Game Review: The Last of Us

Image from here.

It can't be for nothing.

In case you haven't heard of this game and all the hype behind its critical acclaim, The Last of Us is a survival horror adventure game developed exclusively for the PlayStation 3 by Naughty Dog, the geniuses behind the Uncharted series.

Uncharted
I'm a solid fan of Uncharted (Platinum Trophies for each game!). I absolutely love cinematic, story-driven games and I deem them to be the very reason that video games can be considered to be a true art. In video games like this, you spend a lot more time with the characters and with the journey than you would in a movie, and much more interaction than you would get from a TV series or a book. You breathe life into the tale, you literally walk in their shoes, and you face what they face. Uncharted is an Indiana Jones-type story revolving around the very cool and charismatic treasure hunter named Nathan Drake. The Last of Us goes much further than that with its own deeper and darker plot.

Plot
I won't get into details to leave everything experienced as it should, but basically, you play the very reliable Joel who protects a young girl named Ellie throughout a post-apocalyptic world where there roam zombie-like people they call Infected. The characters are amazing. From the first few minutes of the movie right to the end, I felt so unbelievably attached to them that I would catch myself thinking about the events in their lives at random points of my own day. It's truly rare that I get to feel this way for fictional characters, even counting movies, TV and books. If you engage yourself in this game, you would share their sighs of relief and waves of sorrow. At times throughout the game, I actually had to hold back tears. Manly tears.

   

Image from here.

Gameplay
The game is very smooth and fun to play. This isn't like Metal Gear Solid where you'd spend only a fourth of an hour actually playing and the rest, watching. The story unfolds perfectly while you explore the tragically beautiful environment and while interactions ensue. I just played it on Normal and it was quite easy, but had enough of a challenge to keep you engaged. Like a realistic survival story, there is quite a limitation to the supply of ammo, so I was a very stingy shooter. What's great is you can use the environment, bricks, bottles and even your handy dandy fists to help you dispose of the enemy!

Graphics
This game doesn't only play great, but looks great too. The motion capture and facial expressions were rendered brilliantly. For the most part, it felt more like a movie than a game. Naughty Dog was truly able to bring over the best from Uncharted. They totally raised the bar for smooth and realistic fast-paced animation.

Sound
They got an Academy award winner to create the score for this game and it was evident. The soundtrack perfectly accompanied the events with eerie yet emotional melodies. It wasn't overused, either. It was extremely quiet when it needed to be. The sound effects are all very, very realistic.

Verdict: 5/5 - Excellent!
Not a big surprise there, but I'd just like to say that I already knew about all the high ratings this game has been receiving before I started playing. That means I had incredibly high expectations from this game, and they were all met perfectly. Well, it's even more than that. It blew me away. In a way that I didn't and couldn't expect.

This is a story that has to be told. It is likely one of the best in its medium. I highly recommend that you play this game and immerse yourself in it. If you don't have a PS3 and can't borrow one, watch a friend or even watch online. This is a tale I don't think I'll ever forget.

Between blogging, singing, and other things, I haven't really been able to play games recently. How fitting it is that I got to play this game now, because it reminds me that I am totally missing out. I really ought to use my PS3 more! As I have read before, video games really are the best avenue for one to experience many amazing lives rather than just one. This is the first of many game reviews!

Loved The Last of Us? Hated it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!




Here's the trailer!

Saboten: Enjoyin' Some Loin

So, the new craze in Manila is Tonkatsu, huh? Move over, Ramen! Still quite a Japanese trend. I hope Sushi is next!

Everyone's going Katsu crazy.

Saboten is a Tonkatsu chain that has its roots in 1966 Japan, so it carries a hefty heritage. Some say the local competition, Yabu, preempted Saboten's arrival, and now it seems we have a war on our hands. I can't wait to try Yabu and see if it's as good.

