Food Trip | TPW's 5 Best Milk Teas in the Metro

FRNK's cinnamon miruku

I'm not really a fan of tea, especially those hot tea varieties. I usually only have them if it feels like I'm gonna be having a sore throat or if I'm not feeling well. Hot drinks, tea included, sort of make me feel better afterwards. But cold teas and milk teas, for that matter, is a different thing. I've grown to like them as time passes by. Probably because milk teas are more of milk than tea actually. And they're creamy and sweet (hello diabetes 😀).

Anyway, I've tried several milk teas from several tea shops. Whenever there's a new tea shop nearby my previous work or in the mall, I'll try them at least once. Since it will be my first time to try the new tea shop, I usually order whatever their bestseller is. And I've tried many, so many that I wasn't be able to post everything in my other account. Of the so many shops and milk tea flavors I've tried, here are my top 5 best milk teas in the Metro.

FRNK Milk Bar's Cinnamon Miruku

FRNK's Cinnamon Miruku is my top favorite when it comes to milk tea. Unlike other milk teas that almost always taste the same no matter the brand, cinnamon miruku tastes really different, probably because of the right blend of tea and cinnamon and dark sugar and whatever spice they put into it. I also like the added sinkers (basil drops, a clear jelly-like pearls that looks like bloomed chia seeds) that feels like exploding in your mouth when you chew, not the usual chewy pearls. My only issue with this tea is its size; I find it pricey compared with other milk teas.

Macau's Cheesecake and Pearl Milk Tea

When I first try Macau's cheesecake and pearl milk tea, I was put off by the strong taste of the tea. But I realized now that it's probably because I didn't shake and mix it well that time. Now that I usually buy it for take-out, it somehow got blended/shaken on my walk home that a minor shake before drinking it is okay enough. It still has strong tea taste compared with other brands but it's more tolerable now that it becomes my go-to milk tea whenever I like a bigger size one, as opposed to smaller-sized cinnamon miruku.

BaaBaa's Thai Milk Tea with Cheese

I've been to Bangkok once but because it's almost 2 decades ago, milk tea isn't in my radar yet. When I heard of Baabaa from a colleague last year, I ordered other milk tea flavor that they offer instead of the Thai milk tea. It was just an ordinary milk tea for me so I forgot about it. But I few weeks ago, I was able to try Baabaa's Thai milk tea, not the regular one but the premium Thai milk tea with cream cheese in it. And I love it! It's almost like Macau's cheesecake and pearl, only that it's just the right blend of tea and milk and cheese, not with the strong tea taste like Macau's.

Alishan at The Alley's Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea with Cheese Brulée

My first try of Alishan is their brown sugar boba milk with cheese brulée. It's too sweet that I think I didn't get dinner that day that I had it for merienda. The next time, I tried their brown sugar boba milk tea with cheese brulée. This one I like better because of the tea contrast, unlike brown sugar boba milk that somehow has "umay" factor as you drink it.

Tiger Sugar Brown Sugar Boba with Cream Mousse/Dakasi's Creme Hokkaido

When brown sugar milk tea becomes a hit, Tiger Sugar is my first try. Originally, this is my top pick for milk tea but I realized that what I'm having from Tiger Sugar is not really a milk tea but rather just a milk-based brown sugar drink. But even if this isn't a milk tea, I still love it. It was of the right blend with the right sweetness to it. And their bobas are sweet and chewy, which I love!

Another milk-based drink that I came to love is Dakasi's Creme Hokkaido. The thick and rich creamy blend of milk, brown sugar, salted cream cheese and oreo in creme hokkaido will make you feel full even with just half of the drink. It is so filling that you'll skip next meal or forget that you haven't had a meal yet. It is a very filling drink and has bigger size that I consider this drink worth my money. Creme Hokkaido is also one of Dakasi's bestsellers.

