Freshness To-Go

Since I'm trying to eat healthier now, eliminating meat and incorporating fresh veggies (more, at least) in my diet my newest discovery after I did some grocery shopping at Rustan's is the Gourmet-To-Go section, which serves salads, sandwiches, and soup to go. So there's no more excuse for me to wolf down the can of potted meat for the next few days or so. What's not to love with DIY salad for Php 165 that's already good for two? What you do here is to pick a bowl of base greens, choose 5 condiments, and then dressing. Believe me, that's not good for 1. I was already full and I wasn't done yet with my serving.

For those who are lazy to mix, there are pre-made salads for you to choose.

The sandwiches look promising and good too. A bit pricey (One could go for like about Php 22o) though.

Since I'm not much of a sandwich girl, I skipped this for soup. Every week, they change their variety so we're not stuck on a food rut.

The Gourmet-To-Go section is available at Rustan's supermarkets. Do drop by for a fast, fresh, and healthy alternative.

Summer Snacks at a Pop

If mermaids did exist, I probably was one in my past life. My swimming skills probably may not be Olympic-quality but once I see the sun and the sea and the sand, I plop on the sand and bake myself to NC45 level or set my feet on the cool sea water. The ocean and I seem to love each other. Should I blame it on my quest for golden skin? Or should I blame it on my Invertebrate Zoology professor who introduced me to the fossilized corals I used to give taxonomic rundowns to?

My appetite too seemed to dive to the sea. I absolutely love seafood and devour it like there's no tomorrow. Fond memories of summer by the sea would be eating fresh seafood that does not taste fake, preserved, or like it's been in the freezer for so long. A table full of cooked seafood (and the ocassional raw) spells heaven for me.Now if a world-famous chips brand were to have flavors that remind me of my summer staples, the result would be three new Pringles flavors that I'd definitely take on the next trip to the beach or pool. Take a look - seaweed, soft shell crab, and grilled shrimp. Can I spell vacation now? Honestly, I can't think of a favorite as they're all good in their own way and come in cute cans too. Or, if I'm just reminiscing of the ocean trip again, I'll just pop a can as I work on my cover.

Must-Try: Ming's Halo Halo

En route home from Batangas, Mike, Nix, and EJ suggested to stop by this place for halo-halo. Although we were experiencing a bit of drizzle that time, it was still hot and we needed a bit of a cooler to lower the body temperature.

Along the highway to Tagaytay, this open-air restaurant is home to good halo-halo. It uses real carabao's milk so it's richer. To get here, from Sta. Rosa exit, just follow the road that leads to Tagaytay. Look for this sign. There you go.

Aside from carabao's milk and finely-shaven crushed ice (i.e. no tooth-crunching ice bits), this type of halo-halo contains all the goodies we find in halo-halo, minus the beans. Anyone with gout here? This halo-halo is for you. As for me, I've never been a fan of beans or garbanzos. I leave those out. I was lucky that this one is legume-free, so I was able to enjoy it, except for much of the milk part, since I'm lactose intolerant and full cream milk is one of the stuff that I avoid. I was able to consume finished the fillings down to the last piece. Good thing there was EJ to finish off the milk for me.

For less than 200 pesos, you get one serving. One tall glass is already good for 1 person, although some could opt to share, especially if you're not that hungry (but we were heheheh). Anyway, the catch though is this place closes early, especially on weekdays so best go here before 4 p.m., since according to Mike, the first time they went here they were a few minutes late from closing time.

Another must-try is the puto (I think it's around 28 pesos for 4 pieces) which they serve hot, in contrast with the halo-halo. Oh, and before leaving, this place is great for photo-ops as well, with the scenery.