Though we aren't fans of venturing too far for lunch, Alvie and I couldn't resist when we heard our office friends were making the journey to Serendra to try this place out. Our Tonkatsu tasting is so overdue, we haven't even tried Yabu! (So no comparisons yet, sorry!)

Neo-traditional.

I'm actually more of a Katsudon (Tonkatsu on rice with egg and a lighter, sweeter sauce) guy me-self, but okay, I'll see what the big deal is. I don't think I have ever had quality Tonkatsu before.

Cold and hot service tea.

Service tea is immediately available. I naturally opted for the colder kind (I can never understand how people can enjoy hot beverages while eating!). No surprise that the tea is better served hot, but hey, better than water, I guess. Haha.

Cool set of condiments.

We noticed (and did not immediately understand) the plethora of strange condiments made available to you. There's the ever fancy yet indistinguishable sea salt, a delicious vinegar type sauce, Tonkatsu sauce and a sesame cream sauce that goes great with your unlimited cabbage. Speaking of which...

Cabbage, Radish, and Pickles.

These are the side dishes that come for free when you order one of Saboten's set meals. They're all unlimited! The cabbage was really good with the sauce. We had seconds and we had thirds! The radish and pickles instill more variety in your meal.

Grated Radish Katsu (Loin Set), P395.00

Grated Radish with grapefruit turns tonkatsu into a refreshing delight.
Alvie and I were quite full from our Cronut conquest earlier in the day, so we just shared this meal and ordered an extra cup of rice (P100). The soup it came with was good, standard Miso soup. Not bad at all for something unlimited. The Tonkatsu was delicious. As explained by the waitress, you squeeze the grapefruit, then pour the Ponzu sauce on the meat. It turned out quite good!

If I had one regret, it's that we didn't order the leaner Tenderloin version. This meat was nice and thick, but I'm not fond of fat in my Tonkatsu. We were warned that the Loin had fat but I guess I assumed it was the more graceful kind (not thick).

Meaty and tender.

Nevertheless, it was still very enjoyable. If it came with regular unlimited rice, I'd easily give this set meal a "Good" rating. It didn't. It comes with awesome unlimited Japanese rice. It was so good that even with no meat left, I ate a cup with just radish shavings and Tonkatsu sauce. Sad, I know, but with rice like this, it was still great! I'm not big on plain white rice, so I'm surprised that this is one of the best parts of my meal.

Menu:
Grated Radish Katsu
Katsu Curry, Clay Pot
Dessert

Verdict: 
Grated Radish Katsu (Loin Set): Very Good

Even a week after, I'm still thinking about the damn good rice! Oh, and the pleasant variety of good side dishes spice things up nicely too. I look forward to coming back for more unlimited Japanese rice goodness, and trying out more of their many other tempting offerings. Maybe we should try the competition, too!

Love Saboten? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



Other Restaurants in The Fort:
Good Earth Roasts (GER)
Gyu-Kaku: The Time is Ripe to Grill Some Tripe
IHOP: The Latest Pancake Craze
Jollibee: Ultimate Burger Steak and Flip Float
Kasbah: A Moroccan Lunch
The Best Pasta of Pasto
Racks: My Favourite Ribs
Red Garlic Bistro: Trotting the Globe, Clove by Clove
S&R: My Favourite Pizza
Saint's Alp: Taiwanese Chicken Goodness
Sbarro: Rolling in the Deep Dish
SM Aura Premier: Pepper Lunch Express under the Sky Park
Stacy's: The Sweet Kind of Retro
Stella Wood Fired Bistro: Nothing Less Than Stellar
Sunshine Kitchen: Second Dawn
Tapeo: Spanish Surprise at the Fort Strip
The Cheese Steak Shop: Philly Cheese Steaks in the Phillyppines
Toast Box: Going Goreng
Tokyo Tokyo: Burgers and Chopsticks
The Kebab Factory: The TKF Trilogy
Wildflour's Cronut: The Doughnut and Croissant's Love Child
Wrong Ramen: The Weirder, The Better

SABOTEN
G/F Serendra, McKinley Parkway
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
(02) 625-2000
Operating Hours: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Facebook: Saboten Philippines
Website: http://www.saboten.ph


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Wildflour's Cronut: The Doughnut and Croissant's Love Child

What on God's green earth is a Cronut? If you had asked me a week ago, I wouldn't have even heard about it.