 

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There you go, my list of 5 best milk teas in the metro. If you'll notice, except for cinnamon miruku, all else has cream cheese or similar item on their ingredients. I love milk teas with cream cheese because it makes the milk tea more flavorful and creamier. I like the contrast that cream cheese or mousse or brulée (or whatever they call it) gives to the sweet milk tea. How about you dear readers? What are your 5 best milk teas? Share your list in the comment box below. 😊

 

~ oo00oo ~

Our government loosen its rules on public transportation but be safe still my fellow Pinoys, keep your face shield and face mask on. And don't forget to always clean/sanitize your hands. Keep safe everyone. 😊

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Food Trips | 5 Healthy Grabs at Salad Stop!

tuna san salad - 350 Php

Looking for something healthy and filling at the same time? Check out Salad Stop!

Salad Stop! is an Asian food chain, with operations in Singapore, Manila, Jakarta and Tokyo, serving its customers with best tasting yet healthy and nutritious foods. Oh, by the way, this isn't a sponsored post peeps. I just love their salads and wraps. And I wish they have a branch here in QC, somewhere near North EDSA (SM or Trinoma) or Technohub. Hopefully soon, Salad Stop!? ^_^

Anyway, I first noticed SaladStop! in my current work as one of my bosses usually bought his lunch from Salad Stop!. I got curious and check it out, too, one dinner time. My first try -- Tuna San salad (photo above), sans avocado at that time (they replaced it with grapes, btw). It costs 350 Php, 340 Php for the wrap version. Quite expensive for a salad (or wrap), right? But it's worth it peeps! Lettuce, grapes and cherry tomatoes are all crisp and fresh, even the seared tuna, to think it's a to-go meal. And it's really filling! Salad Stop! menu (Pinoy version) says it provides 550 calories (for salad,  697 calories for wrap), more than enough for a one meal calorie requirements.

By the way, I didn't use the dressing (wasabi honey soy) that usually goes with this salad but instead requested for balsamic soy vinaigrette. And I liked it! I've ordered this tuna san salad several times already and I still haven't tried wasabi honey soy dressing so I can't say which is better, maybe next time. :)

tuna san wrap - 340 Php
 also tried the wrap version and it's okay but I like the salad version more,
probably because it (wrap) has less dressing which kinda make it bland

I also tried Oh Crab Lah! and oh la la, this one's so filling I can't finish it in one meal. Oh Crab Lah! has the usual romaine lettuce together with cherry tomatoes, grated eggs, crab sticks, vermicelli noodles, onions and croutons. It is served with Singapore chili crab dressing and contains 833 calories (wrap). No wonder I wasn't able to finish it in one sitting. I usually ordered the wrap version during dinner time, have it sliced into half, eat the first half for dinner and the other half for breakfast. Not too expensive for two (2) meals, right? Sulit! ^_^

oh crab lah wrap - 250 Php
very tasty and flavorful, oh crab lah! is love! ^_^

Niçoise salad composed of romaine lettuce, tuna flakes, egg, potatoes, French beans, cherry tomatoes and black olives, as usual in my fave dressing, balsamic soy vinaigrette. This one's another filling and tasty salad from Salad Stop!, packed with 627 calories. Heavy! ;)

Niçoise Salad - 300 Php

Updated (8/28/2016):

Big Bird is the latest addition to the salads that I've tried from Salad Stop! It is a fruit-based (avocado, green apple and grapes) salad with romaine lettuce, crunchy celery and roast turkey tossed in a creamy ranch dressing. This one's very light compared with oh crab lah but it will still satisfy your tummy. It did mine. And considering it has avocado, it's automatically added in my fave's list. Big bird costs 350 Php for the salad, 340 Php for the wrap.

Big Bird Salad - 350 Php

For a sweet and still healthy treat, strawberry banana muesli is a good try. It consists of milk, honey, greek yogurt, rolled oats, granola, strawberry puree, chia seeds, banana, raisins and dried fruit (apricot and cranberries). I had it for a late breakfast one time and I instantly like it. The greek yogurt is not as as rich and creamy as the usual greek yogurt but it's just fine with me, I'm not into rich and heavy yogurt anyway.

