Meals with Mark: (Toast) Box it in

When Toast Box was still open in MNL, Mark and I used to eat there. Usually, it would be with Ia who's a fan of Kaya Toast.

That's why during our trip to SG last week, we decided that one of our breakfasts should be at Toast Box. It would be good to relive our Toast Box days, right at the home base of the brand.

Of course, we both had the sets- the Chicken Floss toast set for me, and the Ham and Cheese toast set for Mark.

It's been a while. But it's still as good.

South of Japan

Just because it's a coffee shop named after a famous place in Japan, and it's in the South.

Yup, Mark and I tried Niseko Coffee in ATC. The thought of Japanese coffee is always promising, so we thought, "let's try it out,"

Aesthetics-wise, it's good. The chocolate was just okay. But the coffee was a fail for Mark.

Hey. At least we tried.

Roast with the Most

The sight of roast items hanging from a window always reminds me of HKG.

Spotted this when Mark and I had lunch at Hawker Chan in One Ayala, and it immediately brought me back to my old neighbourhood in Tak Hing Street. There were a few roast restos around my building, and I've tried them all.

And of course, there's Cafe de Coral who also had a set-up like this.

You can never go wrong with roasts.

Meals with Mark: Aizu the sign

Mark has been talking about and swearing by this Japanese restaurant in San Pedro called Aizu.

It's one of the go-to restos of Mark and his family, and I've always wanted to try it and experience the Japanese food he's been raving about.

And today, that day finally came.

We had lunch at Aizu's 2nd branch. Apparently, the 1st branch, the one he frequents more often, is only open from 5pm onwards. 

Told Mark to handle the ordering since he knows this restaurant more. 

It's a super delicious and super satisfying spread of Tantanmen, gyoza, chicken karaage and chahan.

Everything was good. The ramen was creamy and spicy, and the noodles were firm. The gyoza was flavourful and the skin had the right amount of snap. The chahan was generous in therms of the inclusions and the quality of the rice was top notch. And the chicken karaage was crispy and crunchy without being too oily.

After the hearty meal, I now know why Mark enjoys Aizu a lot. And this is the sign that we should eat at Aizu more. (As well as sample the other restaurants around Pacita.)

Meals with Mark: Visiting Via

Via Mare, that is.

This is one of our go-to places to eat. And the Shangrila Plaza branch has been part of our foodie itinerary ever since it was on the ground floor, near the driveway.

For today's visit, we decided to go full-on Pinoy for merienda.

This combination of sweet (ginataang halo-halo), savoury (quezo de bola pandesal) and cold (shooters) was just what we needed. It's filling, flavourful, and has a summer vibe.

You can never go wrong with Via Mare.

Picture Pair-fect

I've been eyeing this cropped denim top from the Stella brand at Robinsons Department Store, but they don't have Ate's size. I've been looking for it at their Galleria, Magnolia and Ermita branch, but to no avail.

So, I asked Mark to check if they have it in RGS, the place to be. Here's the picture I sent him.

Then, a few days, he sent me this picture:

Woohoo! They have it!

But what's more amusing is the fact that our photos look alike, considering we shot it in different places and different times.

Yes, pairs do think - and take photos - alike.

Meals with Mark: Two in a row

When Mark and I saw the poster for Chili's burger day a week ago, we said that our experience last year was enough and we don't need to repeat the experience this year.

Or so we thought.

We passed by Chili's in Galleria and saw a long line of people waiting for their turn to avail of the promo. We though, "what the heck!" So, we lined up, we got a table immediately, and enjoyed our 50% off burgers.

That's 2 years in a row. 

Maybe this will be a tradition.

Half hazard

Last year, Mark and I went to Chili's One Ayala and caught their half-price burger promo. 

It was such a busy time! Getting a table was a challenge. People were lined up outside constantly. Servers were rushing back and forth with trays of burgers. But everyone was served efficiently and on-time, including us.

Can't believe that was almost a year ago. Because they're going at it again.

After seeing this sign, we asked ourselves if we'd do the whole half-price burger craziness again. And we thought, "maybe not."

Ohayo Ootoya!

Ootoya will always have a special place in my heart. 

This Japanese restaurant chain was one of the first places where Mark and I ate in Tokyo. And it also became one of our regulars.

During our last 2 or 3 trips to Japan, though, we weren't able to go there.

But now, we don't even have to go to Japan!

Ootoya is now open in BGC!

Sugoi ne!

Glad we MET

The venue for the Side A concert was a bit different. Unlike the usual concerts which is usually held in MOA Arena, Araneta Coliseum and even Samsung Theater, their concert was held in a place steeped in history and culture.

The Metropolitan Theater.

Was telling Mark that the last time I watched something here was way back in high school. We watched the play "Noli Me Tangere" at the MET, and it was such a memorable experience. When we were in grade school, we also watched "Peter Pan" here, and I was simply amazed that Peter Pan could really fly! (With harnesses, of course.)

So many memories. And I'm glad to have relived them.

Meals with Mark: Hold my Bir(yani)

A new place to visit necessitated a new place to eat.

