Tagaytay food trip at Balay Dako

A friend of my family took us on a trip to Tagaytay for a little food trip while admiring the scapes and sceneries Tagaytay has to offer. From all the sights and sounds Tagaytay has to offer, there's one Filipino restaurant that got me noticed. What was that restaurant I'm featuring right now?

The place in question is this; Balay Dako. A Filipino restaurant with a close view of the Taal Lake, which is the home of the infamous Taal Volcano. It's located on the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway between Max's Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway branch and Leslie's Restaurant. The restaurant's name means "Big House" in Negrense.

At first glance, it looks more like your grandparents' house from a faraway province but the moment you step in...

...it's actually a fancy restaurant brimming with life as visitors looking to eat and forget their everyday stress. A word from the street is that famous celebrities got the chance to eat at Balay Dako. I don't know who these celebrities are but they sure are having a blast eating at this high-class Filipino restaurant.

 

The Balay Dako restaurant is divided into three different dining venues; Azela, Silong, and Terraza. We're in the Silong area, which is located on the ground floor, where we get to see how a Tagaytay delicacy known as the Piaya was made, and a view of the Taal volcano from the window, among many others.

However, the best place to dine in Balay Dako is in the Terraza area, where you can easily get out and experience the view of Taal Lake. The perfect place to take pics of the majestic but terrifying landmark that made headlines with the eruption three years ago that caused the whole Mega Manila to experience smog and forced residents to wear facemasks while on the go. That was moments before the pandemic, just so you know.

The Terraza area also packs a bar and grill where they will serve you some cocktails, pulutan, and of course, pizza with a Filipino twist.

Because Balay Dako is a fancy restaurant, don't expect this place to be budget-friendly because the menu here features outrageously-priced Filipino cuisine that is high quality compared to everyday Filipino meals you've cooked at home. For instance, the palabok I had there costs 650 Pesos while the Kare Kare Klasik costs us 1,060 Pesos.  Although expensive, the high quality of these foods is delicious as such. Well, the palabok I had fits the bill neatly and so is the Kare Kare and the Bulalo soup.

The drinks don't come cheap as well, although the restaurant will offer you complimentary water. It's hot as standard, although you can request one in either warm or cold, I think.

If you had fun dining at the Balay Dako, you can come to its deli to buy some pasalubong as well. Just a word of advice; they don't come cheap as well but hey, these pasalubongs are worth sharing with your friends and family after your Tagaytay trip.

So, what can I say about Balay Dako? Although the menu's outrageously expensive, this fancy restaurant is a must-visit for adventurers here and worldwide, especially if you're in the mood to witness the dangerously beautiful Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano from either the window or at the Terraza. I would gladly recommend this place to those who are new or returning to the Tagaytay trip.

Short highlights:

BALAY DAKO

Tagaytay - Nasugbu Hwy, Tagaytay, 4120 Cavite, Philippines

Opens 1100 to 2100 Weekdays, 0700 to 2100 Weekends

What's it like to visit at a Starbucks Reserve Roastery?

At a normal Starbucks, you arrived at their doorstep, order some coffee, wait, and then you can sip some coffee but do you want to get the most out of your Starbucks experience? Visit a Starbucks Reserve Roastery, that's why!

Setting them apart from your normal Starbucks, a Starbucks Reserve Roastery offers the rarest, most extraordinary coffees crafted exclusively in a place like this. You can think of it like visiting a fancy car factory where you can see an ultra-expensive car being handcrafted by artisans while you watch them assemble their masterpiece.



The first ever Starbucks Reserve Roastery was opened in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood since the end of 2014, just nine blocks from the first Starbucks store in Pike Place. In addition, Shanghai and Milan had their own Starbucks Reserve Roastery and in the future, they will open ones like this in New York City, Tokyo, and Chicago. But in the meantime, I went to the first ever Starbucks Reserve Roastery to see what's what.