Strawberry Banana Muesli - 150 Php

~oo00oo ~

Salad Stop! has a lot more of signature and classic salads to offer; they even have create-your-own-salad wherein you get to choose which ingredients to go with your salad. So what are you waiting for? Go get out, look for the Salad Stop! near you, and try their salad offers. I highly recommend Oh Crab Lah for your first try. It's flavorful, it's filling and it can satisfy two people already; both will feel full afterwards. A warning, though! This one's a bit spicy. :)

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Salad Stop!

Palanca Street

(near corner Dela Rosa)

Makati City

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Food Trips | Maginhawa Eat Street: Hits and Misses II

Don Day appetizers: kimbap, kimchi, potato balls, veggie fritters, etc.

A few months ago, I posted here our previous Maginhawa Eat Street experiences, some of which a 'hit', some others a 'miss'. Here's another round of our 'hit' and 'miss' food trips in this famous food trippers' haven in Quezon City. In this post, I'll cover four other restaurants all from or near Maginhawa Street in Teacher's Village that me and my friend have tried in the past two months.

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Don Day Korean BBQ & Buffet Restaurant

First on this list is Don Day, a Korean buffet restaurant located in Malingap, also in Teacher's Village. We've been to Don Day several times for the past 2 months. It is our go-to restaurant whenever we feel like pigging out.

Don Day offers Korean dishes - buffet style, with several options to choose from. They offer two types of buffet, one with pork samgyupsal and the other with beef. For pork samgyupsal, it's 299 Php per person, 399 Php for beef. On weekend dinners however, diners don't have the option to choose; all are required to avail of the 399 Php buffet, drinks not included. A 50 Php will be added to your bill if you opt to have bottomless drinks.

Don Day Korean BBQ and Buffet facade

pork/beef samgyupsal; veggies to add in/spice up your samgyupsal

During weekends, pork and beef samgyupsal are automatically included in the dinner buffet for 399 Php. Two plates each of pork and beef meats are automatically served when you avail of the buffet but of course, you can order for additional pork/beef servings anytime.

regular dish offers: mussel, chapchae, spicy korean pork dish, tangsuyuk, fish fillet (not in photo)

Of the readily available dishes, the spicy Korean pork dish and fish fillet (not in photo) are my favorites. I don't know how the pork dish is called but I love its flavorful and spicy taste, I always have it first whenever we dine in at Don Day.

Don Day desserts: maja blanca, buchi, candies

Don Day's desserts are not that special, though; not even native of Korea, I guess. Candies and mallows are always present, buchi and maja blanca I only saw in one of our visits so I guess they're their "best sellers". However, if you want to have a taste of Korea's ice cream, they have several varieties; but for additional charge, of course.

As mentioned, we've been to Don Day several times, so obviously, it's a hit for us. Foods taste good; price is very affordable; staff are all nice; restaurant is quite big with enough number of tables to accommodate large groups. If you've never been to Don Day yet, try it and comment below your take on it. ^_^

Don Day Korean BBQ and Buffet

40 Malingap Street, Teacher's Village

Quezon City

Tel. No.: 02-4350528

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Stuff Over Burger Cafe

I eat burgers but I am no burger fan. My friend, on the other hand, is a meat lover so anything with meat, he loves; burgers included. He'd been to Stuff Over once or twice so one time, he asked me to try it too. Stuff Over is located in Magiting Street, very near corner Maginhawa it can't be missed.

Stuff Over Burger Cafe

blue lemonade - regular lemonade served in not-so-common glass jars ;)

Mushy Suzie Burger - 210 Php, fries and drink included

Hungry Daisy Burger - 220 Php, fries and drink included

Unlike the regular burger where you can see the cheese and mushroom or bacon add-ons, here at Stuff Over, these ingredients are mixed-in/included in the patty itself. My friend and I can't tell which is mushy suzie and which is hungry daisy so we sliced them in half and try both. My friend was satisfied with his shares, he ate them all with gusto (he always eat with gusto, by the way). Me? I find them just like the usual burgers, nothing extraordinary that would make me crave for more. My friend may like their burgers but with the price offering, we still find our experience at Stuff Over not quite remarkable. 220 Php for a burger is somehow pricey for us, even with the fries and drink (instant lemonade) included. Another thing that we found off at this burger joint is the place itself. It's so small it only has around 5 serving tables, a table so small it isn't even good enough for 2 persons. We haven't been back there ever since so yeah, I would say it's really a miss for us.

