Burger King Chicken Fries

Burger King Chicken fries got me curious a few weeks back when I saw these cute cartoon chicken ads behind buses. I kept wondering what those chicken fries were. Are they chicken-flavoured fries? Chicken in the shape of fries?

It was only last weekend that I was finally able to find out, after I saw a Burger King on my way back from a quick Antipolo trip.

Php149.00 gets you 9 pieces with fries/onion rings and a drink, but it's also available in just 6 pieces. I got it with onion rings, and paid extra to upsize it and my drink.

So chicken fries turned out to be fries-shaped chicken. The fries come in this cute box. The fries served to me however were too oily, although this could have been easily avoided if they just drained the fries first.

9 pieces sounded like a lot, but the fries were not that filling. The meat in it was not packed. However, they were tasty and flavourful, thanks to all the spices packed in the crunchy breading that covered the fries.

I did enjoy eating them, even if I was bitin with the serving. Also, I think they go better with (potato) fries rather than onion rings.

After my BK visit, I googled the product and found this:

Yep, that's pretty much it, although my server forgot to give me my sauce. :(

The fries are good, but for Php149++, I expect my tummy to get full. Will probably try them again though, just so I can eat them with the sauce.


Be happy!


<3 Missy

Kenshin Japanese Izakaya Restaurant

I've been living in Makati for a little more than three years now, and I find that there's still so much that I haven't explored in this place. I would drive or walk by so many interesting-looking places and make a mental note of checking the place out, but the temptation of going tita/tipid mode and staying in, or sticking to my go-to comfort food places gets the better of me often. 

One of the places I always drive by is Kenshin Japanese Izakaya Restaurant. It's new, and just a few blocks away from me, but it's been I think almost a year since it opened and I still haven't tried it. 

It took my birthday and this random FB ad and my favorite tita person (hi, Ley!) to get me to get off my butt and check the place out. :)) 

The place is beautifully decorated, and will make you feel like you're in a tiny shop in a tiny Japanese town. 

I especially liked the wall paintings and the paper lanterns.

There is also a TV showing what I presumed to be Japanese music. 

Their menu offers a wide variety of items, from noodles, to rice bowls, to sushi, to dessert, and yes, they have drinks. Prices are not cheap but also not expensive. 

The star of their menu is their Make Your Own Takoyaki (Php288), so we had to try it. Also, sushi is life so we ordered their Sushi Combo Platter (Php298). Ley also ordered Cold Sake (Php98). 

The sushi was okay. Tasty enough, but could have used more filling. Ley didn't like that they fell apart easily; but still, 12 pieces, 3 kinds, and under 300. Pwede na. 

I wasn't in the mood to drink, but I tried the sake and liked it. It was sweet and mild. It may be too mild for alcohol fans, though. 

Anyway, how do you make Takoyaki you ask??

You start with a stove, a grill, and the ingredients: batter, butter, squid, veggies, and toppings..

Put butter on the grill so the batter wont stick..

Pour in the batter and let it cook a bit..

Sprinkle in the ingredients, and let it cook some more..

And then turn and turn and turn, like your life depended on it, to make it round!

When the half of the ball is hard enough, pour in more batter and turn some more..

Until you end up with little spheres of happiness. ^_^

Drizzle with mayo and soy sauce and put on fish flakes.

It's tiring but a lot of fun! And the Takoyaki is actually yummy! The batter is light enough to let the flavor of the squid and veggies come through. The way we cooked it, it was hot and a bit liquidy in the inside, and chewy in the outside, which is how I like it. :) 

This is definitely a fun place, and I'm looking forward to trying out their other items. However, the place seems a bit under-manned. They only had three servers attending to more than ten tables, and a booth. We weren't surprised that the servers weren't too friendly. They must have been tired. 

We didn't want to bother them so we took these pictures on our own. :))

Kenshin Japanese Izakaya Restaurant is located at GF, The Linear Makati, Yakal cor. Mayapis St., Makati. You can find out more about them at their FB Page: https://mobile.facebook.com/kenshin.ph/

Be happy!

<3 Missy

Duaman 2016 + A noob's guide to surviving multi-sport. :)

Two Sundays ago, I became a Duaman!