Not only you will be greeted with the biggest servings compared to your usual Starbucks hangout but you get to see the process on how their globally-sourced coffee are roasted, processed, and produced to deliver the master stroke of a coffee you are seeing it now.



Seeing how its made is like you're entering the factory minus the no-photography regulation. As a matter of fact, people like you and me are having a guilty pleasure to learn Starbucks' secrets to success but don't worry. Nothing's stopping you to experience the tips of the trade that flourished Starbucks into one of the fastest-growing coffee shops in the world right now.



There is a sculpture of the one as seen on the Starbucks logo on display.



Aside from offering some of the rarest and most exclusive coffee blends you can only find at the Reserve, you can chow down on some pastry such as those delicious breads at their Princi bakery corner of the Reserve. You are going to love the selection of pastries in store when you get there.



Visitors can sample some of the most unique blend of coffee or espresso of any kind and in case you brought kids, you can order them some ice cream. Because most of the coffees, be it hot or cold, served at the Reserve are so unique, your fervent wish after sampling them is you might be visiting this place again for some more. That's the magic of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery because their blends are somewhat between Rare, Epic, and Legendary.

When you're happy with your visit at Seattle's Starbucks Reserve Roastery, you can buy some souvenirs from the trip, knowing that you've visit a very exclusive Starbucks with some of the most exclusive coffee blends you won't find anywhere else.



This visit to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery reminded me that I have gotten the chance to experience the ultimate Starbucks experience coffee lovers will enjoy. From their tips of the trade, their exclusive offerings, and such classy atmosphere, it's no doubt coffee lovers found their little Holy Land on their taste buds.

So, if you are spending your time in Seattle, be sure to check out the Starbucks Reserve Roastery at Capitol Hill if you have time. You will be glad that you are part of the ultimate Starbucks experience.

The Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery is located at 1124 Pike St., Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA, and it's open everyday from 0700 to 2300 hours. In a general 12-hour format, that's 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Thank you for understanding and enjoy!

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: Can't afford to put fizzy drinks in our glasses anymore...

In case you really missed it, the Philippine government has implemented the first phase of the controversial tax reform, which is different that the other controversial one in America that was favored by the fat man who controls the human race, and while the sharp rise of consumer prices are something to worry about, what's even worrying to me is that one clause in this tax reform is the taxation of sugar sweetened beverages. In other words, your fizzy drinks that you commonly bought from your neighborhood sari-sari store is not safe from that menace. So, why does this part grinds my gears?

Coke Emoticon Bottles

Ever since everybody in the world warned us not to drink too much beer because of the devastating events apart from turning every husband into a maniac who's going to kill his family without knowing, we find a better alternative way to stave off from a bottle of beer because of the crazy effects our body and mind are getting and that's where the softdrink come from. Sure, they can be as fizzy as a beer but unlike alcohol, it doesn't leave our mouths smell like beer and won't end up like family beaters but on the downside, all that sugary content will end up going wild until at the end of the day, we all end up with slight hangovers.

Like you and I, we love having a bottle of softdrinks in our refrigerator because the drinks section can be so bland without it. Softdrinks change the world according to us. They are our quenchers in lunchtime and tea (dinner), our means of entertaining our friends, our relaxation, whatever our reason, we all bound by our decision to stock ourselves with softdrinks at home because they're much safer to drink than alcoholic beer.

At the dawn of the new year, looks like the softdrink days are now numbered because of the dreaded tax against sugar sweetened beverages. According to the Department of Finance's Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, they will tax six pesos per liter of drinks containing caloric or non-caloric sweetener and 12 pesos per liter on drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. Sweetened juice drinks like Zest-O or Hi-C, sweetened tea like Nestea, flavored water, energy drinks, sports drinks, non-milk powdered drinks, cereal and grain beverages, and other non-alcoholic beverages that contain added sugar. 3-in-1 coffee, milk, and 100% natural juice are exempted from the rule.

