Delicious Japanese at Izakaya Kikufuji

Despite the fact that Little Tokyo is walking distance from where I live, a few nights ago was my first time eating in one of its restaurant. Out of random picking, we ended up dining at Izakaya Kikufuji.

I was surprised by the dinner ambiance. The staff were wearing kimonos. There was a bar smacked in the middle of the restaurant with live seafood. Traditional Japanese tables where one sits on the floor, instead of sitting on a chair, are on one side of the establishment. 

I guess the crowd goes here to drink. Kikufuji’s patriots are used to hearty laughter and talking loudly while enjoying a bottle of sake. The restaurant even has cabinets of unfinished bottles so customers can come back and use the same upon return. Everyone who eats here is assumed to understand Japanese for the restaurant does not have menu in English descriptions.

For appetizers, we ordered the Tuna Sashimi (Php 220) or Maguro in their menu. The slices of tuna were fresh. It crumbles a little bit when eaten but there was not a hint of fishy taste. I was also informed by Tales that the restaurant offers different tuna sashimi grades. Now that is something to come back for.

The California Maki (Php 220) came in 8 pieces, which I believe is good for the price. The maki had a little too much rice wrapped around in proportion to the mango and kani. As for the taste, it was really good. The excessive amount of fish roe was great for the texture and the flavour.

I had Tempura Soba (Php 305). I love brown noodles so I figured to order this. It comes with a piece of tempura shrimp, tempura fish and on or two tempura eggplant. I can skip the tempura and order the plain soba (Php 190). The soup tasted great. It was cooked with the right sweetness and fine soup pulp (if that is the correct term). The noodle was not mushy. If the term “al dente” is an appropriate adjective for a Japanese dish, then the noodle was that.

Izakaya Kikufuji’s Gyudon (Php 300) was composed of thin beef, sotanghon noodle, and rice topped with sauce. The beef was thinly sliced, easy on the mouth although it came with a bit of fat. The noodle was good, it was not soggy and resisting when bitten. The rice was soft. The over-all taste was a little sweet with a slight herb-y taste I can’t quite determine. But think of this dish as a soup less Sukiyaki with rice, get the idea?

Because someone loves bacon (I think he’ll marry it if he can), the Enoki Bacon (Php 52 / stick) made its way to our table. It is thin mushrooms wrapped in bacon with an option to dip in Terriyaki sauce. It was a mouthful to chew but quite good. I would prefer it to be less salty. This is a great food to munch on to.

The menu does not offer dessert, so we asked. They offer green tea ice cream (Php 90) which I did not get to try because for every Php 500 spent, you can get a free iced coffee. It was good enough dessert for me. It tasted similarly to the iced coffee powder being sold by Nescafe but I really don’t mind.

If you find yourself in the area, this maybe one of the best places to go. I can’t wait to go back and try the tamago stuff.

Izakaya Kikufuji

2277 Pasong Tamo Makati City

(63 2) 8937319; (63 2) 8936131

Wild Ginger

This is one of the restaurants in Rockwell we frequent. They serve a mix of different Asian cuisines such as Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian and Filipino. The casual atmosphere makes the place homey and un-intimidating. In fact, it is a place where I often see families bond and enjoy their meals.

We usually order the following:

For appetizer, ordering Roti Prata with Curry Dipping Sauce (Php 120) is the best bet. It consisted of around eight small slices of roti, or Indian bread, something similar to a lumpia wrapper, only a bit thicker and the combination of spices in the dip. I would like to think that my taste buds are used to curry so I do appreciate the flavour.

For the main dish, my usual would be their Hainanese Chicken (Php 265). The chicken they serve is half of a whole. For the serving, the price justifies it very much. The chicken was moist and very tasty. It was not as salty and oily as that of Wee Nam Kee and I think I prefer this than the other. The sauces were your usual soy sauce, chili sauce and mashed ginger. The rice was far from being oily but was really flavourful, enhanced by the chicken soup provided, ah, eating this dish for me was bliss.

Another staple on our table is Beef Rendang (Php 245). It is an Indonesian style beef stew that is both exotic and familiar. I cannot quite describe it except that it is really good with rice. It was very tasty. The serving is good for one and does not come with rice, so it is best to order a separate one.

