow me to stop again and share these great pictures taken during our staycation.

Microtel Manila. The facade is really welcoming.

I feel the spirit of Christmas. While waiting at the front desk. Philippines has the longest yuletide season. When the "Ber" months(September-December) start you will also start to see Christmas tree in most establishments in the country. 

Do you know Millie's? This is their mini resto/bar. I guess, she's the main chef.

The Bathroom is clean. Everytime I go to a hotel, what I check first is the washroom, good thing it's spacious and really clean, they have all what I needed during my time here.

Picturesque view from the top. After putting our bags in our room, we went straight ahead to the roof deck to see the pool. I was really amused with what I've seen, this was really perfect background. Seems like we have our local version of "London Eye".

That was Conrad! This is also a hotel beside Microtel, the shape was like a cruise ship facing the sea,it's still under construction though. Along the seaside, there are a lot to see, from mini amusement park (look at that ferris wheel?) to buffet typed restaurants.

Memorable Sunset. Sorry, but I became emotional when I saw this. I just thought maybe our body and mind is like sun,it needs to set for another rise tomorrow. Be like sunset, throw our worries and stresses into darkness. Be like sunrise, there's always tomorrow and make sure to be your best everyday.

Seaside at Night. It's really good thing that Philippines is getting better in terms of infrastructure. I hope this will continue as year goes by.

Night Swimming Time. Im feelin' the cold water and air. It's like a natural massage.

With them. #TeamAtelyas. They are my partners in crime, they have heard my stories, I've heard their stories. We remain stronger during our downs and we party all night during our ups. We loved each flosses and accepted each character. In this time, its really hard to find someone like them. I just want to say thank your for being my soul sisters. Keep moving for us and continue the journey! You will not enjoy life if you're alone.

I just thought. We only live once #WOLO burn those negative vibes, worries and stresses. We need to always go forward. Let's not make ourselves like a space in this planet. Make the most out of it, everywhere we go.

Breakfast Buffet at Millie's. We woke up like these and we ate like queens. We made sure to wake up early and it's worth it, Filipino food are really savory. Must try their embotido!

Filipino Cuisine. Rice was tempting but I stayed with my meat and veggies.

Swimming under the sun. So we swam again, this was our last day in Microtel so we took the most out of it. This was the picture of the Roof deck during day time, isn't it lovely? You get to see view of skyscrapers in Manila.

The Blue Effect. Im totally inlove with water, whether it's a sea or just a pool, I should say this is my comfort zone and my stress reliever.

What a day! Well, this was taken on our last day, I must say, we really overused the pool. So before we went to our room that time, I just talked to our creator and thanked Him for everything. I am really so blessed that I was able to go here and spent my spare time, not everyone of us can experience this in just a snap, not have everyone has spare time. I really felt that I'm living the life. So again Thank you God.

Goodbye.Thank you.See you again. And we ended it with great memories. Stress-free. "If you feel you are going to burn out, find a way to release your stress" 

My Review. To sum it all up, I made an assessment of our staycation in Microtel Manila. 

Excellent: Roof deck has given us superb views of Manila bay. I must say, pool side is the perfect area to see the sunset and sunrise, really priceless!

Very Good: I enjoyed the pool all day and all night, it was off peak season, we got a chance to own it as if we rented it.

Good: They served filipino foods on our buffet breakfast, sadly, I did not get a chance to eat a lot since I got bloated.

Fair: Our room was not sea view, it was city view.

Poor: No Free Wifi!!!

Grade: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟 with 5 the highest