As you may wondering, do diet and zero sugar softdrinks do count on this beverage tax? The answer is a major yes because those so-called diet and zero sugar softdrinks like the ones we drink sometimes have been sweetened by non-caloric sweeteners, thus making them victims of this rule. Looks like no one's safe on this rule, unless you want to drink yourself a glass of water, which is bland but obvious.

It's not just the Philippines that falls victim to the tax against sugary beverages, in fact, some parts of the world did. From where I'm standing, they've imposed a sweetened beverage tax which most of the sugary drinks are subject to a tax of $1.75 per ounce. Which means, a 12-pack of canned soda like the ones they sold at your nearest Safeway will now cost $2.52 while a box of 10 juice-drink pouches will cost $1.75, 6-pack of sport drink $2.10, a 16oz fountain drink 28 cents, and 23oz can of sweetened tea 40 cents. Thank you Seattle for such dreaded tax on our favorite beverages.

Taxing sugary drinks is nothing new in this world. In fact, the main reason why they want to slap some tax on such drinks because of health and safety reasons and while some oppose because it's anti-poor, some health-conscious people lauded it because such drinks are linked not just obesity but also type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and dental decay. Come on, we only drink them moderately like beer, you know, and still drive our car back home without getting caught by authorities and doing the breathalyzer thing.

Now that softdrinks are getting more costly than it were back in the good old days, seems like we can't afford to put fizzy drinks in our glasses anymore. What happens next? Put sofdrinks in the sin tax bill? That's crazy and if that to happen, we couldn't afford to drink them anymore and that makes us dull.

Softdrinks are a way to chill ourselves on a hot day, to entertain our guests, and relax, but by making them more expensive, our wallets are running dry and thanks to such tax reforms that favor only the rich people, I can't say what's what but it really made us grind our gears and ending up with alternatives such as 100% natural juice, which is rare to find in today's markets, plain milk, and a glass of water. Can't believe we start the year with a much blander lifestyle because of high consumer prices thanks to tax reforms that are deemed regressive and unless we get ourselves a job, there's no way we can live in such times like these. Here's hoping that we can all learn something from such a purpose.

See you next time and if you got some cash, better stock up on some drinks while you can.

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: The noodles from hell

Yesterday, I took a bite out of one of the sensations of 2017, Samyang's 2X SPICY HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen, and despite cheating it with some means necessary, the hellish spiciness burnt my mouth like crazy. I even resort myself drinking lots of milk to cool it off but that spiciness lingers on my mouth for an hour. So, what's up with these noodles from hell anyway?

Made as a limited edition variant of Samyang's long line of Chicken Flavor Ramen range, this 2X SPICY variant became all the rage not just in South Korea but the rest of the world. In fact, many people attempt to show the world that they're brave enough to eat the beast of the noodle and sacrifice their mouths just to show themselves off.

Admittedly, people have to be as crazy as Kim Jong Un to nab a pack of these but if you're itching to get one now, you can't because Samyang stopped making these variants so you'll have to make do with the mild and tangy Chicken Flavor Ramen flavors. Don't worry, there are spicy variants offered but not as intimidating as the 2X SPICY variant. Still, that leaves me wondering, how come everyone wanted to buy a noodle that could burn their mouths to oblivion, in the pursuit of showing off?

Whoever the idea of getting a pack of Samyang's 2X Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen had a death wish or two. To be honest, I just don't know why but probably they want to be humbled the world over, knowing that they have titanium bodies sturdy enough to take on the harshest elements. I understand that and it really rings a bell like the old Salty Spitoon gag from SpongeBob. "How tough are you?" You can either eat one of these and be part of the club or surrender and label yourself a weenie. It's everyone's choice when they picked up a pack of the world's most intimidating noodles at an Asian market.