It was only last week that I learned about Adobo and Monggo being a combination, like how Dinuguan and puto are a perfect match as well. These are all Filipino food. Wild Ginger’s version of adobo is called Spicy Pork and Chicken Adobo (Php 190). I am not a fan of different kinds of meat combined in one dish but I tasted a little bit of this one. I did not really get the spicy part because it was not. The pork and chicken were fried before being cooked incorporating adobo ingredients. Both were very tasty and if I did not have issues of meat combining in one dish, I would gladly order this. The Monggo with Malunggay (Php 75) (also known as mung bean stew) on the other hand was a surprise to me. I was forced to eat this as a child but my Mom, for the life of her, cannot cook. So I was left with an impression that monggo does not taste good, until this night. It tasted great. I especially love the texture, a slight roughness feel smoothened by the soup to allow for easy consumption, I am guessing.

For drinks, I usually order their cold soya milk (Php 50) because I do love soya stuff. It comes in a bottle and no, I still haven’t checked (and do not know) if this is being sold in the groceries. I like it so I order it anyway.

The service here is usually efficient and good, but probably when the place is full, like this one particular night, they are caught a little bit off-guard that I feel like they lack people to serve the meals. But they are all friendly and accommodating.

Wild Ginger

G/F Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center

Hidalgo corner Estrella St. Makati City

(63 2) 8981859

Milk Tea Invasion by BubbaTeaLicious

Hi, I’m Kristel, and I'm a milk tea addict.

S dragged me to half of the entire Mall of Asia because we are both addicted to really good milk teas. I’d like to believe that his addiction started during the Taipei trip, mine however, I go way back with milk teas.

It was my first time in Hong Kong when I tasted one. This was already after the boom of Zagu and Quickly but never did I like milk teas from them (maybe because it was powdered). I loved that Hong Kong has milk teas in each and every restaurant. I would always have one (or three) everyday whenever I’m on vacation there.

It was just surprising to me that even if I grew up in Manila’s Chinatown, I never found a milk tea I like. It was hard to look for a restaurant that actually serves one. I found milk tea in Wai Ying, by the way, but milk teas made in Hong Kong were still better.

A few weeks ago, I did not know I was off to find out that Taiwan is the milk tea capital of the world (yes, that declaration was all made up by me :P). There was milk tea in every corner we went, including on the ground floor of our hotel, just less than 20 steps. All of what we tasted was really really really good (have I made enough emphasis?).

Slowly, this invasion is happening to Manila which is very good news to those who love milk tea already, and an opportunity for those who are unfamiliar to know (and love) the drink. There are several names already but BubbaTeaLicious is the first one I have tried.

I ordered one large Royal Milk Tea. At Php 50 for the largest size, I think it was priced really well. BubbaTeaLicious claims that they use the real tea in making their drink which was very evident. However, I am not sure if the teas are freshly made because they had a whole liter of it ready to be converted into a milk tea. This is not how they do it in Taiwan (because they make the tea for each and every order), but I do understand why. As for the taste of the (red) tea, it was really good. I would prefer for the taste of the tea to be stronger and I wonder if the tea were freshly brewed, would it make a difference? Or maybe they can improve on the portion that they put in each order. 

The tapioca, or what is referred to as “bubbles”, was soft and sweet. Just the way it should be for milk teas. I had to ask if I can control the amount of sweetness to be done in my drink, but the staff said yes. I had mine with half syrup only.

For me, it is well worth the price buying one for cravings (and addiction). I actually wish they can put one in Makati with the same price but I know how rent can kill small establishments. BubbaTeaLicious also offers a ton of other things which include fruit shakes and fruit tea drinks. People should really give this a try.

BubbaTeaLicious Pearl Milk Tea Place

2/f North Mall of Asia (beside Potato Corner)

Pasay City

Hainanese Chicken at Wee Nam Kee

Since the opening of Wee Nam Kee, I never saw this establishment without a line. I keep on telling myself I’ll try their Hainanese chicken when the hype dies down but I found myself lining up, during one December night, just for a take-out. Only because I was really hungry that I thought by the time I got to the place I was supposed to go, I wanted to be eating right away. Also, I figured, it would be faster to order to-go instead of painfully waiting in line just to get a table.

I asked the person who receives guests how many minutes will it take for me to get my order, and she said 20-25 minutes. I was taken aback a bit but I expected it as well. So I ordered anyway.

I ordered two personal sets; one was roast chicken rice set, the other was steamed chicken rice set which cost Php 168 each. The set was consisted of a cup of Hainanese rice, a serving of Hainanese chicken (with cucumbers under it) and condiments (that include soy sauce – which was thicker than usual, ginger – probably mashed for it to be spread easily and red chili sauce – which wasn’t so spicy that will cause the throat to hurt but still enough to give the food a kick). 

