Starting July 2, bring home your very own limited edition Coca-Cola Glass just by adding P25 to any McDonald’s Extra Value Meal.

Available in six colors – Blue, Charcoal, Purple, Lime, Green, and Pink – the new Coca-Cola Can Glass is sure to be a favorite collectible and will be available for a limited time only.

So go now and visit any McDonald’s store nationwide or order through McDelivery, 8-MCDO (8-6236)or www.mcdelivery.com.ph to complete your collection.

For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com.ph.

I don’t know what else to say. Yun na lang muna, I guess.

Sumptuous Seafood Spread

Bite into the freshest seafood catch with Max’s newly launched Seafood Selections Promo, an array of non-meat dishes that brings out the exquisite flavors of traditional Filipino cuisine. Bent on giving its customers a memorable dining experience every time they visit the restaurant, Max’s also launched a special seafood fest frequency card with a free Chicken-All-You-Can gift certificate, up for grabs for diners who will complete the six sticker slots from March 8 to April 30, 2011.

Max’s seafood spread is slew of Filipino favorites: Spicy Laing Tilapia, Camaron Rebosado, Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet, Fish Fillet in Black Bean Sauce, Sinigang na Hipon, Sinigang na Tiyan ng Bangus and Steamed Fish Fillet in Light Soy. With the Seafood Selections frequency promo card, customers can enjoy these dishes with a humongous Chicken-All-You-Can treat from Max’s.

“Filipinos, whether they are chefs or gourmands, just love going back to heirloom dishes that remind them of home – the timeless flavors of Filipino cuisine and warm memories of sharing these meals with their friends and family. This is what Max’s brings to the table with its Seafood Selections Promo this season – a taste of home with every hefty serving of these traditional recipes,” said Bobby Simborio, Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies.

Max’s Thrilling Treat for Summerr!

To usher in the summer season, Max’s is also offering an invigorating meal package for customers who are gearing up for their fun-filled adventure: 1 whole Max’s sarap-to-the-bones fried chicken, 4 servings of rice, 1 regular Pancit Canton, 1 bottle of Pepsi (1.5 liters) and 1 Giant Halo-Halo – the perfect summer feast for only PhP 999 (add minimal delivery fee for delivery transactions).  The perfect on-the-go indulgence with the whole barkada! Promo is only available for takeout delivery starting March 18 to May 31, 2011.  Dial Max’s delivery hotline 7-9000 now or call your nearest Max’s provincial branches today!

“We want our customers to have a blast this season. These are our ‘sarap kapiling’ offerings – from the brand that continues to bring ‘sarap-to-the-bones’ dishes to Filipinos all over the world,” enthused Simborio.

To learn more about Max’s thrilling promotions this season, log on to www.maxschicken.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant to be a member of Max’s official Facebook fan page.

About Max’s

Max’s, one of the country’s leading fast-casual dining restaurant traces its roots to a family’s generosity and passion for good food. Max’s, “the house that chicken built,” continues to innovate and expand worldwide with plans to open branches outside the United States. After 65 years, Max’s Restaurant has established itself as a household name, an institution, and a proud Filipino tradition, zealously upholding the values passed on from its early beginnings in 1945 to the present –day generation of food aficionados.

The hotel on the left is Circuit Hotel.

She booked our hotel room in Phnom Penh via Agoda.com. It’s a relatively new hotel near Sorya Shopping Mall called Circuit Hotel. We spent about 21USD per day which was pre-paid through Agoda for a room with double bed with ensuite bathroom.

The room was overall okay. It looks huge but we were assigned to a room without a window. There was a dresser and a lot of open space where you can put your luggage and shopping bags. There was also a small vault that wasn’t working at first but after a short sweet call at the reception, they replaced it for us immediately. There was a small tv with good enough channels to last you a couple of hours in between visiting spots. The double bed was big enough for 2, or 3 slim people. The bed sheets and pillows are nice, I think because it’s a relatively new hotel. The air conditioning unit works quite well and there were 2 bedside tables to put in your stuff before going to bed. The bathroom looks a little old school, without any glass or curtains to separate the shower area and the toilet, but it has good water pressure, so overall it’s fine.

