The Lobby at Acacia.

T and I don't really formally celebrate monthsaries (except for our 50th golden anniversary in Cru) but it just so happened that our February monthsary fell on a Sunday. So after hearing mass, we headed to the newest hotel in Alabang --- Acacia Hotel.




Goofing during the short elevator ride from the basement parking area.




The elevator opens up to this eye-catching wall structure.




To the left is the reception area.




And to the right is the dining area called The Lobby.

From morning until midnight, the hotel’s lobby provides the perfect place to meet, dine and relax. Whether for business or pleasure, enjoy an all day dining menu and a wide range of beverage choices that includes top of the line coffee and wines. The chic interior is bound to be a conversational piece.

I love how the area is designed. There are patterns everywhere but it all mixes so well.












The Lobby has two dining areas. T and I went to the area nearer the kitchen. After giving us the menu, our server gave us bread and butter. T and I love the bread!








I wanted to try their lobster bisque but it wasn't available so T and I split a bowl of Cappuccino of Roasted Pumpkin Soup garnished with crispy foie gras dumpling scented with roasted cumin cream (P240/$6) instead. We liked it!








Next, we ordered one of their best sellers, the Asian Chicken Salad which is pan roasted chicken breast with minted mango, lettuce and hobin ginger dressing (P305/$8).

When we first saw the salad, we thought there wasn't enough dressing on it (T and I like our salads with lots of dressing). But when we tasted it, we understood why. The flavors were just so rich that too much dressing would ruin the mix of flavors. This salad has become one of my favorites :)




For the main, T got the Foie Gras Burger which is black Angus beef patty with foie gras nuggets, tomato and red onion marmalade, sauteed mushrooms and greens on a brioche bun (P725/$15).




I wasn't able to taste the burger because I don't eat duck (foie gras is duck liver) but T said I should've tried it anyway since he couldn't really taste the foie gras.




The way the fries were stacked reminded us of the game Jengga :)




On the other hand, I got the Chilean Honey Glazed Sea Bass which is pan seared Chilean sea bass over crispy sushi rice cake, wasabi butter sauce and stir fried Asian vegetables (P1,115/$29).

It was heavenly! I love seabass (I ordered seabass also in Cru) and the crispy sushi rice cake was just the right companion for it.




Chocolate lovers like me and T will also love the Pot de Crème Au Chocolat with chilled orange compote (P185/$5). It's like a scoop of rich, rich chocolate on a plate of oranges.




And for those who haven't celebrated Valentines yet, the Lobby could be a good place for a date.




T and I left Acacia Hotel with full, happy tummies. It was a really nice way to end our week :)




The Lobby at Acacia
Dining Date: 5 February 2012


Acacia Hotel Manila
5400 East Asia Drive corner Commerce Avenue,
Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang,
Muntinlupa City 1781
Philippines
Telephone: (632) 720 2000 / 588 5888
Email: enquiry@acaciahotelsmanila.com
Website: http://www.acaciahotelsmanila.com

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Invisible Children and Mend Bags.

One evening, I surfed the net for foundations and the different causes they support when I came across Invisible Children.

Invisible Children is a movement seeking to end conflict in Uganda and stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers.

I mentioned in my previous post about Toms shoes how much I love 'helping others + fashion' collaborations so when T asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I asked him if he could get me a Mend bag.




Mend is one of the projects of Invisible Children.

Mend is a social enterprise geared towards facilitating financial independence and development for vulnerable women in northern Uganda.

The bags are made by former abductees from Uganda, who were forced to become soldiers or wives of rebel commanders. These women were lucky to escape but since they were once affiliated with rebels, they were ostracized in Uganda when they returned.




Since the women are treated as outcasts in their own country, Mend provides them with a livelihood program to support themselves and their families.












The bags are a reflection of each woman who made them. Each bag contains details about the seamstress' life. My bag was made by Laker Lucy.








Imprinted inside my bag is Laker Lucy's story:

At 14, Lucy was abducted by the LRA and spent years in captivity. Your purchase allows Lucy to provide a better life for two daughters, Hope and Josie.

Laker Lucy is one of Mend's newest members But after only five months after she joined, she was already awarded 'Seamstress of the Month'.


Mend: Laker Lucy from Mend on Vimeo.

Social media seems to be a good way to market causes that non-profit organizations support. There's blogging, Facebook marketing, Twitter advertising.. All of which are effective means of reaching out to the public.


Image credit: wpromote

But I think the best way is through celebrities.

Rachel Bilson and Kirsten Bell are both very vocal about their love for Mend bags. Oprah wrote about Invisible Children in her website. Bono, his wife and the owner of the brand Diesel even visited the Gulu facility in Uganda where the seamstresses make Mend bags (image credit: Mend's Facebook page).