Sugary innovation.

Apparently, it's a new doughnut-croissant-hybrid that has been making waves from a little place called the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York. It's only available there, but it's been making so much news that now, only a little over a month after it is first sold, it's made available by many other restaurants all over the world through their own interpretations of the snack.

Personally, I like doughnuts and I love croissants, so I expect there's something good behind all the hype.

The first to do so here is a nice little place I unfortunately have to walk by everyday, Wildflour Cafe + Bakery. It's only sad because the restaurant (and its kitchen) looks very enticing, and due to a bit of penny-pinching, I haven't tried it!

It's like a sandwich!

Based on the Facebook page, Wildflour is calling this number the croissant-donut and not the Cronut. What's up with the lame long name? Copyright reasons? Dudes, just call it the Doissant! Sounds much cooler, and it's probably free to use. You can even sell them in bundles called Doissant Dozens. Cool, Right??

Oh wait, I'm copyrighting it. You can't use that now, either, or you'd have to pay me. in Doissants.

Speaking of which, they were quite good. It's basically the bread of a croissant, (which is what's awesome about it) shaped into and fried like a doughnut and stuffed with a light cream.

Chocolate Croissant-Donut and Vanilla Croissant-Donut, P120.00 each

We had the Vanilla and Chocolate Croissant-Donuts. Alvie preferred the Vanilla and I, the Chocolate so it was perfect. Vanilla was good too, but a bit too overpoweringly sweet for me, and the topping was a lot like a thicker version of Krispy Kreme's sugar glaze.

I liked the slightly subtler Chocolate topping instead, cause then I really got to savor the crisp, yet soft croissant bread and the cream it was stuffed with. The combination of the cream and bread is reminiscent of another pastry I like, the cream puff.

They have other flavors, like Strawberry, so you might want to check those out, too. :)

Verdict:
Vanilla Croissant-Donut: Good
Chocolate Croissant-Donut: Good

Yes, it is quite pricey for a pastry, but at 120 pesos, we don't feel we didn't get our money's worth because it does look like an intricately crafted treat. If I were to avoid this, it would definitely be more for my health than my wallet. Still, it's great to have something to indulge in so conveniently nearby. It's also terrible to have to resist something so conveniently nearby on a daily basis. :)

I heard Chatime also has their own version of the Cronut now. Let the games begin!

Love the Cronut? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



These pastry hybrids might be a starting trend, so allow me to predict/conceptualize a couple of new ones:
Cupclair: Cupcake-shaped eclairs.
Biscochkin: Biscocho munchkins.
Hopianada: Empanadas filled with Mongo. (Yuck! haha)

Dunkin' Donuts' Cronut: http://savvyaboutnothing.blogspot.com/2013/08/dunkin-donuts-crunkin-cronuts.html
Mister Donut's Cronut: http://savvyaboutnothing.blogspot.com/2013/09/mister-donut-cafe-pon-de-ring-and-do.html

Other Restaurants in The Fort:
Good Earth Roasts (GER)
Gyu-Kaku: The Time is Ripe to Grill Some Tripe
IHOP: The Latest Pancake Craze
Jollibee: Ultimate Burger Steak and Flip Float
Kasbah: A Moroccan Lunch
The Best Pasta of Pasto
Racks: My Favourite Ribs
Red Garlic Bistro: Trotting the Globe, Clove by Clove
S&R: My Favourite Pizza
Saint's Alp: Taiwanese Chicken Goodness
Sbarro: Rolling in the Deep Dish
SM Aura Premier: Pepper Lunch Express under the Sky Park
Stacy's: The Sweet Kind of Retro
Stella Wood Fired Bistro: Nothing Less Than Stellar
Sunshine Kitchen: Second Dawn
Tapeo: Spanish Surprise at the Fort Strip
The Cheese Steak Shop: Philly Cheese Steaks in the Phillyppines
Toast Box: Going Goreng
Tokyo Tokyo: Burgers and Chopsticks
The Kebab Factory: The TKF Trilogy
Wrong Ramen: The Weirder, The Better

