Leslie's Restaurant at Tagaytay City, Philippines

Summer is ending and the rainy season has begun. There's still much to talk about though. I last posted about Tagaytay and the amazing view of Taal. Now, I'm back with Leslie's.

The view of Taal Volcano at Leslie's Restaurant was breathtaking.

In fact, a number of tourists have posed along the center to get a better picture with the Taal Volcano in the background.

Leslie's Restaurant in Tagaytay showcasing their Palawan branch.

When we got to Tagaytay, this was the restaurant we decided to eat at. The food.... it was scrumptious.

Extremely Crunchy!

If you're into pork and meaty orders, you should definitely try their Lechon Kawali and Bulalo.

As I mentioned in a previous post, it was TO DIE FOR. The Bulalo's soup was rich in flavor and very tasty. We even asked for a second soup serving because it was that good. Heck, we took it home!

Veggies, anyone?

Okay, so I'm not a big fan of veggies when I can enjoy meaty goodness. This dish shouts classic Filipino.

Before I end this post, I'd like to mention that their shakes aren't the best. The Blended Iced Tea was extremely sweet and it's not a house blend (*cough* Nestea). My nieces joked that their Chocolate Shake tasted like Sustagen and it wasn't worth the 200+ php we paid it with. You're better off with ordering softdrinks.

Leslie's Restaurant at Tagaytay

Finally, once you're done enjoying a hearty meal, there are artfully landscaped areas to take those pictures with. Just be aware that you're full and those bulging bellies might noticeably show... or perhaps the chunk of cash you just paid for your meal will offset the balance. Meaning? It's definitely not a cheap restaurant to eat at.

Still, if you enjoy good food, then consider Leslie's. It' s definitely a great restaurant to eat at in Tagaytay.

Bottom line: GREAT TASTING FOOD,  PREMIUM VIEW, not so satisfactory shakes, pricey menu.

Leslie's Restaurant is located at Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Crossing West, Tagaytay City.
Telephone No. (046) 483-4271.
Email: lesliesrestaurant1@yahoo.com.ph

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Textile, Clothing and Accessories Shop: VC Trading at Farmer's Plaza, Cubao, Quezon City

VC Trading can be found at Farmer's Plaza. It's directly beside the Caritas Health Shield Clinic.

Here's my lucky find of the week... a shop of cloth, fabric, buttons, pins, needles, threads, crochet yarns, felt cloth and lots more.

Had we known VC Trading had this many colors to choose from, we wouldn't have needed to spend countless hours searching for it in malls. The price per half a yard is 60 php.

Back when my nieces had projects involving the use of felt clothes, we spent so much time looking for specific colors for their stuffed works.

I miss seeing textile shops with these many DMC Threads. I wasn't able to ask how much they were selling each thread for.

I also had problems trying to find a shop that sells cross stitch Aida cloth and other stuff. I was able to buy a yard of cross stitch cloth for 180 php. I forgot what the count was.... Maybe it was Count 11 or 14.

That's nowhere half the number of crochet yarn colors VC Trading at Farmer's Cubao is selling.

VC Trading has a wide selection of everything needed for textile works and projects- not to mention arts and crafts items rarely found in conventional shops.

From laces to ribbons to zippers... VC Trading is definitely my one stop shop... and I just dropped by there by accident.

So if you're looking for the place to buy textile merchandise and clothing accessories, VC Trading is a must-drop-by in Cubao. And no, I am not paid to do this post.

I don't think VC Trading's Facebook page and website are still available.

Farmer's Plaza Cubao is located beside Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City

View Larger Map

Here's a Google Map for Farmer's Plaza. If you're coming from Gateway, just cross the footbridge (or overpass) that connects the two together along Araneta Center.

Some uniform colors and more to choose from.

I was hoping to have cutesy pajamas sewn for me but their cotton clothing cost 150 per yard. It had vibrant colors and adorable animal designs.

I couldn't resist buying some of their bear patches (18 php- 20 php). I love having them sewn on my pants.

This reminds me of a time back when I was in college. I had been wearing one of my favorite pants for more than a decade. After having been used by my brother, it had giant holes that sewing them up was hopeless. So what I did was buy a lot of bear patches and have it sewn on my pants. LOL. It was funny how people would stare at me thinking I had this crazy fashion sense (or perhaps I did).

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Pepper Lunch: One of the Best Sizzlers in Town

 This Large Pepper Lunch logo is located at Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA corner, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.

The reason why I am posting about Pepper Lunch is because I LOVE their sizzlers! Sure, I may have gotten minor burns from their hot plate, but it's definitely worth it.

Note to self, control hunger and exercise caution while mixing said delicious ingredients on hot plate.

Interesting enough, we found the Pepper Lunch menus having different labels for each dish ( Gateway Cubao & Shangri-La Plaza).