Roast Chicken Rice Set

The rice was really flavourful, obviously from the stock of chicken it was cooked from. It was also soft. The chicken I found a bit too tiny in portion but was really good. It was tender, a hint of saltiness and flavourful. Honestly, I did not distinguish the difference between the roast chicken and the steamed chicken except for the crisper looking skin (for the roast). This is probably because I do not eat chicken skin so much and I don’t remember tasting the skin of both sets. But in any case, they were both really delicious.

Steamed Chicken Rice Set

As stated in their menu, all personal sets come with soup, which sadly, mine didn’t. I forgot to ask for it and by the time I realized I didn’t get the soup, I was already not in the area. What was sadder is that Wee Nam Kee charged me 5% for service even if I had the food to-go. I actually asked on why it was so, but failed to get a decent answer. It is not actually the cost (because as it can be seen, it was less than Php 20), but the principle. I did not want to make a big deal out of it because I was too tired that time but personally, I don’t think establishments in general should impose service charge for take-out food. 

In all fairness, my order came before 20 minutes. I think the reception person was just managing people’s expectations which she should be applaud upon. But I do hope the establishment re-thinks imposing service charge for take out orders.

Wee Nam Kee
No. 8 Rest of Ayala Triangle Ayala Triangle Garden
(Makati Avenue, Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas) Makati City
(63 2) 8468925 / (63 2) 8468924

Pastries at Lartizan

Lartizan is a bakeshop that is located inside Mickey’s Delicatessen. I’m not so sure if the two has the same owner because purchasing something from Lartizan would require paying to cash register separate from Mickey’s. There were so many baked goods on display that I wanted to try, but then again, I had to control myself and think of which I can only finish before they expire. Anyway, I can come back the next time around. 

I took home the following:

Tuna turnover (Php 60) – the bread, as expected was flakey, so it was quite a mess to eat but it was soft. The tuna filling was flavourful. I maybe biased because I generally love tuna but just take it from me, this one was delicious.

Almond Croissant (Php 80) - anything that has the word “almonds” on its name always make me stop and take a second look. The bread was soft and buttery. The generous topping of almond was a beautiful garnish, not to mention tasty. The filling looked sweet and heavy but it wasn’t, it was actually good.

Pan Au Chocolat (Php 60) - from the history of my posts, by now it’s obvious that I love chocolates. That is also my reason of why I got this one. The soft bread and generous amount of slightly bittersweet chocolates taken all in a bite is just one of my life’s simple pleasures. 

No Crust Whole Wheat Bread (Php 75) – I remove the sides of sliced breads whenever I eat one. This product is then for me. For ten slices in a pack, these no-crust soft breads are a joy to eat.

Espresso Chocolate Chips Cookie (Php 50) – this was saved for dessert. The word “chocolate” got to me again and I have always liked the combination of coffee and chocolate. The cookie’s texture and feel in the mouth was almost like eating a crinkle. It had lots of chocolate chips but I did not quite taste the coffee in it. It’s fine thought because it was good. So good that we had two more cookies to go.

Lartizan

114 Jupiter corner Orbit Street

Bel-air Village 2, Makati City

(63 2) 8971553

Comfort Food at Mickey’s

I have been eating here since forever and for some reason, I always did not have my camera with me. Not even a point and shoot one at that. I was always with just my camera phone which produces photos not worthy of displaying. 

Last time I was here, finally, I had my trusty Sony T10 with me. The only problem was, it was about to die. The batteries were running out soon and I really wanted to give myself a really nice kick, but I couldn’t (that and I’m afraid of the pain). 

Anyhow, I managed to take photos on what was left of my camera’s battery. That was such a great thing because without which, I couldn’t do this post.

This is arguably one of the best Quattro Formaggio pizzas there is. The pizza is served straight from the oven. The bread is amazing. I don’t usually eat the crust of pizzas but this one, I cannot say pass. It is leaning on the thin side but the crust sure is rich. The bread is soft, hot, and a delight to chew on. There are generous servings of the cheeses on it, I don’t know how to identify them one by one but they are all delicious. At Php 660, I think it is priced pretty steeply considering the dough is just an oversized ciabatta bread. But because it has this melt-in-your-mouth kind of thing going on, I tend to give in each and every time. 

The Nurnberger Pork Sausages is another staple on the table each time we eat here. They are very tender, flavourful, a bit peppery but really good. It is served with Sauerkraut or warm Bavarian potato salad so as for the one eating not to tire of the taste. I like the contrast of the potato but the Sauerkraut takes getting used to (think of it as atchara, which I am not really fond of). The price has increased through the years and now, 6 pieces would cost Php 480 (8pcs – Php 580, 10 pcs – Php 680). 

