So our office is planning this year's Christmas Party and we decided to have a 1920s glam theme. Now, I need help with my costume!!! I've been browsing the net and already have a general idea of how it looks now I just need to know who I want to be. Do I want to be a --

-- glitzy and ditzy pa-tweetums gal in white and baby pink?

Or a sexy vixen in red and black?

A glamorous gastby girl?

Or a dangerous tommy-grabbing gangter gal?

I'm actually partial towards the red ensemble (because it's easy to put together). Right now I am on the hunt for the feathered headband and a long cigarette holder. Help my friends? Where can I get these stuff?

Can't wait for the 16th so I can see how my officemates will look like :) This is such a super cool way to celebrate the holidays!

Dear Santa (in whatever form or persona you may embody),

All I really want for Christmas is this --

hardbound and thick - my kind of book

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - I was browsing through Fully Booked in Eastwood and saw this. My heart skipped few beats and I was screaming in my head (couldn't really scream coz I was in a public place kakahiya. hehe) I've been dreaming for the day that this book would hit the shores of Manila and now it finally has!!!!! *squeals like a silly little fan girl*

I've said this a million times, I am a self-confessed Murakami Maniac. I love him. I love all his books. I know I haven't been the best girl this year but please, please, please, let me get this. I will be forever grateful to whoever gives this to me. :)

Sincerely,
Myka M.

November 26, 2011 - I was invited once again for OPENRICE.PH for their Eat's A Date Event. This time, fellow bloggers and openricers headed out to Eastwood, at Chuck's Deli to be exact.

Chuck's Deli was born out of the desire of owners, Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara and Marco Alcantara, for a decent sandwich place here in the Philippines. With Chef Katrina's culinary prowess and Marco's refined taste for sandwiches, they opened their first Chuck's Deli branch at Serendra last 2010 and their Eastwood branch last May 2011.

Their ambience is very laidback and casual. A perfect place for a late lunch with your barkada or Sunday catch-up brunch with your best bud.

We were served with some of Chuck's Deli's specialties let's start off with the Chuck's Deli Slabwiches:

Chuck's Deli slabwiches are, for lack of a better term, THE BOMB!!! A whole slab weighs about half a kilo (I can hear you say OMG). it's about 10 inches long (or more I think). And I have to say that they are really generous with their fillings unlike other sandwich joints that is 1/4 filling and 3/4 bread. Now that's what you call a sandwich! You can order either a whole or a half slab and each order is served with homemade potato chips or crispy onion rings on the side.

But enough chit-chat let's go to the food! First up is the Faking Duck --

A peking duck-inspired slabwich - roast pork, hoisin sauce, leeks, and crispy nodules.

(whole slab:P345, half slab:P195)

The California Waki --

Kani strips, egg, mango, lettuce, and wasabi mayo -- this is actually one of my favorites because it was very light and since I love California Maki it's not suprise that I liked this dish as well.

(whole slab:P445, half slab:P255)

The Reuben --

For all you meat-lovers out there, this is for you -- homemade Angus corned beef

with garlic sauce. This meat is so tender and juicy just the way I like it.

(whole slab:P495, half slab:P275)

The Buffy --

Buffalo chicken and coleslaw with garlic sauce - this sandwich seems very simple but the taste is just bursting with flavor. The chicken is so tender but has that spicy, tangy kick coz if the buffalo and garlic sauce. This is one dish I'd like to savor for a very long time.

(whole slab: P445; half slab:P255)

But not everyone takes their time in eating their Buffy Slabwich, some of them prefer slaying their Buffy in less than 5 minutes. Why do you ask? So they can take on THE BUFFY CHALLENGE.

Get your name on the Hall of Fame! :) If you finish the Buffy in less than

five minutes you can have it for free!!!

If you're friends won't believe you, you can show

them this shirt which you'll also get.

But it doesn't stop there they also served us some equally awesome subwiches, hotdogs. and burgers:

Footlong Chilidog - classic footlong with grated chesee, no-bean chili

and diced jalapenos. Served with homemade chips. (P395)

Chorizo Burger - I always crave for Choriburger from Boracay, now I no longer have to because Chuck's Deli has one delicious Chorizo burger, I like the hint of spicyness as well. (P225)

Chuck's Burger - US Angus beef patty with everything you can imagine in it - tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, and bacon. (P265)

They also served Philly Cheese Steak (P295) but I can't seem to find my photo of it.

All of these dishes wouldn't be complete without sides and drinks:

Aside from their homemade potato chips, their also have double-fried fries and onion rings

Or some Chili Fries (thick-cut fries, no-bean chili, jalapeno, and cheese)

And to down everything up --

Lemonade, Strawberry Smoothie, and Arce Dairy Chocolate Milkshake

(3 cups of Arce Dairy Ice Cream blended with carabao's milk)

For something healthy and refreshing, you can also order

their Power Shake - blended lettuce, apple and orange (P145)

They also have imported ales and beers

Aside from the Garlic Sauce and Spicy Garlic Sauce found in each table it's nice to see a

your bare hands -- believe me, that's how I enjoyed mine hehe)

Owner, Chef Katrina (in yellow) explaining the concept behind Chuck's Deli

All the food laid out for us like a feast! Notice the open kitchen, I was actually

talking to the staff inside and asking them about the food. Coolness.