Wildflour Café + Bakery
G/F, Net Lima Building, 4th Ave. corner  26th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(02) 856-7600
Operating Hours:
Mon - Sat: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sun: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Facebook: Wildflour Cafe + Bakery

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The Best Pasta of Pasto

Pasto has been a regular spot of ours since forever! or more specifically, since around 2008. I've actually been here more for drinks than food, but over the years, I have learned that they excel in pasta! Alvie and I had lunch here recently and had the best pasta they have to offer.

Just look at that.

The picture above looks great, but we wouldn't want to jump the gun now, would we? Let's start with my former favorite pasta at Pasto.

Pollo Cremoso, P255.00

penne with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted mushrooms in a garlic-cream sauce.
When it comes to pasta, I'm more of a white sauce guy, and I find this dish to be executed spectacularly.The penne has good texture. The cream has a subtle taste, but this pasta's flavor is amplified with very tasty, zesty and sweet sun-dried tomatoes, which are the best part of the meal. For an added kick, I add Pasto's chili flakes which are so spicy, they put Yellow Cab's to shame.

Quattro Formaggi, P255.00

farfalle with four cheeses - mozzarella, feta, ricotta, and parmesan.
The more cheeses, the better! This is definitely my favourite pasta from Pasto, and easily one of my favourite pasta dishes ever! Farfalle takes its name from the Italian word for butterfly, due to the similar shape. Butterflies never looked so delicious! The pasta is smothered with rich, gooey cheese. It usually also has a light garlic taste but we missed it because that wasn't the case during our last visit. Nevertheless, it was still a great dish.

Te Freddo, P115.00

refillable iced tea: lemon, raspberry or peach.
"I knew it was you, Freddo!!!". This refillable iced tea is well worth the hefty price tag. This ain't your ordinary Nestea, so they have great flavors. The best part about it? You can refill with any of the three flavors. I usually get this when hanging out at Pasto, especially if you want to sip on something cool and sweet while having a good time with friends.

Menu:
Starters, Soups, Pasta, Entrees
Pizza, Salad, Panini, Drinks, Dessert

Verdict:
Pollo Cremoso: Great!
Quattro Formaggi: Great!
Te Freddo: Great!

Aside from the great food, Pasto has been a regular option for a night of drinks because it isn't very expensive, and the al fresco area is nice and quiet, perfect for having great, meaningless conversations. :) I actually celebrated my birthday here twice already. If you're ever around, try out our favourite pasta!

Love Pasto? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



Other Restaurants in The Fort Strip:
Good Earth Roasts (GER)
Kasbah: A Moroccan Lunch
Racks: My Favourite Ribs
Sunshine Kitchen: Second Dawn
Tapeo: Spanish Surprise at the Fort Strip
The Cheese Steak Shop: Philly Cheese Steaks in the Phillyppines

Other Restaurants in The Fort:
Gyu-Kaku: The Time is Ripe to Grill Some Tripe
IHOP: The Latest Pancake Craze
Jollibee: Ultimate Burger Steak and Flip Float
Red Garlic Bistro: Trotting the Globe, Clove by Clove
S&R: My Favourite Pizza
Saint's Alp: Taiwanese Chicken Goodness
Sbarro: Rolling in the Deep Dish
SM Aura Premier: Pepper Lunch Express under the Sky Park
Stacy's: The Sweet Kind of Retro
Stella Wood Fired Bistro: Nothing Less Than Stellar
Toast Box: Going Goreng
Tokyo Tokyo: Burgers and Chopsticks
The Kebab Factory: The TKF Trilogy
Wrong Ramen: The Weirder, The Better