Having that first bite out of the most hellish noodles ever to come out in South Korea, I always thought that it tastes like a normal Pancit Canton to me but when the spiciness has gone into. let's just say, inferno overdrive, it just keeps burning my mouth even if I douse it with any form of liquid. It's personal experience but I'm sure you guys had your mouth burnt to hell after a platter of Samyang's 2X Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen and survive the endless torture this noodle brought upon.

Of course, Samyang may have stopped making this nightmarish noodles for good, even though this was a limited edition variant, but they made the world engulfed in the flames of the extra hot noodles and with everyone who took a pack of it engulfed their taste buds to the line of fire, only a handful managed to survive the torturing aftertaste this noodle possess. It may be gone a while but what's next for Samyang, the makers of spicy noodles that became a hit among noodle aficionados? Only time will tell before they let loose with another next big thing but in the meantime, let's think about what we done ever since we gone crazy over the pack of the one I called it the "noodles from hell". 

130 Years of Coca-cola

Today marks the 130th anniversary of Coca-cola, the world's number one softdrink everyone in the world loves to quench their first on. It's been years since the pharmacist John Pemberton invented the drink we all know and now, here we are, 130 years on, this drink can withstand the test of time. Shall we get started then?

Coke Emoticon Bottles

It was the year 1886 when Dr. John S. Pemberton invented this drink in Atlanta, Georgia and tried selling it to consumers at a local drugstore. When it went on sale, the crowd goes nuts over his invention, which he priced it for five cents back then. Two years after the first servings of Coca-cola served to the public, Pemberton died but he sold portions of his business to various parties, with the majority of the interest sold to Atlanta mogul Asa G. Candler. Under Candler's rule, distribution of Coca-cola expanded to soda fountains beyond Atlanta.

Why is it called "Coca-cola", you dare ask? Dr. Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, which is a fair dose for this drink. In 1891, Candler claimed his formula contained only a tenth of this amount. Once, this drink contained an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass and that formula was subsequently removed in 1903.

The bottling became a major challenge back then because of the imitations of the beverage by competitors as well as lack of packaging consistency among the thousand bottling plants at the time. So, in 1916, the Cocal-cola bottle was created with the shape so recognizable even in the dark and then trademarked in 1977.

For more Coke history lessons, go to www.coca-colacompany.com and find the History section.

But now, Coca-cola has over 1.9 billion servings sold globally and with presence in all corners of the world including Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, the whole world's gone Coke crazy. You turn yourself in a nearby store and say "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke", which is somewhat a legendary in the history of Coke advertising. From football player Mean Joe Greene tossing a Coke to a fan saying "hey kid, catch!", to the iconic Coca-cola polar bear. To open happiness, and now Taste the Feeling, nothing's more fun than sharing a Coke with everyone in the world with their names on it. I mean hey, that's the evolution of Coke advertising, if you know what I mean?

Coca-cola isn't more than just a drink because for most of us, it's a way of life. We use it to energize ourselves, for entertainment, for relaxation, there are so many reasons why we like to have a world of Coca-cola for ourselves but for us, we all share the same decision to stock ourselves some Coca-cola at home. Now, there are so many Coca-cola variants to choose from and whatever you are feeling, there's a Coca-cola that fits for you.

Here's for 130 years of Taste the Feeling with Coca-cola!

For more Coke-related videos, go to youtube.com/cocacola

I would like to see these mango recipes!

Where are these mangoes?

Now, in last week's episode of Orphan Black, Helena, who was abducted by soldiers, was subjected to a lie-detector test, until she gets distracted on the "mangoes" part. Even the scorpion Helena called it Pupok got sucked into the "mango" part. "Where are these mangoes? I would like to see these mangoes."

Mangoes are one of the world's most popular fruits and they were first grown in India over five millenniums ago. The mango seeds have been traveled through parts of the world and legend has it that Buddha meditated under the cool shade of a mango tree. Anyway, we're not turning this into a science lesson but not all mangoes are created equal. There are numerous selection of mangoes to choose from and for the fun of it, mangoes can spawn numerous recipes of your choosing.