They sliced them all into tinier pieces so we can have a taste of each -- the one in front is the Philly Cheese Steak. I also like how they served them in a wooden board.

My plate - I took a piece of each and my favorite was the California Waki and the Chuck's Burger and The Buffy (okay, I like them all but if I had to pick i'll pick those three. hehe)

Looking at all these photos made me crave for some Chuck's Deli goodness. Good thing I have this:

Thank you Chef Katrina for giving us some Chuck's Bucks! I'm sure to go

back there soon (this time with my family and friends!!!)

YAYs: Chuck's Deli reigns in slabwich supremacy in terms of taste and quality of food. I like how they give their slabs and subs a unique twist (not just in the names but more importantly in their taste), I think that's what really sets them apart from all the other sandwich places here in Manila. Plus another great thing about Chuck's Deli is almost all of their ingredients are fresh!!! Meaning they whip up their own sauces and the bake their own bread (they have their own commissary - ain't that cool! ). They also create their own sausage, patties, and sauerkraut. That's why their flavors are so unique and that's why you won't be able to find anything like it!

NAYs: Prices can be a little steep, though if you think about it, you are paying for your money's worth (in terms of taste, serving size, and quality).

Ground Floor Eastwood Mall

Libis, Quezon City

Last Sunday, we went to SM Megamall to support my sister, Cheska and her classmates as they participated in this year's Teenpreneur Challenge 2011. For those of you who are not familiar with Teenpreneur, it's an annual competition organized by the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship and Education (I4SEE) and the Entrepreneurs School of Asia (ESA). Students from different schools help various communities and individuals by suggesting and implementing improvements on their livelihood products or services. The students are aided by a mentor, an apprentice, and of course the individual or community whose business they are helping.

As for my sisters and her schoolmates from St. Bridget School, they were tasked to jazz up and sell cookies. They called their product Cookie Boutique. And in fairness, they were really yummy! :)

I don't know what these are called but basically the cookies

have gooey and yummy marshmallows sandwiched in between. :)

All their earnings go to Nanay Edith whose

cookie business they helped improve :)

There were around 15 or more schools participating.

After that we went to Super Bowl of China to have dinner (a.k.a. to pigout)

Crispy Noodles with Assorted Seafood - my favorite!!! <3

Golden Shanghai Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce - this one was good also. The chicken was perfectly crispy and not soggy and drowning when it was served.

Diced Chicken and Salted Fried Fish Rice)= go figure

It was kinda tiring to be in the mall for 7 straight hours but it was fun because we rarely go out together. :)

If there are two things in life that I truly enjoy, those things are meeting new people and eating delicious food. Luckily, I was able to experience both last Thursday for openrice.ph's Eat's A Date event at Hawaii's North Shore UP-Ayala Technohub. Invited were bloggers and openricers who have a big appetite to fill :)

Based from their name, you can already sense the flavor and ambience of the place, it's very laidback - perfect for dining out with your family and friends. Its tropical vibe with the bamboo fences, tiki statues, and bright colors make you feel like your in the island paradise of Hawaii.

My stomach happily welcomed the food that was served to me. I mean seriously, who can resist to these tasty treats?

We started the meal with Ceasar Salad --

-- together with the Chef Salad

Then they also served a basket of Fish and Chips which I really liked, the fish was very moist and well-seasoned and were perfectly paired with the freshly-cut fries.

Then there were the burgers (which by the way were huge!)

Fish Fillet Burger - the fish was very tender and juicy

Wipe Out Burger - now this bad boy really deserves its name, it was literally wiped out from our table faster than you can say Hawaii's North Shore.

But my favorite out of all the three burgers was actually the Crippler Chicken BLT - juicy chicken patty with a thick slice of bacon with a generous serving of grated cheese. YUM-O! :)

Yes, this burger deserves two photos because of the cheese :) LUKATDAT!

Now after those three enormous burgers, I thought that the feast was over, but we were quite srurpised when they served this to us.

Cinnamon Rice - this is actually the first time I encountered this. I love the smell of cinnamon so I got all giddy-giddy when they served this on our table. The taste wasn't overpowering though, just a hint of sweetness from the cinnamon. :)

Grilled Porkchops - this is probably my favorite all the dishes that was served. The tender glazed porkchop was very flavorful. Served with salsa on the side.

Then there were the steaks, they served, T-Bone, Porter House, NY Strip Steak, and Baby Back Ribs. I honestly can't figure out which is which, I was too busy eating when the waiter was serving the food to us (what is matakaw???). I did like all of them - they were all cooked in medium raw (not really the way I like my steak) but still, they were all really yummy! :)

What made these protein punchers more mouthwatering are their signature sauces -