PASTO
Ground Level, Fort Pointe Bldg.,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(02) 884-1592
Operating Hours:
Sun - Thu: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Fri - Sat: 11:00 am - 2:00 am
Facebook: PASTO


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Gyu-Kaku: The Time is Ripe to Grill Some Tripe

We didn't actually intend to try this place out during our last Friday lunch. The plan was Brothers Burger for 50% off burgers, but the offer turned out to be for Sunday. :( We were thinking IHOP but I managed to dissuade the group (not pancakes again!) and we diverted to Gyu-Kaku instead. This place has usually been disregarded because we thought it was dauntingly expensive, but man, were we wrong!

I only just noticed that the glass was reflective. Unintended Selfie.

Gyu-Kaku is actually a chain of restaurants originating in Japan in 1996, having branches in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia since. Now's our turn! This ain't just local interpretation of Japanese cuisine. This is the real thing.

Nice dishes.

We found the menu to be surprisingly affordable, and were even confused at some points regarding the portions. Let's check it out! They even give complementary hot or cold service tea. Each table has a nice grill  for your own culinary practice.

Time to grill!

The waitress repeatedly suggested we get some meats to grill. Sorry lady, but we're on a budget for this normal Friday lunch! :) I had to grill something so I ordered something that caught my eye..

Beef Tripe (Spicy Miso), P110.00

Interesting and relatively cheap. That's MY order! I've never tried tripe (twalya) grilled before, so it was a nice new experience. There are also Miso and Shio variants for the flavor, but I naturally went the spicier route. The menu came with a warning: "To Be Consumed Fully Cooked". I like my food slightly raw so it spoke right at me! Oh, alright...

Though I didn't really taste any spice, and it wasn't too flavorful, I liked it. It felt like squid (or did I just undercook it?), and was fun to eat. Even the very picky Alvie tried it and surprisingly took more than one bite. Haha. A good portion for 110 pesos, too.

Sake Chazuke, P135.00

rice topped with salmon in soup.
Yes, a bit expensive for a cup of rice, but it did taste good. I got this to eat with my lovely grilled tripe. It's basically a cup of rice submerged in a delicately flavored soup with some salmon on top. It was alright, but I'll likely try the onigiri instead next time.

I was the only one who cooked that day. The others opted for more convenient dishes.

Tantan Ramen (Spicy), P195.00

noodle topped with minced meat & spinach.
We were told this was actually for sharing. Impressive size for ramen of this price! It could be shared, but it's easily an order for one person too, as long as you're not eating much else. I did not notice much (or any, actually) meat, but the taste of the broth makes me easily forgive that. It had just the right amount of spice and flavor. I prefer Wrong Ramen's creamier version but this is half the price and double the portion so it's very understandable.

Gomanegi Ramen, P225.00

japanese ramen noodle in special shio broth topped with egg, sesame seeds, and spring onion served in hot stone bowl.
Another ramen. I personally preferred the Tantan Ramen. This has a nice taste but its clear broth bores me. Perhaps I'd appreciate it more on a cold, rainy day. Haha.

Karubi Kuppa, P295.00

rice served in short rib beef spicy soup.
This wasn't my order (I just stole a bite) so I won't be able to give a detailed review. It seems to have a similar broth to our Tantan Ramen, but with a tamer spice level. The meat is soft too, I'm told. It's more expensive than other similar options, but I think I still want to have a closer encounter with this someday.