Stuff Over Burger Cafe

51 Magiting Street, Teachers Village

Quezon City

Tel. No.: 02-4341834

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Fariñas Ilocos Empanada

Fariñas Ilocos Empanada

Ordinary dishes like fried fish and veggies appeal to me more than gourmet ones. I love having simple dinner in simple settings, much like having dinner at home. Fariñas Ilocos Empanada in Malingap offers such food and ambiance. I'm craving for Ilocos empanada so one weekend, we tried Fariñas. For our dinner, we ordered pakbet with bagnet, bagnet/longganisa combo, longganisa meal, and dinakdakan (my friend's favorite). I enjoyed everything we ordered, all are good and flavorful, much like the ones I've tried when we were in Ilocos 2 years ago. Final verdict: a hit, of course. ^_^

 

Fariñas Ilocos Empanada: pakbet - 170 Php, bagnet-longganisa-combo - 140 Php, longganisa-meal - 99 Php, dinakdakan - 130 Php

Ilocos empanada, special - 50 Php

Fariñas Ilocos Empanada

Malingap Street, Teachers Village

Quezon City

Tel. No.: 02-4332584

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Magpie Cafe

Magpie Cafe is located at the famous StrEAT Food Park in Maginhawa, a food hub that offers a smorgasbord of food choices, al fresco style. Magpie though, is different in this aspect as it is glass-enclosed and fully air-conditioned. It offers coffee, pastries and desserts, Korean-style.

Magpie Cafe

chocolate fountain bingsoo - 150 Php

Bingsoo or bingsu - Korean dessert composed of ice shavings with chocolate syrup, ice cream and cherries on top. This is much like our local halo-halo but I would say, ours is better and more flavorful than this one. Except for the ice cream which somehow gives bingsoo some flavor, this Korean dessert is bland and not creamy at all. And the banana waffle below? Well, nothing out of the ordinary; just a waffle with few slices of banana and a scoop of ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup. For 150 Php each, I'd rather have halo-halo from Chowking and waffle from Belgian waffle. Pricey and not our kind of desserts so yeah, this food adventure is another miss.

nutty banana waffle - 150 Php

Magpie Cafe
StreEAT Food Park

91 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village

Quezon City

~ oo00oo ~

That's it for our Maginhawa/Teacher's Village food trips part 2. There will be a part 3 to this series so watch out for it. 'Til next time. Blessed Sunday everyone! ^_^

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Food Trips | Maginhawa Eat Street: Hits and Misses I

Maginhawa Street in Teacher's Village, Quezon City has become a popular food trip destination here in the Metro, with many small restaurants and eateries to choose from. It has become our (my friend and I) go-to place whenever we can't decide where or what to eat. It's a hit-and-miss type of food adventure for us but we still love to go there. Most restaurants/eateries there offer dishes at affordable prices. Here are some of the restaurants/eateries we've tried, so far. By the way, I'll update this post or come up with a new one when I get to try several other restaurants again in the future. :)

Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken

Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken

Of all the restaurants we've tried in Maginhawa, it is Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken that we love the most. It is an open air/carinderia-type restaurant where you can see how your orders are prepared. Tornado offers several dishes in its menu - steaks, burgers, ribs and of course, peri-peri chicken. We've tried the ribs and it's good but it's the chicken we love coming back for.  Their chicken is tender, it's flavorful, it's juicy and the sauce that comes with it is just perfect. No wonder on the several occasions that we've been there, the restaurant is full with lots more queuing up. Food tastes absolutely good, price very affordable; Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken is definitely a hit for us. :)

Peri-Peri Chicken, with rice and a side dish, mexican barbecue for the sauce @ 125 Php

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Metro Food Trips | Late Lunch at Lam Tin Tea House

salted fish and chicken fried rice - 105 Php

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Ahh, whatever! I am a Filipino, proud to be one! But I love Chinese foods (the same way I love Filipino dishes) so the restaurants my friend and I visited are usually Chinese restaurants. Aside from their foods being flavorful, they are usually affordable too, that's why we love them (kurips are us! haha).