Joining a dua event was Step 2 in my road to being a triathlete. 

I got into running last year. This year, I decided to take it up a notch by aspiring to become a triathlete. 

Per my coach/friend Mike's expert opinion, it goes Step 1- run, Step 2 - bike, Step 3- swim. So I joined him and another friend, Jeriel, on rides using my Kuya's bike. 

After getting into it, and after much bullying, I finally bought a bike of my own. <3

Sometime in March, Mike heard about SBR's Duaman event on May 22. 6krun, 20k bike, 3k run. By that time, I already went as far as 40k during rides. Also, I've run as far as 21k. So, I thought I'd give it a shot. 

Because I was such a noob, and Mike was super bibo, we registered as early birds for only Php1,500 (regular rate was Php2,000). For that price, we'd get a finisher shirt, medal, bibs and stickers, a GPS thingy, and food. :D

Unfortunately, I couldn't get my butt to train regularly before the event. Nevertheless, I still attended. 

I was so excited and got to the venue at around 4:30am. By that time, a few people were already registering. 

As opposed to plain running events, where kits are distributed in advance, multi-sport events usually give out kits on race day. I liked that I was early, because I didn't have to fall in line. I think about 800 people participated in the event. 

After putting on my bib and GPS thingy and placing the stickers on my helmet and bike, I placed my bike in the transition area. 

Afterwards I did some brisk walking and just waited for the others. 

I loved the energy of the people there. We were all excited. I even got to meet fellow noobs! We were all scared that we'd finish last. 

It was also super cool that they had a drone there. I like drones. 

The race was supposed to start at 6am. However, the organizers said that they were going to wait for everyone to register before we start, so no one gets left behind. :| I guess that's sweet and all, but I think we should have started on time, to be fair to those who got there early. Also, the sun. We started at around 6:30am and the sun was already up so by the middle of the race it was already too hot. :(

Before starting, the organizers briefed us. They gave last minute tips, and explained some minor changes to our route. 

Again, I didn't train for the event, so I was super slow. :( My goal was to finish before lunch time :)) 

I'm happy to report that I did reach my goal. I finished at around 9am. My official time was 2:38:05. True to my race number, I finished 28th in my age group. :D 

I finished the race and was happy about it, even if I was practically burnt because of the sun. I went ahead and devoured my packed lunch. The drink was not included. Had to buy it for Php50. 

After finishing, we had to wait for everyone to finish before we could get our bikes and helmets from the transition area. They said we had to do this for security reasons. 

After getting our bikes, it was picture time!

Okay so now that I've joined a bike race, I feel like a legit bike person now. :)) Here's some tips for my fellow non-athletic noobs:

-Make time to constantly squeeze in some training. Short but regular training beats a one time big time training. It's all about building your endurance. 

-Invest in a good bike. Make sure it fits you. You can get a decent bike for about Php30,000. It beats buying a cheap-o bike then having to upgrade parts. Also, bike shops usually offer a free bike fit and initial tune-up. Make sure to take advantage of these. 

-Invest in your safety. A good helmet can save your life. Make sure to try it on and make sure it has a snug fit. 

-Get bike friends. If you're a noob, it's best to ride with other people first. Adjusting to a road bike can get scary. You might also need help in case something goes wrong with your bike. 

-Hydrate. Make sure to bring water or some other kind of hydration when you go on rides. You lose a lot of body fluids when you ride, and you can get dizzy and/or pass out. For extra long rides, it's best to bring a small snack to avoid hypoglycemia. 

-Protect your skin! The sun can get crazy fierce that sunblock sometimes isn't enough. Even if it's less comfortable, wear leggings and sleeves to protect your skin. Of course, wear sunscreen BUT DO NOT PUT IT ON YOUR FOREHEAD BECAUSE IT WILL GET IN YOUR EYES WHEN YOU SWEAT AND IT HURTS LIKE HECK. Some people wear scarves and shades. Obviously, this noob is speaking from experience. :))

-Stay on your right and always look when changing lanes. The rule is to stay right so other riders can pass by your left. Bikes are quiet. You sometimes won't know if one is behind you, so always look before changing lanes. 