Menu:
To Be Consumed Fully Cooked
Rice & Noodles

Verdict:
Beef Tripe (Spicy Miso): Good
Sake Chazuke: Good
Tantan Ramen (Spicy): Good
Gomanegi Ramen: Okay (from just a taste)
Karubi Kuppa: Good (from just a taste)

The consistently delicious and affordable food at Gyu-Kaku was a delightful surprise for us. It can definitely be a new addition to our regular lunch-out destinations. I look forward to the next visit, and maybe I'll grill something that isn't tripe next time. That reminds me, they have Wagyu Beef Tongue! Wagyu Lengua, ladies and gentlemen. (Though, I don't know that it'd be any different from the regular kind)

Love Gyu-Kaku? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



Other Restaurants in The Fort:
Good Earth Roasts (GER)
IHOP: The Latest Pancake Craze
Jollibee: Ultimate Burger Steak and Flip Float
Kasbah: A Moroccan Lunch
Racks: My Favourite Ribs
Red Garlic Bistro: Trotting the Globe, Clove by Clove
S&R: My Favourite Pizza
Saint's Alp: Taiwanese Chicken Goodness
Sbarro: Rolling in the Deep Dish
SM Aura Premier: Pepper Lunch Express under the Sky Park
Stacy's: The Sweet Kind of Retro
Stella Wood Fired Bistro: Nothing Less Than Stellar
Sunshine Kitchen: Get your Sunny Side Up
Sunshine Kitchen: Second Dawn
Tapeo: Spanish Surprise at the Fort Strip
The Cheese Steak Shop: Philly Cheese Steaks in the Phillyppines
Toast Box: Going Goreng
Tokyo Tokyo: Burgers and Chopsticks
The Kebab Factory: The TKF Trilogy
Wrong Ramen: The Weirder, The Better

GYU-KAKU
W Global Center, 30th St. corner 9th Ave.,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(02) 553-8962 / (0918) 917-2611
Operating Hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Facebook: Gyu-Kaku Philippines
Website: http://www.gyu-kaku.com/


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North Park: The King of Nanking

Over at our convenient SM Bicutan, we celebrated Father's day with a nice dinner at one of our usual places  in the mall. There aren't many great restaurants in this mall, but this is one of the spots we have grown to love.

Up until recently, I was as knowledgeable on Chinese food as Super Mario is eloquent. I now know that there are many more authentic sources for the cuisine, but the fact has not changed that North Park has good food. I haven't even tried half of the menu yet, but I have eaten there enough that I know the tried-and-tested dishes that do not disappoint.

Let's hit the ground running and start with my.. nay.. my whole family's favourite

Nanking Beef & Tendon w/ Raddish, P238.00

Look at that large piece of tendon! There are several of that in there, along with brisket-type cuts of beef. It wasn't as tender as I remember this time, but still tasted really good. The sauce is rich and sweet, with pieces of radish that you wouldn't really pay any attention to until all the meat is gone.

Nanking is in China and when I eventually visit (yes, I'm optimistic), I'm going to look for their beef! Hold up, did I just forget the appetizer?

Century Egg & Jelly Fish, P173.00

Yes, this dish, sometimes referred to as seaweed is actually chopped up jellyfish (I had the opposite problem in Mien San). I like it so much, that it's sometimes my favourite part of a lauriat (Chinese full-course meal). The version here is alright, but I prefer it spicy. Century egg is well, century egg. I also enjoyed it. Great appetizer, but I wish it was cheaper. We tried to keep our meal balanced by ordering some vegetables.

3 Kinds of Mushroom w/ Broccoli Flower in Oyster Sauce, P153.00

I really like broccoli and mushrooms so even just on paper, this was good for me. It was as expected, and quite flavorful, too. A good choice!

Salted Garlic Squid, P208.00

The closest thing North Park has to the classic Salt & Pepper Squid, one of the best things Chinese cuisine has to offer for me. This was wiped out quite easily. I wish it was more err.. peppery but the squid was soft and flavorful enough.

Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken, P223.00

Yes! Another Chinese food classic, though Alvie would fervently disagree with me. I can't believe she doesn't enjoy such a good dish! This was sweet, flavorful, crispy and juicy. Add the word boneless and you know you've got something really good on your plate. I totally overate that night, and it was largely due to the rice. We ordered a lot.