Circuit Hotel reception

What I like best about the hotel is that the staff is really friendly and they speak good enough English. They always have a smile on their faces when we get down to eat our free breakfast (6am-9am) or simply to go out for the day. The restaurant on the 2nd floor was a good surprise since they serve really delectable food, weather it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

I would say the place is walking distance to some of the most popular spots, but you can always get a tuktuk if you like. During our stay, we just walked to the different spots to get a better glimpse of Phnom Penh. It was quite a walk to get to Wat Ounalum Monastery, The National Museum and The Royal Palace, but it is manageable with a comfortable shoes and a bottle of water at hand. It is also a short walk to The Central Market and Sorya Shopping Mall.

Although there were other hotels that would be cheaper than Circuit Hotel, I would book it again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Information:

Name: Circuit Hotel

Address: # 42 Street 154, Phnom Penh King Dom of Cambodia (near New World Institute/ Central Market)

Telephone: +(855)97 981 7888  / +(855)23 212 972 / +(855)23 691 4351

Fax: +(855)23 212 972

Email: reservation@circuithotel.net

Website: http://www.circuithotel.net/

Hotel Photos:

I was fortunate enough to be with my mom on my visit to Phnom Penh last February. She lived there for almost a year, so she’s very familiar with the place, street names, places to go and shop. On our 3 days there, we practically divided our time visiting spots and shopping.

However, shopping was quite limited then, because it was the Vietnamese/Cambodian New Year, so most of the establishments are closed. We just got lucky and arrive on the day before everything closed down, malls, markets etc. Good thing though that most attractions are open.

What to Buy and Where to Buy

So, what do you buy in Phnom Penh, you ask? First off, I don’t shop much, and I don’t have a preference, so mostly I pick random stuff for pasalubong or giveaways.

W Exports at Tuol Tum Pong Market is the best place to buy export-quality clothes in Phnom Penh.

Clothes, branded clothes. There are a lot of clothing stores in Phnom Penh, lots of knock-offs too. But why buy knock-offs when there’s a lot of garment factories in Cambodia. Russian Market or Tuol Tum Pong (pronounced Too Tumpong) Market is a haven for local goods in Phnom Penh including real designer clothes or stocklot of garment factories that has been marked unfit for export because of teeny tiny faults. The best shop to visit here is W Exports located just outside the actual market. It’s an airconditioned building right across the actual market. It’s easy to spot with all the Lexus cars parked right in front. (Click to view location in Google Map)

My advice here is to dig-dig-dig. My mom being a QA for one of the garment factories in Cambodia thought me how to spot the original. For shirts, make sure that the stitches inside are thick and clean. The ones being sold at Surplus Stores in SM have thin stitches and messy so eventhough you think you are getting a bargain from buying there, you’re really not, because they are not branded at all. If you take it as it is though, a surplus, then you won’t have a problem. The feel of original branded items are also different because they are lux and soft to the touch. Believe me, you will know when you touched them. For branded jeans, the ones being sold at W Exports are a mix of original and not-so-original but still nice. Dig through the jeans on hangers to find some rare original Levi’s and other brands. How to tell they’re original? Look at the zipper. When it says Levi’s on the zipper, you’re in luck! If it says YKK, not so. But if it looks good on you, who cares, right? You’ll probably see some other items there like linen pants that are so nice and office pants with the YKK zipper on, but if you like it, then don’t hesitate just because it isn’t branded.

They also have a variety of toddler shirts and pants. I bought a cute Benetton top for my goddaughter there and I wanted to horde it because it was just TOO ADORABLE. We also bought a couple of linen cropped pants. Downstairs where the men’s clothes are, we found cheap, original Levi’s shirts.

So yeah, I think I’ve written enough for one store alone. Let’s go to the next one.

