Casa Verde, UP Town Center, Diliman

Casa Verde, UP Town Center

Diliman, Quezon City

Appetizer Sampler / Php 292.86

Baby Back Ribs ? Php 223.21

Shrimps Dish / Php 221.43

Bliss O'Berry / Php 221.43

***

We were at the UP Town Center again and tried 

this restaurant located at the second floor.  At first,

I thought it was a branch of the restaurant inside 

the UP Campus.  When I asked the servers, they didn't 

even know the restaurant that I was referring to.

I should have read blogs about Casa Verde before going.

At 430 in the afternoon, the restaurant was almost full.

So, we were seated in the middle and the pretty 

waitress promised to transfer us to a booth once 

it is vacated and cleaned, but the other waiter was quicker

and led these new clients to the booth. Oh gee..

Whenever I go to a new restaurant, I always get their

platters or samplers. So I get to taste more of their

appetizers.  Their appetizers needed more seasoning, 

that means, a little more salt for me.  That's just me, okay?

Casa Verde is known for their huge (half) slab of baby

 back barbecue ribs.  Son got the ribs and couldn't finish it.   

Casa Verde is also known for their Milky Way,

which is this huge milk shake.  The two girls, who got 'our'

booth, ordered this tower "almost 18-inches".  I just

don't remember if the girls consumed the entire thing.

Son didn't want me to get it. He said, "Mom, 

you're just going to let me finish THAT!

... and we can't even take the leftover milkshake home!

I can't have a meal without something sweet.

I got the Bliss O'Berry Cake, a home made ice cream based

 cheesecake paired with strawberry compote.

Oh, it's a cheesecake, my favorite! and there are strawberries 

on top. I was excited.  When the 'cake' arrived,

it was an ice cream cake, similar to the ones I get at

DQ.  Son said, "Mom, did you read the menu?"

I did... I guess I ignored some words... like home made

ice cream and only read cheesecake.  .....

Shall I go back to this restaurant?

I'd probably go one of these days, or tomorrow.

It's hot and humid and ....

I really really want to try that Milky Way TOWER!

********

"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

This line was made famous by J. Wellington Wimpy,

or Wimpy, for short.  A character from the 

comic strip / cartoon series, Popeye.

Really catchy title for my blog post on hamburgers.

***

Zark's Tombstone, Php 550

Been wanting to taste this burger for years.

Finally, they have branches in Eastwood City 

and in Katipunan Road. We went to their Eastwood branch.

Four adults shared this burger.  Only two of them

finished their burgers.  The other two gave up after

eating half.  The kids said it tasted like Burger King's hamburgers. 

***

8 Cuts Burgers,  at the 2nd Floor of the UP Town Center,

Diliman, Quezon City

8 Cuts  is a sister company of the Burger Bar.

I like their burgers better than Zark's.

The burger patties do not have extenders in them

like onions, flour, bread crumbs or eggs.

However, their dressing was very sweet, so,

I had to scrape them off .   I prefer to just

put mustard on my burgers.  Whenever I order 

McDonald's Cheeseburger, I almost always

request them to remove the dressing and the pickles.

I just want a plain cheeseburger. That way, 

you really get to savor the meat and cheese.

***

Wendy's Baconator

The Son finally got to eat this Baconator from Wendy's

while we waited for the Cebu Pacific Counter at 

Terminal 3 to open.  (We were on our way to Seoul.)

I wish Wendy's will open more branches or at least

deliver in our area. (Their Cubao branch used to deliver.)

We love Wendy's!!!

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a Wendy's hamburger today.

***

Easter 2014

Merienda Cena on Easter Sunday

Bought the flowers from a nearby 'park'.

Balut & Itlog na Maalat from my neighbor.

No more Easter egg hunting for the children.

They are all  far too old for this activity.

***

Pink plates given by my niece Dr. Maria.

She even hand carried these cute pink plates

from Okinawa to Seoul,  where we spent the first

 few days of spring. Thanks so much dear :)

***

Our simple merienda cena.

Pancit Canton

Rocha's Puto

Tacos

Roast BBQ Chicken

Pork BBQ

Lapid's Cocktail Chicharon

Rellenong Bangus

***

Gulaman at Sago 

***

Red & Green Velvet Cake baked by James

***

Chocolate Bundt Cake by Rosalie

Brownies by Rosalie

Truffles Chocolate Fondue

DQ's Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Fresh Fruits

Our dessert spread !!!

***

Balloons for three little girls & Khryzt

***

Maundy Thursday, April 2014

Quiapo Church

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene

located in the district of Quiapo, 

in the City of Manila

***

My dear friend Attorney Susie and I went to Quiapo Church

this morning.  I've been to this church once, a long long time ago.

But I still made three wishes. 

We followed these people, a lot of people, were in line. 

I thought it was the entrance to the Church.

I asked, "Bakit po may pila?".

Para daw magpunas ng panyo sa Paa ng Nazareno.

No wonder vendors were telling us to buy

these maroon hankies.

I heard a camera click behind me. Hmmmm...

the attorney took a photo of the altar.

So, I grabbed my phone and quickly snapped

this photo. Naku... nahuli ako!

"Miss bawal ho magpicture."

Huh ?  ay...  I'm sorry.

***

After Quiapo Church, we went to the Manila Cathedral.

We had to park like several blocks away from the cathedral.

There were more people here. They had tarpaulins, banners

and there was even a drum and bugle corps or something.

It was very festive! Parang hindi Holy Week or Maundy Thursday.

Attorney Susie said there was a Chrism Mass.

Ano ba yung Chrism Mass? 

Chrism Mass

***

Then the priests came out of the Cathedral ... 

The people started clapping, more drum rolls were heard

and then they blew up the confetti cannons.

Ang saya saya naman!

***

Pls read the link below. Holy Chrism Mass

Homily of Pope Francis

Happy Priests Day

Inside the Cathedral

The Manila Cathedral

The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, informally known as the Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica located inManila, Philippines, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines. The cathedral serves as the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle.

Located at Plaza de Roma in the Intramuros district of Manila, the cathedral was originally a parish church owned and governed by the diocese of Mexico in 1571, until it became a separate diocese on February 6, 1579 upon the issuance of a Papal bull Illius Fulti Praesido by Pope Gregory XIII.^[1]

Manila Cathedral Wikipedia

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I made the same three wishes at the Cathedral.

Street Food beside the Manila Cathedral

Indian Mangoes & Lanzones in April?

These are the sweetest lanzones EVER!

Php 100 a kilo. I got 1.5 kilos only.

Mabigat magbitbit eh. 

Inihaw na Mais / Sweet Corn.. YUMMY!

My favorite ... Turon & Banana Q

May fried lapulapu pa... and lots of other foods

but I wasn't able to take photos. 

They have chairs and tables. Food served on paper plates

placed on top of some native 'reusable' woven plate.

Not sure how they are called.

Probably sweet & sour sauce for the fried lapulapu.

***

NUTS

More sweet corn & Dried Squid

I asked the Attorney if she wanted to eat the dried squid,

eh ayaw...  sige na nga, next time na lang! hehehe

.. and they even sell multi colored hats!

Lovely!!!

***