Salted Fish w/ Chicken Fried Rice, P168.00

While North Park's rice specialty might be the Fookien fried rice that is served in sauce, I am not really a fan of that (my parents are, though) so I am glad we tried something else for a change (I always find the taste to be quite boring). North Park's version of the second most famous kind of fried rice in local Chinese restaurants was quite alright. It was sufficiently flavorful, and quite salty indeed.

Crab Meat Fried Rice, P188.00

Very similar to the salted fish fried rice, but this had a subtler taste. You might want to opt for this if you want to savor the dishes' flavors more. There wasn't a lot of crab meat, or even a crab taste that I noticed, but it was solid fried rice. Still better than Crystal Jade Dining In's fried rice that costs like a bajillion pesos! #bitter

If the oiliness of it all is a bit much, you can have as much complimentary tea as you want.

Steel tables and steel pots. This feels like a mess hall!

The tea was alright. In my book, any tea that doesn't taste like burnt rice is alright.

It was a good selection of the favourite classic Chinese dishes for amateurs. :) An enjoyable family dinner!

Ze parents.

It was quite a late dinner, and SMB even closed their lights on us. Haha.

The lighting turned a bit more cozy, at least.

Menu:
Complete Menu

Verdict:
Nanking Beef: Great!
Century Egg & Jelly Fish Salad: Okay
3 Kinds of Mushroom w/ Broccoli Flower in Oyster Sauce: Good
Salted Garlic Squid: Very Good
Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken: Very Good
Salted Fish w/ Chicken Fried Rice: Good
Crab Meat Fried Rice: Good
Service Tea: Okay

North Park isn't the fanciest of places, but who needs fancy? It totally gets the job done, at an affordable price at that. For great dishes like Salt & Pepper Squid and Lemon Chicken, it's hard to screw up anyway! My favourite dish here is indubitably the Nanking Beef and I haven't seen this served anywhere else, not even anything close! Until a challenger appears, we can all be sure that North Park is the undisputed King of Nanking Beef.



Other Restaurants in SM Bicutan:
BonChon Chicken: A Welcome Addition to SMB

NORTH PARK NOODLE HOUSE
2/F, SM City Bicutan,
Doña Soledad Ave. cor. West Service Road,
Bicutan, Parañaque City
(02) 822-5532, (02) 824-3187, (02) 822-5539
Facebook: North Park Noodle House
Website: http://www.northpark.com.ph/


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Movie Review: World War Z

Image from here.

World War Z is an onscreen adaptation of a novel of the same name. The story is about, well, zombies. I don't think you'll need me to elaborate on that. Haha.

Brad Pitt did an okay job playing the dependable father, Gerry Lane. I liked that he has long hair again for a change, but it kind of looks like an awkward haircut to me. Haha.

The action was good and entertaining, but I did not really find myself emotionally attached to anything going on in the film, really. I was not immersed in the film, I just found it interesting. The effects were actually alright, which is impressive for such extreme action. While you might notice some computer graphics here and there, the zombies look mostly realistic. A thousand times better than the video game graphics of I am Legend!

I wish there was a better reason for the title World War Z than the fact that Z is for Zombie. Not to bash on the book or anything, but it feels like it was named by Sesame Street.

The movie is cool and all but I can't help but think.. Is this Zombie Tsunami: The Movie??

If so, the movie goes way beyond expectations!

Other Notable Cast:
David Morse as Gunter Haffner - You might know him as the bad guy from the movie Disturbia.
Fana Mokoena as Thierry - Okay, I don't really know this guy but he looks like a fat Akon. I'm not being racist! You'll see!

I actually have one gripe with the plot and it's on this Vine. Click unmute on the top left for spoilers! Haha.

Verdict: 3.5/5 - An interesting zombie movie with good action, but nothing much more than that.

Loved World War Z? Hated it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



Other Post-Apocalyptic Stories:
TV Review: The Walking Dead: Season 3
PS3 Game Review: The Last of Us - I'm still playing this, but look forward to writing this review. So far, it's awesome!