Silver. Yes, silver jewelries. I heard from my mom and her friends there that silver jewelries are a must buy in Cambodia. My mom even has 2 or 3 silver items she bought there and they were pretty.

Silver ring and earrings I bought at Angkor Treasures in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Sorry for the blurry image, taken using my Phone cam.)

You can also find silver jewelry stores at Toul Tum Pong but we were about to go back there the next day, the shops are already closed for the New Year. Good thing Tita Cecille, my mom’s friend who works in Cambodia accompanied one of her bosses to buy some jewelries before their flight, so she took them to a store near the Wat Ounalom Monastery named Angkor Treasure, so we went there as well. It’s located at Sothearos St. (Click to view location in Google Map), but if you are to ride a tuktuk, just tell the driver to take you near the National Museum or Wat Ounalum. There’s supposed to be a fork after the monastery so you take the smaller street and on your right you will see the shop. The uncle manning the store is very nice and he speaks English.

He said a lot of tourists come to his shop to buy jewelries and often when they come back, they would tell him they regretted not buying a lot more on their first visit, because their jewelries are really nice and durable. Some items are quite cheap too. In fact, I bought 2 pairs of earrings for only 2 USD each. I picked the simple ones because I really rarely wear earrings, but since I got them, I find that I always want to wear them. It doesn’t itch, so it means it’s real silver (because my ears itch wearing those costume jewelry earrings). I also bought a cute ring for 6USD. It’s not thick and flimsy like the ones being sold at commercial silver stores in Manila.

He said they’re 92.9% silver, not 100% because pure silver is soft, so it won’t stand the heat and will melt or deform easily.

Tip: Know your friends' or family's zodiac sign before you leave or think of what they remind you of and look into a pile of these statuettes for a personalized pasalubong.

Mini bronze statuettes and other local knick knacks. We were unfortunate enough not to be able to visit the Central Market (Click for Google Map location) in it’s full glory. It was closed, both times we were there and there’s only a limited number of sellers outside because the actual market is locked up. Aside from the very interesting architecture (you wouldn’t imagine it’s a market at all), it was also huge, probably one of the biggest markets I’ve seen. From the looks of it, everything is being sold there, including wet and dry goods, plants and flowers and even live goose.

It was walking distance from where we stayed which is a very very nice location by the way (but that’s for another post) and the sorrounding area is also quite interesting. We were able to buy a few giveaways here including cute mini bronze statuettes which I love. Got them for 3 for 2-3USD if I remember correctly (more or less). We also bought keychains and pouches for the ladies. They also sell all kinds of locally made bags. One tip here like in any market is to haggle. Always, always haggle.

Pots and pans at Zebra. This one is a little weird purchase, but still… read what it’s all about.

My mom sent over a few pots and pans through a balikbayan box before she left for Phnom Penh and she bought these pots and pans from Zebra. Zebra is a Thai-brand manufacturer of stainless pots and other cooking materials. If you’re the type who likes looking into the kitchen section of a department store, you would notice that they are selling them here in Manila too. So why buy all the way back there? For an obvious reason, it’s way cheaper.

Although it might also balance out the price if you are buying a LOT of these pans for over-baggage, the shop is still worth a visit. For comparison, the ones being sold in SM is approximately marked up 20% higher than the one being sold in Phnom Penh. This is R’s pasalubong because he wants a saucepan really bad.

Zebra is located at Sorya Shopping Center. To get there, just tell the tuktuk driver to take you to Sorya. It’s near the Central Market. (Location)

Postcards. To be honest, I rarely buy postcards in any of the trips I had. I shoud have, but I’m more of a fridge-magnet kind of person. Surprisingly, I find myself buying these postcards at the exit of Royal Palace.

We visited The Royal Palace (Location) in the middle of the day where the sun is too hot and didn’t get to see it at night. So we just bought postcards to see how it looks at night. It was a nice remembrance and I think I will now buy more postcards when I visit a place.

We bought them for 5USD for 10pcs.

There you have it! These are just the few items I got to buy in Phnom Penh and I hope was able to help you in my own little way.