Just before Helena and the scorpion named Pupok start asking where are the mangoes and want one, here are some delicious mango recipes suitable enough for your next Orphan Black viewing party at home with your mates. There are so many mango-related recipes to choose from but I decided to pick some of the best ones.

1) Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber

1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno

1/3 cup diced red onion

1 tbsp lime juice

1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

salt

pepper

This recipe takes five minutes to prepare and it serves up to 4 to 6 servings. 

First, combine the mango, cucumber, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro leaves, then mix them well. 

After that, season it with some salt and pepper.

Source: Food Network

2) Chicken Avocado and Mango Salad

Ingredients:

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup lime juice

1/2 cup chili garlic sauce

4 cups shredded, cooked chicken

2 medium mangoes - peeled, seeded, and diced

2 avocados - peeled, seeded, and diced

1 (10 ounce) package of spring lettuce mix

This recipe takes about thirty minutes and it serves up to 10 people. 

To begin, stir together the brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Let it boil, then pour into a medium bowl. Stir in the garlic chili sauce and lime juice to create a dressing. 

Then, toss together the chicken, mangoes, and avocados in a large bowl. After this, arrange the spring salad mix on serving plates, then top it with a few chicken mixture. Pour the dressing at the top of the salad.

Source: Allrecipes

3) Mango pudding

Ingredients:

4 1/2 teaspoons of unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup water

4-6 ripe mangoes peeled and diced

1 14-ounce can of nonfat sweetened condensed milk

4 tbsp lime juice

This recipe takes 2 hours and 40 minutes and it serves up to 8 people

First, sprinkle the gelatin over water in a small bowl, then let it stand until softened by about a minute. Microwave it on High, uncovered, by about 10 to 20 seconds until the gelatin completely dissolved but the liquid is not boiling.

Place the mango in the food blender, if you have one, and process it until it becomes smooth. Push through a very fine sieve into a large measuring cup until you have 2 cups puree. Whisk the puree, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the softened gelatine mixture until well combined.

Lightly coat eight 6-to-10 ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Divide the pudding among the ramekins and refrigerate by about two hours..

To serve, run a knife around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the pudding. Then, dip the bottom of the ramekin in hot water for around 30 to 40 seconds, then invert onto a serving plate.

Source: EatingWell

4) Chicken Mango Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

1 tsp cooking oil

2 green onions chopped

4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced

2 tsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 large mango diced

1 head of butter lettuce, rinsed, leaves separated

This recipe takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook, and it serves from four to eight people.

First, place the ground chicken, soy sauce, and the corn starch in a large bowl, then mix to combine.

Then, heat a wok or a large saute pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, green onions, and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Let cook for a minute.

Increase the heat to high, and add the ground chicken, soy sauce, and the corn starch mixture. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground chicken and spread around the pan. Stir fry for around 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the seasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil, and diced mangoes. Remove from heat, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Scoop spoonfuls into the lettuce-formed cups to serve.

Source: Simply Recipes

These are the best mango recipes I can look up for now but just imagine if Alison cooked those for us all. That would be so delicious but for those mango recipes, you can't go wrong with them even if you're watching another Orphan Black episode with your mates!

Enjoy these delicious mango recipes before Helena and Pupok come finding for these!

Eating at Mizuki Buffet at Tukwila

Earlier, me and my family went to some kind of Japanese buffet that is located somewhere in Tukwila, WA. It feels like that King Buffet we occasionally eat but very different.

It's called Mizuki Buffet and it's located near a movie theater somewhere in Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila, WA.

On Mondays to Thursdays, they're open from 1530 to 2200 hours Pacific time. For the commoner, that's 3:30PM to 10:00PM Pacific time. On Fridays, their closing time is 30 minutes more and on weekends, they're open from 11:00AM to 10:30 PM. That's 1100 to 2230 hours to you.