Among the different Mend bags, I chose the Slingshot Cow Tote. According to their website:

For centuries, cows have represented wealth in Uganda. So it's no surprise that investments in cattle are among the most popular income-generating activity in which our seamstresses have chosen to invest. Cattle can be rented to neighbors for plowing during the planting season, and they provide milk to the family year-round. The particular type of cow featured on this bag is a very familiar sight to anyone who's traveled the roads of northern Uganda.

Here I am with my Mend bag and Toms shoes.




For more information on Invisible Children, visit their website at http://www.invisiblechildren.com/.

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Golden Monthsary at Cru Steakhouse.

This January we celebrate our golden monthsary! I know, I know. There's no such thing and nobody really celebrates their 50th month together. But I was just thinking.. If old married couples celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, young unmarried couples should have their own golden thing as well ;)

We were planning to have dinner in a simple cafe in Makati but when I called the place, they were about to close already. Craving for steak, T remembered this restaurant in Marriott Hotel that he wanted to try.. Cru.






When we got to Cru, the hostess informed us that their call for the last order was at 10pm (it was already 10:15pm) but she was gracious enough to ask the chef if we could still dine. And he said yes!






We love the design and feel of Cru.. Red interior, dark wood, dim lights.






This is the grill where the steaks are cooked. And these are the people who had to work a little longer that night because of us. Thank you :)






To start, our server gave us Cru's special bread (tomato, spinach and parmesan) with goat cheese and herbed butter on the side.






The bread might look small in the photo but it's big and very filling! T and I just got soup so we'd still have room for our main course. The Wild Mushroom Veliger (P340/$9) was... No words to describe it. T loved it so much!






T had the 250g Angus Rib Eye (P2,500/$60) which comes with a choice of sauce and 2 sides. For the sauce, he chose Bernaise. I only had a big bite of the steak but it was the best!






The steak also comes with 2 sides. T got Portobello Mushrooms and Potato and Onion Gratin and 2 extra orders of Black Truffle Risotto. All of the sides were heavenly.










I had the Basil Crusted Seabass with whipped potato and lemon butter sauce.






By far, I think this is one the best meals we've had! Too bad the photos do not do the dishes justice.

I wasn't really dressed for a nice dinner out because like I said, we were only planning to go to a simple cafe. But what the heck, right? Good food, great company and spontaneity... That always sounds like a good combination to me :)






Apologies for the grainy pictures. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my bag was stolen in Church (of all places) a week before Christmas so all I had during dinner was an iPhone to take photos. I'm usually fine with it but the lighting in Cru was too dim that the iPhone couldn't capture the images well.


Cru Steakhouse
Dining Date: 5 January 2012

Marriott Hotel
10 Newport Boulevard
Newport City Complex
Pasay City
Philippines

Tel No.: (632) 988-9999

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What's New In Town?

Alabang Town Center. ATC or Corte de las Palmas to most, town to those who live in the area. My favorite mall in the Philippines even if it houses only a few stores compared to other malls. Where people wear maxi dresses or shorts and Havaianas even when it's raining, where people use totes instead of their Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga or Hermes bags. The keyword is LAIDBACK.. And that's why we love it!

I've seen it back when it was still known as Twin Cinemas (those who stayed in Alabang since the 90's can relate to this) until it became Alabang Town Center or Corte de las Palmas. And now, after almost a decade, town finally expanded!




They're constructing new restaurants outside including one of my favorite restaurants in the US.. P.F. Changs!








Just a few days ago, I was thinking that it would be great to have a Muji store near my house and tada! Wish granted!








This is the new wing.




More stores on the second floor.




We finally have Kiehl's, too!




More stores and restaurants are opening in the next month. Excited.









There are only 2 new restaurants that opened this week. Bon Chon..




And Crisostomo..




T didn't really feel like eating in Bon Chon, with the crowd and all, so we went to Crisostomo. Crisostomo serves the usual Filipino fare but with Spanish, American, and Japanese twists.












Instead of S for Salt and P for Pepper, they have S for Suka (vinegar), T for Toyo (soy sauce) and P for Patis (fish sauce).




Crisostomo has different types of iced tea: Lemon, Pandan, Tamarind and Calamansi Malunggay (sugar-free). T got the Lemon iced tea while I got the Calamansi Malunggay.




For starters, we ordered the Mang Pablo (P325/$9), which is crispy beef tapa. It's like bacon, Filipino style. A must try!




For our main, we got the Legazpi (P495/$12), which is tempura-style prawns with Laing inside and served with crab fat sauce on the side. I'm not really fond of Laing, a spicy and creamy local dish of taro leaves, but I really liked it.




Another main we ordered is Binagoongan ni Pia (P295/$7) which is crispy pork binangoongan. Another yummy dish.




And finally for our rice we ordered the Taba ng Talangka rice (P275/$7), which is rice cooked in crab fat.




Overall, we liked Crisostomo. It's just a little bit cramped (too many tables, too little space) but the food is really good! Definitely value for your money.

And I like how they pay attention to little details. See how they gave back our change.








Crisostomo
Dining Date: 12 January 2012

Alabang Town Center
New Wing
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Philippines

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