Anyway, last Thursday (Chinese New Year), after around four hours of waiting for my washing machine to be checked up/serviced, we went to Banaue for our late lunch. We were supposed to have our lunch at home but 'twas past 12 noon we decided to eat out rather than prepare some homemade dishes. My friend suggested Lam Tin Tea House for its affordability and large servings. So off we went to Banaue, from FAR-view (Fairview hehe), that is.

As expected, the restaurant is full when we got there (it's Chinese new year, it's almost 1:00PM (peak hour) so what else to expect). But what was unexpected is the quick turnaround of customers. People, mostly Chinese or Tsinoy, went there for lunch, order their foods, eat them then out on to their next activity/destination, they don't stay longer than necessary (at least that's how it looks to me that day). But it may also be because the restaurant's staff are efficient (or afraid? haha :P because the manager/owner and his sons are on the premises assisting and welcoming customers).

Anyway, for our lunch we ordered salted fish and chicken fried rice, buttered chicken, hototay soup, pechay in garlic sauce and my friend's favorite: halo-halo congee (not in photo); regular iced tea for me and bottomless iced tea for my friend. Our orders were served after around 10 - 15 minutes. Not bad on peak hours.

buttered chicken - 230 Php

Buttered chicken - flavorful and not too oily nor salty; crispy outside but tender and juicy, too. Enough for 2 persons and I would say reasonably priced, though this one's the most expensive we had that day.

hototay soup - 140 Php

Hototay soup: I asked the restaurant staff for any soup that's clear and this the only one they have, hototay. Unlike the hototay I'm used to (from our fave neighborhood resto), this one's more of meat (pork slices, meat balls) rather than veggie soup; with several shrimps, too. For only 140 Php, this is definitely an affordable add-on, if you're fond of soups to go with your meal.

Taiwan pechay in garlic sauce - 200 Php

Taiwan pechay in garlic sauce: Aside from being a seafood lover, I also love veggies. But this one's not on their menu. My friend noticed it from his previous visit so he asked the staff for it and we were told it's Taiwan pechay. We ordered for it without knowing its price so when our bill arrived, I noticed the bill says 'broccoli flower' priced at 200 Php. A bit pricey for a pechay, right? Broccoli is more expensive than pechay, if I'm not mistaken. Oh well, veggie I want, veggie I got, special order so never mind.

Salted fish and chicken fried rice (first photo above): this one's a must try! It looks small serving in the photo but don't be deceived, it's good enough for two persons. And it's very flavorful, with lots of chicken chunks too. For only 105 Php, it's definitely cheaper than the salted fish fried rice from the other restaurants we've tried.

Halo-halo congee (not in photo): I only tasted a spoonful of the congee but it's okay, more like the congee we're used to from Luk Yuen, only cheaper; 115 Php compared to Luk Yuen's 180 Php. 

complimentary hot tea

All in all, we spent only 885 Php for our late lunch, cheaper compared to other Chinese restaurants, especially those in the malls. We left the restaurant with our tummies full and pockets still half full (haha). Anyway, when you're in the Banawe/Sto. Domingo area, try this resto and share your thoughts/experience in the comments section below. Thanks and happy eating! ^_^

~ oo00oo ~

Lam Tin Tea House

30-U Banaue St.,

Sto. Domingo, Quezon City

Date of Visit: February 19, 2015

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MetroFoodTrip | A Taste of Korea at Mr. Kimbob Korean Health Food

Bibimbap aka bibimbob at Mr. Kimbob

My friend and I were looking for something to eat at SM Food Court last weekend when we chanced upon this food counter with lots of customers queuing up. I got curious so I went near it and looked at the display. The food counter is Mr. Kimbob, a quick service Korean restaurant chain serving Korean dishes at an affordable price. I check out the orders of the other customers and noticed that most of them ordered a meal combo on a sizzling plate with rice and sunny side on top surrounded by colorful veggies, much like how Koreans prepare their foods (as I saw it on Koreanovelas). It made me more curious  so I stood in line and also ordered for it. My friend who's not as adventurous as me when it comes to food left and look for something else.