We've been greeted by this statue of an ancient Japanese shogun donned in red armor.

Look at the way this buffet serves. It's well organized and easy to be distingushed by the customer choosy enough to eat a food of their choosing. There is a catch that when you're getting another meal, you'll have to get a new plate. Sounds different to the one we occasionally eat in Renton, but no matter because this is the first time I've been in this place.

Here is my meal and it looks delicious but  you have to be aware on the sacred rule of eating in the buffet: Eat all you can till your stomach refuses.

Their soda orders do come with a free refill! Sounds good and bottomless too! so it's best to go with that drink of choice but I just went for the Diet Coca-Cola because I'm often binge drinking on those. Sorry...

Me and my family are enjoying the delicious meals served in Mizuki Buffet. If I have an evaluation, I would say I want to eat here again occassionally and I love it more than the King's Buffet in Renton because it's bigger and well-organized. I don't care about the pricing but what matters most is I want to eat here again as I please.

Mizuki Buffet
17950 Southcenter Parkway
Tukwila, WA 98188
Website: http://www.mizukibuffet.net/

Geekdom's Guide to Omelette du Fromage

Omelette du fromage

Now, if you were kids and if you remember Dexter's Lab, you may have noticed one of your memorable episodes from one of your memorable shows you've watched during your childhood. It's the one where Dexter kept saying the omelette du fromage word. This French word made him get away with anything except in the end of the episode where Computer rejected Dexter's password and then self-destructed his lab. I know you guys watched this episode and you often want to say it all day long.

Omelette du fromage  is French for cheese omelette and how can you make your own omelette du fromage? Something that you can whistle this to the girls near you for romantic reasons. 

All you need is 3 large eggs (Grade A recommended), 2 slices of cheese (any cheese), and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. It takes two minutes to cook the cheese omelet and two minutes to prepare.

First, add oil to the skillet over high heat and heat it until small hairline ripples appear. Then, break the eggs into tall glass or frappe cup and whisk to blend for a minute. While moving the skillet in a round motion, pour the eggs and keep moving until the outside edges have firmly cooked so you can flip it and cook for 30 seconds. Overlap 2 slices of cheese in the center of the omelet in a diamond shape, fold the omelet into half, and slide it onto the plate.

Source: Food Network

After you finished making your own omelette du fromage, you now have the most romantic meal you'd ever had. So romantic, you may want to whisper it to the girls or for the heck of it...you're going to say "omelette du fromage" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....

Making your own Omelette du Fromage the geekdom way...

The Geekdom's Guide to Sugar Peas

Sugar Peas!

When Catbug appears holding Sugar Peas, Danny says DROP 'EM! Catbug says OKAY! Anyone saw this? Yes, this is just one of the memorable moments from Bravest Warriors, although I'm not so sure how does sugar peas taste like and neither ate one...

Sugar peas...how to make one...simple really! Ask your parents to buy one of those to make one but for recommendation, we like to serve it with peas on a pod. A round pea only won't do its magic so it's best to stick with the peas on a pod.

With them around, best to cook with your heart's content. After cooking, be sure to add some sugar on it because by the name "sugar peas", it has to be sweet.

After minutes later, sugar peas is ready to serve in the bowl. If you're dressing as a Catbug...which is impossible for us because he's a critter and mascot trickery takes an expert level. But still, one bowl of sugar peas is enough to let your mate saying "DROP 'EM!"

Sugar peas...tastes so sweet, makes you drop it and say okay!

The geekdom's guide to sugar peas.

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: The Pocky Problem

Pocky

It's Eleven Eleven today and do you know what day it is? Nope, you're wrong because eleven eleven in the calendar is known as Pocky Day or if you're in Korea, Pepero Day, which is more of a copy cat of Pocky but only Korean. Anyway, while I'm not into the whole Pepero stuff, let's talk about the one thing most geeks often bought at supermarkets or at conventions.