Note: In Cambodia, the most used tender is USD, even riding a tuktuk, most drivers would give price in USD.

Tonight, it’s Steak with Garlic Mushroom Gravy and Salad with Homemade Honey Balsamic Dressing

How to make Honey Balsamic Dressing:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• a pinch of dried thyme
• a pinch of pepper

Just mix them all together!

Not in the Philippines, but close enough.

The Lion King is the story of a young lion named Simba and his rise to being the king of Pride Rock. It’s a story of courage, triumph and friendship. Timon and Pumba is probably one of my most favorite characters. They are simply hilarious.

Come down to Singapore from 03 Mar 2011 – 31 May 2011 to watch this amazing musical!

For tickets, you can buy here.

Wrote this a few months ago for a website but they didn’t publish it. So I’m publishing it here, because this is my website and I can.

***

Epic love. One that defies events and people. A rough kind of love that can only be experienced in movies, songs and literature. A love so strong, hard and crazy that writers seek them and musicians create lyrics out of them. Epic love.

My love is the most constant, steady part of my life. Like the air you breathe. barely noticeable but present. Like the air, you often forget it exists, but you know you can’t live without it.

It’s as common as water that flows in the ocean. It never runs dry.

My love came in the most unexpected time, almost a decade ago. It was a courtship that wasn’t. It’s as if you met someone and you know. Like love doesn’t need to explain itself. There’s no asking why it happened. Where it happened. When it happened. It’s just there and we both know it. There was no need for a name. A formality.

We breezed through it like pros. There’s no need for a coach. Like time, it goes continuously. It never stops. It never will.

It’s the kind of love I’d hope for everyone.

My love isn’t epic. Not yet. And I am hoping it wouldn’t be.

-J

***

I love you, happy birthday!

The crispy pata was really yummy, it’s very very tasty and the skin is very very crunchy! It’s paired perfectly with sinigang na bangus since it is a very light soup. I would say the crispy pata and sinigang could feed not just 4 but at most 5 people.

The Max’s marketing team also updated us on what they’ve been doing for the last quarter of the year and what’s instore for Max’s this 2011. They launched the new state of the art delivery bikes and jackets that is truly the first in the country as it is reflectorized, so as to avoid road accidents.

I really like Max’s because they have one of the nicest marketing team I have met. During the Blogger’s Night, they held a raffle where everybody won! They also gave us a token of appreciation which is the new Max’s ketchup which is yet to be released in the market and of course Max’s chicken vouchers. But what’s really touching is the audio visual presentation they showed during the event where we see pictures of ourselves being thanked by Max’s for being their loyal customers. It was really sweet.

Please read below the official press release of the Crispy Pata Feast!

18 January 2010; Makati, Philippines - Max’s Restaurant has started another buzzword among foodies with the launch of its latest promotion aptly dubbed, the “Max’s Crispy Pata Feast.”

The most ravenous cravings are sure to be satiated with this mouthwatering spread – one hefty plate of Max’s fork-tender Crispy Pata, Max’s Sinigang, 4 cups of steaming white rice, 4 glasses of any ice-cold Pepsi softdrink, and 4 servings of melt-in-your-mouth Buko Pandan dessert to cap a traditional Filipino feast- all for PhP 865 only! That’s more than PhP 300 savings for a fully satisfying meal, perfect for sharing with friends and nurturing relationships with loved ones.

“As we usher in 2011, Max’s offers this irresistible promo to celebrate new beginnings with our valued customers. Diners can now indulge in their favorite Max’s Crispy Pata for only P865!  That’s value for money from Max’s as we commit to providing our customers with the most sumptuous dishes all year-round,” said Bobby Simborio, Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies.

Catch the Crispy Pata fever this 2011! Max’s Crispy Pata Feast is available for dine in or to go, from January 20 to February 20, 2011.  Log on www.maxschicken.com or visit www.facebook.com to sign up for Max’s fan page and learn more about the best offerings and most scrumptious dishes from Max’s this 2011.