It’s actually a deli and looking around is always what I like to do. They offer a lot of choices and for the kitchen whiz, I suggest buying the uncooked Nurnberger Pork Sausages which I think is more economical. The open kitchen also is an entertaining this to see. 

I think the customers here are pretty regular. Not that I eat here that often, but everyone always seems to be comfortable in this establishment. The lingering scent of bread baking from the bakery, also housed by Mickey’s and which I will blog about next, is making the entire atmosphere homey and relaxed. 

Mickey’s Delicatessen
114 Jupiter corner Orbit Street
Bel-air 2 Village, Makati City
(63 2) 8979650; (63 2) 8991440; (63 2) 8979963
Mondays-Thursday, Sundays 7am-11pm
Fridays & Saturdays 7am-12mn

The Establishment

It was an event that I attended last December when I found myself going inside The Establishment. I heard good things about the ambiance of this place so I was psyched to discover that I am going to finally see what everyone was talking about. A reception greeted us and pointed us to our right when we asked where the event was being held. 

Pretty walls and attractive lighting welcomed us as we made our way to our table. The place was chic and I especially loved the non-descript location of the DJ’s booth. 

The Establishment, as I know, is a restaurant-bar. It is marketed as high-end and is often a venue for events attended by known personalities. I, however, was just a happy attendee who got to try the following food below.

 

Tuna Bella Tataki with 9 Spice Aiolli – the tuna was fresh and flavourful. The sesame seeds on top added a nice texture. The greens were fresh and the sour vinaigrette was pretty good. 

Establishment’s Mixed Mushroom Soup – the soup was a little bland for my taste except when I chanced some mushrooms along with it. I know it could be better though. I had to send it back because it was not hot (nor warm) anymore when I had it. Maybe it was sitting on their counter before they served to all the guests. 

US Angus Beef Tenderloin Miso Zuke – now this piece of meat was delicious. It was very tender and far from being overcooked. It was marinated in some sort of barbecue sauce that tasted like a very delicious teriyaki. I was happy with this dish except for the almost bite-size serving. 

Carbonara – the pasta was not on the list of courses that night so the organizers probably ordered this last minute. We were actually giggling because my brother was talking about how “cute” the tenderloin was and he was seated beside the CEO of the company. He was crazy, I know. The carbonara was okay.

Pistachio de Lupe – this one was forgettable but sure evened out my palette as it was with no strong taste. The topping was unusual but it was quite far from being pleasant to the taste. 

Generally, the serving was quite tiny, certainly won’t fulfil a heavy eater. But this was expected from upscale restaurants like this. However, upscale restaurants also make it a point for you to forget that fact by amazing you with really good flavourful food, which sadly, I was not quite satisfied (except for the tenderloin). 

The service staff were friendly and polite but for a place such as this, I expected the waiters to be top notch. I was asking if the iced tea they were offering was brewed or powdered and the waiter did not seem to know what to make of my question. He had to go in the kitchen and ask (it was powdered and for a bar, I don’t think that’s wise). 

My sister was also asking for more focaccia bread they were serving while our meal has not started yet. We repeatedly ask (more than five times, mind you). It was very frustrating. I’m not sure whether they were scrimping or it happened that the baking took time. When what we asked for finally arrived and consumed, we asked for more in the middle of our meal (as our first request arrived during the time we were having soup). Alas, after many follow-up, it never arrived. Tsk. 

I wish they would serve better next time. I’m not quite excited to go back as I can go to places with good tenderloin steaks plus really good service. Maybe I should just try this place when the set up is for a bar party.

The Establishment

Unit A, The Fort Entertainment Complex

26th Street corner 5th Avenue Bonifacio Global City Taguig

(63 2) 8446364

Riding the Waves

Each surf trip is different. After a little bit more than a year of hiatus, I was finally to go on one again.

Yep, still in La Union, San Juan to be exact. Surf Camp changed a lot since I have been. It is continuing to develop. The room’s furnishings, beds, and the bathroom changed. The room on the ground did, where we stayed, at least. It was great. The bathroom in particular is more spacious, though I would still suggest for a hot shower, it already is a big improvement. 