Pocky. Hmmm...What is a Pocky? Well, everyone knows that Pocky is a stick of chocolate and we all love it because, yes, most anime characters eaten one of these. I can't even believe that Pocky is nothing more of every anime otaku's favorite snack and when I search through the Pocky tags, chances are that I might be encountering tons of anime stuff regarding Pocky. Pocky and anime, huh? Too common but this is worth a spit take to me. Why is Pocky is still part of the anime culture? Nobody knows but this is too much for me because whenever I see people at the convention bought some Pocky, I know that Pocky is a "geek food" of today or probably anime that fueled geeks to buy some Pocky.

Anyway, since how did this Pocky stuff began? Well, back in 1966, Glico, the Japanese company behind this, created Pocky and claimed that this is the world's first chocolate stick snack. The concept for this snack is to create a snack with a handle and after numerous trial and error process, Pocky is the first snack that has a handle because why? The lower portion remain uncoated.

Another fact why they called it Pocky is because of the sound full of bite and Pocky was derived by the onomatopoeic snapping sound made while eating it - pokkin pokkin - to the Japanese ear. Well, it all makes sense now why they called it Pocky probably because of that but never mind about that.

For almost five decades, Pocky keeps on evolving and as of now, Pocky not only offers a chocolate or strawberry but in Japan, they have tons of flavors from past to present. I can't think of any flavor Japanese Pocky had but no matter the flavor, it's still a Pocky so let's go deeper to this mystery.

There is a main reason why Eleven Eleven is called Pocky day is because of the stick which resembles the number 11 and along with its brother, Pretz, November 11 every year is Pocky day and in Japan, Pocky and Pretz fans took part on special events to celebrate that occasion. Sounds lovely but here in the internet world, the only thing that is more onto this Eleven Eleven stuff is looking through tons of anime photos with Pocky with it and that's annoying. Gosh...Can I look of just one photo of a real Pocky, not anime-related Pocky stuff? Please... Anime and Pocky don't mix but sadly they do and there's so many stuff that anime and Pocky DID mixed it up.

Back to the Eleven Eleven stuff and here's a fast trivia that on that day, Pocky is the most tweeted brand in the world and in the past, Pocky broke the world record by 1,843,733 tweets within the 24-hour period. No wonder the whole world loves Pocky as much as I do.

But still, the world record recognition isn't the least of my problems here because I'm still in the problem that why anime and Pocky always mixed to the highest magnitude and tell you why, when you see anime characters eating that delicious chocolate stick snack you know as Pocky, you really wanted to have one and when you do, you always think that when you have a Pocky, you really are an anime otaku but...how can Pocky make you an anime otaku? It's just a snack you know, not a prop or some sort of a bargaining material.

Pocky, a Japanese snack that once had a humble beginning, ended up became part of the anime culture because when anime sees Pocky, otaku wants one for the fun of it.

Official Pocky global site:
http://pocky.glico.com/

Japanese Pocky site:
http://pocky.jp/index.html

Glico Thailand site:
http://www.thaiglico.com/

The Geekdom's Guide to Bacon Pancakes

Making Bacon Pancakes

Most of the Adventure Time fanatics will remember one sure fire thing that goes stuck in their cerebral cortex and yes, you guessed it, BACON PANCAKES. That kind of thing Jake the Dog cooks in one episode of the show.

♪Bacon pancakes, makin bacon pancakes. Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake. Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make...BACON PANCAKES!!!♪

Yes you got that right, find some bacon and a pancake mix at your nearest supermarket. Tell your parents to add those to their grocery shopping list if they have enough grocery allowance. Question is how will you going to make the most mathematical breakfast known to AT fans? Well, you may have followed the directions on making a pancake courtesy of the pancake mix's cooking instructions and then cooking up the bacon but sadly, we're a bit unsure about the whole Bacon Pancake serving...but never mind.