Before our Side A concert, we decided to have early dinner at SM Manila. Since there are a number of restaurants there that aren't in other SM Malls, that was the jump off point for our dinner venue.

Mark said that he saw an interesting biryani place. Since we're both fans of biryani, it was the natural choice.

And that's what led us to Biryani Boys.

They serve Middle Eastern food, from our favourite hummus and pita, to tikka, to kebabs and their biryani. With so many appetising choices, we ordered a little bit of everything.

We had the nachos - made with pita, the chicken tikka with biryani rice, the falafel platter, and they gave us free chicken soup!

Everything was so good! The soup was hearty and generous with the ingredients. The falafel had the right crunch. The nachos were interesting because of the crispy pita. The chicken tikka and biryani had bold flavours that complemented well.

This was a great choice, and thanks to Mark for spotting and suggesting it.

Hope these boys have a branch closer to us.

The right Side

Today was a day of firsts.

While Mark and I have watched a lot of movies and some musicals, we haven't really watched a full-on concert. And thanks to his friend - Gelo - we were able to.

We spent Sunday night together, enjoying the music that defined our generation. From that moment they sang "Tell Me," it was clear that the night was going to be rife with memories and nostalgia.

And it was!

From their iconic hits like "Eva Marie," and "Forevermore," to their upbeat encore of "'Di pa huli," Mark and I just sang and swayed the night away.

I'm so happy we were able to tap into this side of us tonight.

Meals with Mark: Meals with Mak

Having eaten at Mak's noodles in HKG several times when I was still living there, I wanted to try their first branch here. With Mark, of course.

Knowing how the original tastes like, was curious to see if they could accurately replicate it here in MNL. 

In summary, they did.

The broth was rich. The noodles, firm and bouncy. The wonton, packed with both filling and flavour.

What was different, though, was the price. Compared to HKG, Mak's here was on the pricey side.

While this won't be a regular for us, it's probably going to be a place we'd go to once or twice a year.

Aye, Aye, Admiral!

Mark had this week-long planning at The Admiral Hotel, and went there yesterday to have breakfast with him.

It's been ages since my last visit to this hotel, and was so surprised at how much it has changed!

Now called "The Admiral Hotel M Gallery," they've renovated and - true to their name - it's now like a gallery filled with art. 

The ceiling alone is a work of art - a stained glass masterpiece with different iconic Philippine scenes. And cascading down from the ceiling are paper pieces with the baybayin. Splended!

The rooms are super nice, too. Mark's room had this metal artwork of Sagada. 

We should go back and have a staycation here soon.

Meals with Mark: It's a must

Over the decades, Mark and I have built small traditions that we enjoy going back to.

One of those traditions is to have lunch together on December 31, particularly at North Park in SM Muntinlupa.

No question, North Park has great food. But one of the things that we keep coming back for is their Fresh Lemonade, it's a must!

Yup, that's how this item appears on their menu. "Fresh Lemonade. It's a must." Heck, they even have a poster for it.

Here's to more meals with you this 2026!

FMM: Christmas Calling

There was this very catchy yet very mindless piece of techno music back in 1999.

"Mindless" because for more than 2 minutes, they just repeated the same line over and over and over and over again. "Catchy" because it was so popular back then. You'd hear it on the radio, on MTV, in clubs and parties. 

You might not know the title, but once you hear it, it'll all come back.

IYKYK, as kids these days would say.

Yup, it's "Somebody answer the phone" by Mario Piu.

It's a fitting Friday Magic Madness song, inspired by Mark's very thoughtful Christmas gift.

He must have seen how old my current phone was, that he decided to give me a new one. He knows that I'm not the type who'll buy a phone for myself, so he took matters into his own hands.

Very thoughtful.

Great call, Mark.

SSDD

A decade ago, we were in Tokyo Midtown with Mark's friends - Derek, Trina, Diego & Rondel, and we had our photos taken at the bridge that connects the park to the mall.

During our Tokyo trip last week, we were able to take our photo on the same bridge.

So, this qualifies as a SSDD - Same shot, different decade - post.

Breakfast with a view

At The New Otani Hotel in Akasaka-Mitsuke, you have 2 venue options for the breakfast buffet. You can choose between a garden view and a city view.

Mark and I were deciding where to go, and we eventually decided to just go with the city view restaurant at the 40th floor.

Boy, was it a good choice! We were treated to this view while having breakfast:

Mount Fuji!

This view made our breakfast even more special!

Meals with Mark: Happy habits

From the early 2000s until now, one of the "must-visits" when we're in Japan has to be Saizeriya.

This "Italian-by-way-of-Japan" fast food place is like a second home for us. You might even call it a habit. The comfort food  the drink bar, the vibe - it all adds up to make every visit a satisfying one.

In our many, many times of eating here, this is the first time we're ordering their French onion soup.

Gosh! It's so, SO good! Why didn't we discover this earlier?

This is now going to be part of our regular orders from here on in.

Year end. Bookend.

Mark and I started our travel year in Japan.

Last January, we went to Makuhari in Tokyo,  and had a grand time there.

Now, we're back for our last international trip for the year.

Makuhari never disappoints. And Makuhari will always be one of our go-tos in Japan.