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MetroFoodTrip | MOA-Gimik-turned-Foodtrip at Papa John's

photo source: Papa John's FB page

It was one fine day when a friend called and invited me out. It was a Friday then; the sun is up, the sky is clear. No clouds to indicate that it would rain (didn't check the weather forecast though). And so I went to our meeting place, to DLSU, where we first met. As usual, I'm early. Our meet-up was supposed to be at around 2PM but knowing her, I left the house at past 2PM. I knew she'll be late, I'm sure of it! (laglagan itech, sorry Bipong...haha!)

As expected, she's late. I was already having my snacks at McDonald's near DLSU when she arrived. Since she was also hungry, she ordered something to eat too, before we go to La Salle, our first stop before going to MOA. We hurriedly finished our snacks and then went to La Salle to process her clearance and get her 4-month salary, from her teaching stint there last year. (Note: This isn't about the school's late processing of her salary; it was my friend's fault, she didn't submit all the required documentations. She's willing to write it off actually, I just urged her to get it so she can treat me afterwards, hehe!). She wasn't able to get her clearance though, we're late remember? :P

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MetroFoodTrip | Snackaroo Char-Broiled T-Bone and Porterhouse Steak

Snackaroo porterhouse steak

My dinner buddy is a meat lover. Any dish as long as it has meat on it, he'll like it. Though I'm a seafood lover myself, of course I also give in to meat dishes too. Yesterday, he suggested that we go to Snackaroo, an eatery that specializes on affordable steaks, which he and some of his officemates discovered and frequented for lunch.

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MetroFoodTrip | Tokyo Tokyo's Spicy Chicken Ramen

Tokyo Tokyo Ramen

I'm not feeling well these past few days, got a runny nose, probably due to changing weather. And whenever I'm not feeling well, I love to have steaming hot soup, hot spicy noodle soup for that matter. So last Monday, I decided to have beef wanton noodles for dinner. I went to Chowking and ordered for it; unfortunately, it wasn't available (it was near closing time when I went to Chowking - Trinoma food court). Since I'm really craving for a hot soup at that time, I went back to Trinoma ground level to go to Tokyo Tokyo. I was supposed to order bento meal with hot miso soup but I found out they now have ramen, so I ordered for it instead.

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UP-AyalaLand Technohub: Mezza Norte Food Trip

Mezza Norte - live acoustic band

Sometime last July, I saw a feature on TV about the newest night food market here in the Metro, the Mezza Norte. I haven't been to any food market yet because most of them are far from my place so when I heard that this one is in Quezon City, me and my friend scheduled a food trip there. It's been raining during the last weekend of July and early August so we're only able to visit the place mid of August.

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The Red Crab Alimango House: Crabby Nights Buffet

Thai Chili Crab

It's no secret here that I love seafoods. And of all the seafoods out there, crabs and prawns are the ones I love the most. So don't even try asking me out to dinner in a restaurant with crabs/prawns in their specialty, I would definitely say yes! *wink* 

Last Friday, me and my office friends decided to eat out in one of the seafood restaurants under the umbrella of Red Crab Group of Restaurants - The Red Crab Alimango House located on the second floor of Greenbelt 3 Ayala Center. It's been a while since we're planning to dine here but it's only last Friday that it happened. We left the office at past 6PM and walk our way to Greenbelt 3 instead of taking our officemates' offer of a free ride (we were starving ourselves for the buffet dinner ahead eh...hehe!).

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QMC's Circle of Fun: A Park Inside a Park

Quezon Memorial Circle

During weekends, restaurants and other fast food chains located in the malls are usually full-packed.  After attending the mass, families usually go straight to the mall to dine.  In instances when we don't have the patience to wait, we usually go to the Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) to have dinner in one of the restaurants there, usually in Max's.  One time though, we decided to have our dinner in Bacolod's Chicken Inasal, also located inside QMC.

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