Since you're done with the bacons and pancakes, feel free to stack them like a sandwich. Don't care which. There are so many variations of bacon pancakes, especially the one where slices of bacon are inside the pancakes. Feel free to do some research on the internet and experiment with different variations of the most mathematical breakfast known to AT fans and in no time, you'll thank Jake The Dog for this...

♪Bacon pancakes, makin bacon pancakes. Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake. Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make...BACON PANCAKES!!!♪

The Geekdom's Guide to Bacon Pancakes.

The geekdom's guide to Peanut Butter Squares

"Your mom said to say I can have just one
peanut butter square but only after they're cooled down"

Now, as I'm sure you know there's one Catbug dialog from Bravest Warriors that you're particularly fond of and yes, you get that right, it was the Peanut Butter Squares. Here in the world where fangirling and tumblr is what comes in mind for a geek or nerd, we believe we want to make some peanut butter squares but as a general rule; you can have one only after they're cooled down.

After raiding through websites for some research about recipes for Peanut Butter Squares, there's a simple one that can really get you started and become BAKING BUG. Sorry about the Breaking Bad parody, someone had that shirt with the words BAKING BUG on it. Anyway...

You'll need...

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking procedures:

- Mix powdered sugar and cracker crumbs in medium-sized bowl.

- Heat butter and peanut butter in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.

- Stir into crumb mixture.

- Press in ungreased square pan with a dimension of 8x8x2 inches.

- Heat chocolate chips in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.

- Spread over crumb mixture.

- Refrigerate after 30 minutes

- Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows

- Store loosely covered in refrigerator

And there we go. Your mom's peanut butter squares. You can have one but only after they're cooled down. 

The Geekdom's Guide to Peanut Butter Squares. Delicious.

Source: Pillsbury

Munching at Marinepolis Sushi Land Tukwila

Now, earlier, we've visited another restaurant in the Northwest Washington and this time, it's another Japanese restaurant but it's not as fancier as the Benihana that we visited last month. It's another of those all-you-can-eat resto but it's not quite as generous as the King Buffet in Renton. Let's take a look...



This is Marine Polis Sushi Land, but this is the Tukwila branch which is located near the Westfield South Center and to explain what's what, I have to take a look on the inside...



Now this is somewhat harsh... "Please sign in and wait to be seated", This is just like you're in the hospital or in a fish market or in the delivery or whatever you know, taking a ticket and then waiting to call your ticket number that you had.







And then there's this familiar conveyor belt-style machinery where several Japanese sushi meals are here and if you see the sushi that you might just like, be sure to pick up before this one leaves but there's some clever pricing...



Excluding the drinks and the tax, meals served in green plate costs $1 while meals served in orange plate costs $1.50, then meals served in blue plate costs $2 and meals served in purple plate costs $3, the highest. While the conveyor belt showcased sushi choices in green, orange, and blue plates, those purple plate meals, like the noodles we just ordered, are available for ordering purposes.

That sounds clever and if you're in a mood of watching your budget, choose wisely and don't overdo much or else you don't have enough money to pay for all of the sushi meals you just ate.





I was trying to convince my parents to be super careful on the budget because of the clever pricing displayed on each plate color but because they didn't get it, they could just munch on and on and on until our budget runs out dry... If I recall, we've reached over 50 US Dollars on the sushi meals and drinks and that's outrageous! We've wasted so much money on this sushi!



So, there we have it. If you're watching your budget, handle with care because thanks to the clever pricing displayed on each plate per meal, chances are that you're running out of cash easily at Sushi Land. You'll run out of cash more than playing too much slots at either Tulalip, Muckleshoot, or Snoqualmie casino. I strongly advise to be careful on the budget because if it's too much, your cash advance's going to ran out pretty dry. That's all.

Marinepolis Sushi Land
Tukwila - Southcenter Mall
100 Andover Park West 160 

Tukwila, WA 98188

OUTTAKES:

Playing around with the Disney Photo Finish app in my iPhone

And while stuck in traffic...