The Beef Pepper Rice with Curry was something I had to try twice. Drizzle it with a little sauce, mix it in the hot plate and you're good to go. I prefer the one with Curry because of the mozzarella cheese.

This Pepper Lunch is located in Gateway's food court. While I order some Iced Tea Biggies, my sister makes her way to Pepper Lunch to get those sizzlers cooking.

For convenience sake, we often stop by this one in Gateway. However, the Pepper Lunch located in Shangri-La Plaza had a more inviting ambiance.

As you could see, the Pepper Lunch at Shangri-La has a wider serving and eating area. 

Pepper Lunch meals can cost between 145 php to 278 php. Our personal favorite, Beef Pepper Rice, is at 145 php. Just add 45 php to upsize (30% more) your Pepper Rice. (Refernce: Pepper Lunch Gateway price list).

Here's one last picture of the Pepper Rice restaurant in Shangri-La Plaza. As you could see, warm hues light up the place with a certain glow.

Bottom line...

1) Interesting food preparation process

2) Delicious sizzling orders

3) Affordable

So, if you're dropping by Gateway or taking a stroll in Shangri-La, consider trying Pepper Lunch's Beef Pepper Rice.

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Summer in the Philippines: Taal Volcano at Tagaytay

Summer Time in the Philippines!!!

Early this April, we decided to go to Tagaytay to have lunch with the family. We ended up eating at Leslie's Restaurant at Tagaytay, Cavite.

Here's a picture of the Taal Volcano taken from Leslie's Restaurant's view point.

My top food picks for Leslie's would definitely include their great tasting Bulalo which was to die for (and I mean to die for because of its rich taste and beefy goodness).

The view of Taal at Leslie's was beautiful. Here's another taken from a different angle.

You don't exactly need a good camera to take great pictures of Taal. This one was taken with  my Cherry Mobile Flare. 

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Pet Express at SM City Masinag

I think I've made it a point to visit every freaking Pet Express located in Manila. Last time, I mentioned about our trip to SM Pet Express Cubao and Pet Express at SM City MOA.

This Pet Express is located SM City Masinag.

A month ago, I went to Pet Express in SM City Masinag. I didn't take that many pictures since my camera was unreliable (*cough* Cherry Mobile Flare). I just went there to buy Frontline. And let me just tell you one thing about Frontline, it didn't work for my pack!

SM City Masinag's Pet Express offers a nice selection of cat and dog food and water bowls to choose from. 

One more eye-catching aisle that stood out from the rest was their leash and collar section. They also had cheap collars that sell for as low as 49 php. Still, given the convenience of the place, you can't really expect Pet Express to have the cheapest prices for every particular item.

This particular Pet Express is located at the ground floor of SM City Masinag across the parking lot area. SM City Masinag is along Marcos Highway, Antipolo City, Philippines.

Pet Express SM City Masinag Contact Number: 477-8659

Note: This post might be subject to grammatical revisions due to me being too hungry to concentrate on correcting it.

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University of Santo Tomas: Commuting, Sights and Landmarks

 University of Sto. Tomas Quadricentennial Fountain

University of Sto. Tomas is one of the "big 5" schools here in the Philippines. Call it Ivy League if you prefer. The campus itself is historical. Built in 1611, it's one of the oldest and largest universities in the Philippines.

Here's the front portion outside the UST Main Building

Anyway, enough the information that's easily searchable through Wikipedia and more of the UST campus' pictures.

One of the stone carvings around the Benavides Monument

Enrollment for UST's SY 2013-2014 has begun recently. The main building was bustling with mothers and new students who were waiting to try on their new PE and school uniforms. Others guests, parents and visitors waited for their new Thomasians in the University of Sto. Tomas covered court where a big poster of how to proceed with the enrollment was hung.

Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas Main Building

Commuting from areas such as Marikina, Cubao, and Katipunan can roughly take about 1-1.5 hours, depending on how far you'll be coming from and how heavy the traffic is.

To commute from Marikina (since this is the farthest of the three mentioned above), here's what you'll have to do:

1. Ride a Jeepney that passes through the LRT Katipunan Station (LRT 2: Santolan to Recto).

2. From Katipunan (or Santolan) Station,  ride the LRT to Legarda Station.

3. Directly outside the Legarda Station, you will find tricycles waiting for passengers to UST. During the first day of summer, they charge 20 php/ head. On school days, it's only 10 php/head.

4. You'll be dropped on the road side across UST, either take the overpass or cross the pedestrian to reach your destination.

Benavides Monument in the UST grounds.

The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas is located at Espana Blvd, Manila 1008, Philippines.

For admissions, you may contact the following numbers +632-406-1611 local 8276 or +63-917-815-6323. Look for Chona or Janet.

Or you can drop by their website at http://www.ust.edu.ph/

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