-Make your presence known. Again, bikes are quiet, so the person in front of you may not be aware that you're about to pass. Don't be shy to shout BIKE LEFT! Wheb passing people. I know, it's dyahe, but it's better than crashing into someone. 

So there you have it. I'm a Duaman now. Step 2 finished. Now, it's time for Step 3. :D 

Be happy!

<3 Missy

Happy Valentine's Memories with my BFF and Eats So Good! :)

It's official. I've been single for long enough for me to not *really* mind all the hullabaloo of Valentine's Day. Despite all my #hugot hirits, I honestly view Valentine's Day now as a happy excuse to celebrate whatever kind of love, because yes, love comes in many other forms than just romantic, cheesy, angel-butt-with-wings-and-an-arrow love.

This year, I decided to spend Valentine's day with my BFF, GT. :)

GT and I :D

GT and I go way back. We were carefully manipulated into being friends and ending up in college council together (inside joke, sorry :p), and became close when we ended up going to the same law school. Through the years, we've bonded over our common struggles which include challenges in our career, trying to live a balanced life, and of course, pageebeeg. 

Anyway, it so happened that Team Aldous's Monse generously gave me two passes to Spectrum, a lifestyle fair that was held during Valentine's weekend. She had a booth there for Eats So Good! and invited me to try out her food. I invited GT to go with me. He happily obliged, and also me invited to go with him to a concert afterwards. It was a date!

Spectrum

The fair was held at Whitespace Manila along Pasong Tamo. We didn't have any trouble finding the place. It was packed though, so we had to park elsewhere.

Whitespace Manila.

It was a very colorful fair.

Colorful entrance.

Just before we entered, we saw people munching on some interesting food. We were excited (and hungry).

Happy people enjoying their food.

Registration booth.

The event was so pretty and colorful that I forgot about my hunger and decided to look around a bit before getting food.

We found that a mini-stage was set up inside. Later in our stay, a singer went up the stage and serenaded all the guests. :)

A mini-stage.

We also found many interesting concessionaires that offered clothes, decors, food, and many other items.

After looking around, I looked for Monse so we could finally try out Eats So Good!

There she is! :D

With Monse.

It turns out that she was there with her beau, who was also her partner in her food business. Just awww <3.

Happy couple <3

Per my chat with Monse, Eats So Good! offers salads and pastas. Monse and her beau decided to start the business out os a passion for good food. They make everything from scratch, and they have carefully selected every single ingredient that goes into their food. 

Here's the menu they offered during the fair:

Eats So Good! does bazaars and catering for now. I have high hopes for them. :)

Their food was indeed, very good. In fact, they were sold out of pastas when GT and I got there. Thankfully, though, we still got to try their great salads.

I got to try the Classic Caesar, while GT got to try Eats So Good!'s Signature Salad.

The portions of their salad were big enough to stand alone as a light meal. Both were very flavorful and were obvioulsy made with fresh ingredients.

Classic Caesar.

Eats So Goods!'s Classic Caesar is honestlythe best Ceasar Salad I've had. When Monse's beau told me that I'd forget my name once I've tasted their homemade dressing, I thought he was just hard-selling the product. But he wasn't. It was close-my-eyes-to-savor-the-taste kind of good. The dressing was very rich and creamy. The salad also had garlicky, buttery croutons, and a generous helping of crisp bacon. 

Signature Salad.

I also took a bite out of GT's Signature Salad. Its dressing was more on the light side, and was sweet and sour. The whole salad had a sweet taste, with the mandarin oranges and corn, but was balanced by the earthiness of the almonds. The ingredients of the salad gave it a very interesting texture.

GT and I both enjoyed the salads, but since we were at a fair, we couldn't help but try out the other food booths.

GT enjoying Mr. Graham's Cebuano.

Sushi Nori's Sushi Samba.

Roasted Mallows from Pufft.

GT and I ha a nice time at Spectrum. :)

Later that day, GT and I also got to enjoy a South Border concert for FREE. :D

Luke!

Working our way to get nearer the stage :))

Luke and Jay! <3

All in all, it was a happy Valentine's Day. <3 GT and I totally slayed that day, friendship style!

Be happy!

<3 Missy