Even if the forecast is predicting almost flat waters, I decided to go because long weekends these days are rare to come by. Upon arriving, I peeked at the sea, and I suddenly felt excited as there were pretty 5-ft-ish waves. I figured, that might be gone soon though but since we were hungry, we hurriedly checked-in, left our stuff in the room and grabbed some lunch in, where else? Midway Grill. 

After we were stuffed, we rested a bit, lounged by the benches at Surf Camp. When the sun suddenly decided to hide, we figured, it was best to surf even if it was just 2:30 PM.. Especially that the waves were amazing; pretty wild, thick, powerful and a little scary (okay, a lot scary). Going back to the line-up was such a chore (even if I was spoiled by Jeff). Jeff was actually choosing a board for me and shouted, “yung soft-top na lang na 7”x’ ha” (“7”x’ soft-top” sorry, I can’t remember the exact measurement). I responded saying that as long as he thinks I may be able to balance it, then I’m game. He mentioned that it will be a little hard to balance but once it does, the ride is smoother and longer. 

Ride number one was funny. I refused to even stand up. Haha. I got scared. The second one was too big for me, I was tumbled in the water which gave me ample work out for the rest of the week. Ride number three, I was finally able to glide and wall a little. But the wave was a bit weak for me. The fourth until I don’t know how many, each was just pure bliss. I was surfing and walling each and every time, long ones, on a little bit lower than 5-ft waves. Had my rides been captured in video, it would be ideal to put some sound effect for background and I would be happy watching over and over again (but that is just me). 

I have no intentions of going pro (haha, as if). All I want is to be able to read the waves, catch one on my own and have long rides (short ones are okay too). So I know I have to work on my paddling skills because as I type, I have absolutely none. My arms ached like hell the next day because surfing was the most exercise my body got after a long time. Two days after, my inner thighs gave up as well. These are the “battle scars” I got for not stretching at all prior. 

This on and off affair with surfing will not end, as long as I have the energy to subject myself to an adventure and body aches, I will love to surf. But what comes after pain? Good thing I got to stay at Thunderbird Resorts again to relax.

This time, I got to play a little bit by the hotel’s beach (which has a lot of dried seaweeds by the shore, but the sand is okay, not fine but the water is clear and the texture is bearable). Also, I got to swim in the pool and drink a vanilla milkshake while in the pool. That was just awesome. The hotel’s bed soothed my aching body which worked wonders as I absolutely love their sheets. 

Vacations are always amazing. If only I have unlimited funds, I will surely go on one each and every weekend. 

Also, Thunderbird Resorts is giving away Php100,000, grand Thunderbird vacation, an iPad and Enjoy card! :) Know more about it here.

Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point
VOA Compound, Pennsylvania Avenue
San Fernando City, La Union
(63 72) 8887777 in La Union or (63 2) 8865555 Makati Office

San Juan Surf Camp
Urbiztondo Beach, San Juan, La Union
(63 72) 7200340 / fax (63 72) 2420822
+63-9178803040
sanjuansurfresort@yahoo.com

What’s in My Bag?

I have seen a lot of posts about what’s in the bag and I’ve always wanted to do one, exclusive for travel, but I never get to it because I always cram when I pack which leaves me no time to take photos of the things I bring. But, next time I fly off, I shall do that. 

For now, I just feel like posting my everyday essentials. My bag has lots of stuff but I hope you don’t get bored of the mostly generic and ancient products here. 

1. iPod Nano 4th Generation – my last was a Product RED but this one I got from Amazon. I chose it because the clickwheel is black so that it won’t get dirty easily. I’m not too attached to it anymore since I mostly use my iPod when traveling, unlike before, when I had to endure two hours of bonding with my car to get to and from work. 

2. Sennheiser CX400 – I think I got this at a discount (from Amazon again) for around US$30. This might be the best US$30 earphone there is. I had my hesitations about in-ears but this pair was surprisingly comfortable and the sound quality is really good. I just don’t share this with anyone because it grosses me out. Is it time for a pair of Ultimate Ears? Ah, wishful thinking. 

3. Nokia E63 – I’ve been a Nokia user ever since I started using a cellular phone and haven’t switched at all. But this is so due for replacement as I accidentally dropped it in a toilet bowl. I know what you are thinking but I sanitized it and revived it back to life. I still love it but I need a replacement as soon as I find a phone I really like. 

4. Sony T10 – by now, you might have realized that my favourite colour is red. I love this particular red although I’m having problems already on its auto-focus (as it won’t) and the low light quality is bothering me. It has a dimple too, did you notice? Well, I don’t know how that happened. 