Slappy Cakes: Make Yer Own Pancakes!

This is going to be fun.

We were going around Eastwood for an enjoyable afternoon (we don't come here enough!) and were looking for a good place to cap the night off with a nice dinner. We had read about Slappy Cakes and immediately decided when we saw the place here. What struck me first is that it's apparently standing on the grave of a place I had wanted to try in the past. I had no idea it's gone now! No, Osonho, NOOOOOOO!!!!

It was a good thing we were at this happy place, because I soon got over it. Bright colors, a fun ambience, and pancake griddles on every table!

Let's load 'em up!

They also get you well-equipped for the task at hand.

A worthy arsenal.

A bit of caffeine withdrawal had been kicking in for me, so we ordered a convenient remedy from the menu.

Overflowing Coffee, P125.00

This coffee is as standard as brewed coffee gets. They serve it with good (liquid) cream and as many Splendas as you need. Thank goodness! God knows I'm getting enough sugar tonight. Haha!

Now, it isn't exactly the right time of day, but onto them slappy cakes! You get to choose your batter, which you get a 8 oz. bottle of, and any fixins and toppings you want! They have a couple of recommended combinations, but we strayed from there and went for a very delicious road less traveled.

Buttermilk Batter, P225.00
Chocolate Chips, P45.00
Bacon, P80.00

Chocolate and bacon. Ain't that beautiful? We didn't order any additional syrup because they already have complimentary plain and Mango syrup. Alvie preferred the safer plain syrup, but I liked Mango because it had more of a kick!

The batter was a lot for both of us, and so were the fixins! I think next time, one topping for one batter would be a better ratio, because our pancakes became really messy due to the abundance of chocolate and bacon. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing... 

The nice Mr. Waiter dude explained the process and even gave us a tutorial. I guess they didn't trust us to harmlessly make pancakes. Haha.

I'm not sure we listened very attentively because our own attempts weren't nearly as neat.

Check out these fun Vine videos of our messy misadventures:

With the batter, we got to make about 7 or 8 pancakes, so we were actually quite full at the end of it. We got to play around with several designs, too.

We got our new Facebook page profile picture out of it!

This brown heart is literally bursting with melted chocolate.

Do you want to know the best part about having too much bacon and chocolate? Inside our pancakes we found an excess of: Chocolate. Bacon. Sisig.

This was as delicious as it looks and as decadent as it sounds.

We underestimated how stuffed we'd be after the pancakes and had another order that night. Well, at least we got to take a rest from all the pancake-making. :)

Chicken Tocino Tociyes, P250.00

Pork or chicken, yes or no?
Slappy Cakes is a franchise from the US, but they also have a line of Filipino breakfasts ready to handle any craving. The eggs weren't salty, which I liked. The salsa was alright, and so was the chicken tocino. The rice was very garlicky flavorful, but had the texture of old rice. Overall, it was good but for the price, I am definitely going for pancakes instead next time, since the portion is much bigger.

Verdict:
Overflowing Coffee: Okay
Buttermilk, Chocolate Chips, Bacon pancakes: Good (Chocolate Bacon Sisig: Great!)
Chicken Tocino Tociyes: Good

Menu:
Pancakes | Plates & Entrees, Desserts | Drinks

We ordered much more than we should have, but we had a great time! As you will see on the menu, they have a wide variety for the pancakes so I can't wait to go back and try the rest. I'm eyeing Whole Grain batter with Salted Duck Egg for next time (You read that right!).

Move over, Pancake House and IHOP! You know who's the best new pancake maker in town? ME! And I can do all my handiwork at Slappy Cakes!

Love Slappy Cakes? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!

SLAPPY CAKES
G/F Eastwood Mall Open Park, Quezon City
(02) 909-3501
Operating Hours: 7:00 am - 12:00 mn
Website: www.slappycakes.com.ph
Facebook: Slappy Cakes Philippines

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