5. Nokia 2760 – this is another ancient phone. My Mom bought me this that is why I can’t quite let it go. Also, I have nowhere to insert my Sun Cellular sim card in, so I’m holding on. I love that it’s flip and that it is red. It’s slowing down though but let me just stay with it for a bit. 

6. Plastic case – the case used to be in red but that is broken and I can’t find a red one anymore even if I have been to so many National Bookstores already. This is where I place my receipts, discount coupons, vouchers, charge slips, calling cards and other cards I don’t use everyday (Mabuhay Miles, Timezone, Laking National, etc.) 

7. Coach wallet – I bought this wallet when I traveled alone. I purchased this on sale in New Jersey at a really good price. I would want an Epi Leather for a wallet but there is no style that I seem to like. I want my wallets small and far from those Zippy types. Wallets tend to stay with me for a long while so I think this is it for me now. 

8. Generic leather coin purse – I bought this in one of the bazaars. It’s small, handy and black. 

9. USB – the red colour is haunting you already isn't it? This thing has been with me since college, that’s why it can only store up to 1GB worth of files. I rarely use it now but I still keep it with me all the time just in case.

10. Car key – although I rarely drive these days, I still bring my car key with me, just in case. I miss driving but I love waking up later because I don’t have to deal with the permanent traffic situation that we have going on. Haha. 

11. House keys - aside from the color red, I’m crazy about stars, thus the really cute keychain (says me). Got this from Ocean Park in Hong Kong several years ago. 

12. Omron Pedometer – I’ve always wanted to own one of these devices just to know how stationary I have been. An average person should be doing 10,000 steps a day, guess what my average number of steps is? I’ll leave that up to you. Haha. 

13. Cattleya notebook – how many times I’ve agreed with myself about buying a Moleskine notebook (that is dark red, reporter’s, small and ruled) but I just couldn’t bear to spend Php 800 to what is going to be my scratch / sketch / draft paper. The notebook is just too unreasonable to be written on or purchased in the first place. So I went with Cattleya (but don’t be surprised if I sell out one day). It’s reporter’s because I’m a lefty and spring kills the wits out of me. I use it for my notes, thoughts and drafting blogs. I’d like to think that I’m a techie enough person but I’m still a pen and paper kind of girl. 

14. Pens – As I have a notebook, I should have pens. The silver one is Cross I “borrowed” and the other one is from Muji, both are provided by the same person. Haha. 

15. CK Sunnies – I rarely buy expensive ones because I’m a fan of outlet shades shopping. One time, I got a pair of Oscar de la Renta shades for US$20! Sweet right? This pair was a gift from Mom. They are square-shaped, which I love. 

16. Buddah beads, rosary (talisman? I kid) – these were given to me by Mom. She told me to have these with me wherever so that I’ll be safe. I’m not exactly a big believer but so far, so good. 

17. Lip balm (a.k.a. petroleum jelly) – there is nothing more effective and practical than dabbing petroleum jelly to heal chapped lips. No need to buy those expensive brands. I just transfer a bit of it in this tiny container and I’m good to go. 

18. Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer – I think this was given to me by a friend from my previous job. I love Bath and Body Works products and everyone should have hand sanitizers. 

19. Elianto lip gloss – I love how this little piece of cosmetic makes my lips look polished. It’s handy, yummy, effective and cheap. 

20. Maybelline lipstick – I rarely put on make up and this one I only use when there is an impromptu dinner or meet-up and I feel like I look like trash. It subtly shimmers and it's pink, so girly but I love it. 

21. Band aid – I didn’t use to bring one (or 2) with me all the time but since I was forced to purchase a box of really expensive band aids in Hong Kong (my feet were dying), I learned to have quite a few with me. 

22. Hair comb – this pink comb couldn’t be cheaper. I remember buying it for Php 15. Everything else more expensive than that would be just plain marketing. 

23. Palladio silver eyeliner – I bought this from the last SSI sale for less than Php 200. It’s pigmented but it smudges. It’s fine though. I used to have a black one but I’m still in search for that no-smudge eyeliner pencil. 

24. Nail file – I don’t use mine to shape nails. It’s just a tool I use when something dirty makes its way in my nails and water doesn’t do the trick. 

25. Bench oil control film – the one in the photo is almost empty, thus the carton looks like it is about to throw itself to the garbage can. I love it though because I don’t like my oil film to have powder or any other chemicals in it. 

I sometimes bring a book so I can pass the time when I'm alone or waiting. Sometimes I have a folded umbrella and fan with me as well. But basically, these are things that are inside my bag. 

Care to share me yours?