A few weeks ago, my nanay and I went out for our much-needed mother-daughter date. I had four vouchers bought from CashCashPinoy for 52% off on food and drinks from Dillinger’s 1903 Steak Brew restobar in Greenbelt 3. After hours of pampering from rO2 Beauty and Wellness Center, we were starving so we headed straight to the restaurant.

Upon our arrival on the third floor of Greenbelt 3, we immediately saw Dillinger’s 1903. Okay, I asked a guard for the exact location. It was beside Red Box. And as soon as we got there, I couldn’t help but admire the design of the outside of the restaurant.

The wooden doors, the brick wall, the mix of hues of black, gold and gray, and the wide glass windows are reminiscent of something you’d see in a mafia movie. So, let’s go inside…

Most of us look forward to Friday. It’s the end of a busy week and, at the same time, the start of a well-deserved weekend for all those who hustle and bustle at school or at work. It’s the ultimate day for relaxation and enjoyment. But, guess what, we don’t really need to wait for Friday just to have fun. With T.G.I. Friday’s infectious energy and with their excellent food and customer service, everyone would feel like it’s Friday every single day of the week!

T.G.I. Friday’s Maxim: “In here, it’s always Friday.”

After more than 15 years since setting up their first in 1994, T.G.I. Friday’s opens a new branch in Eastwood City, Libis. This is their 13th and now considered as their new flagship branch since it’s the location where the brand has decided to implement major changes in architectural and interior design.

It is the first free-standing Friday’s branch. All of the other branches, as we all have known, are located in major shopping malls around the Metro.

Facade of T.G.I. Friday’s Eastwood City in Libis

From outside, the facade looks bright and very inviting. They have replaced the old canopies and awnings with movie theater-like sheds, giving the place a more modern feel.

Almost everyone who comes to Friday’s has their own camera, and surely they wouldn’t be able to resist having their pictures taken with these life-size models of Superman; the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley; and the iconic, Marilyn Monroe.

Superman, My cam-whore sis, Mhel, with Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley.

Friday’s is known for having an “artistic clutter” of memorabilia from decades as early as the ‘30s. Now they have decided to move forward in time by including pieces from later decades like the ‘80s, ‘90s, and even from the new millennium.

When I took my first bite on a KFC Double Down sandwich when it was launched months ago, I enjoyed its sinful meatiness. A lot of my friends and fellow KFC enthusiasts have also raved about it, and were demanding for the return of this sandwich. Now, imagine how excited we were when we found out they decided to bring it back with a hot new twist – KFC Zinger Double Down Sandwich.

Our family, especially Ken, enjoys spicy food. So we really, really wanted to give this a try. The KFC branch in Malabon no longer delivers to our area for some reason (why?!? ) so we had to go to their store to order.

To prepare ourselves for this spicy experience, my nanay and I bought KFC Krushers too. She picked the Strawberry Lush yogurt Krusher, I got the Kookies n’ Cream. We ended up finishing them off before our orders were completed. It’s ‘cause of the weather!

There are more new Krushers flavors now and I want to try the rest next time we go to KFC. I’ll order the Mocha Krunch, Rockin’ Road or their Christmas Krushers Winter Berry and Dulce de Leche. The classic Krushers are priced at Php 65; yoghurt ones are at Php 75, while the minis are at Php 45.

I really hope they include us again in their delivery areas. Sorry, can’t get over the fact that just a month ago, they still deliver and now, they can’t anymore.

Last week, we were at SM Sky Garden to try something from the list of Starbucks Philippines new food items this Christmas 2011. We ordered a slice of their Triple Decker Cheesecake with Snickers (Php 130 / slice, Php 1,250 whole) because the name just sounds so delectable.

It’s a 3-layer cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust, caramel, chocolate fudge icing and chunks of Snickers candy bar mixed in, topped with roasted chopped peanuts. Being a Snickers chocolate lover, I enjoyed every bit of this. The mixed textures in my mouth lingered ‘til we got home.

We also ordered two (2) of their delightful seasonal drinks – the new Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha for me and Peppermint Mocha for Ken.

The Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha is a combination of, as the name implies, white chocolate, freshly steamed milk, and topped with a generous serving of whipped cream, a tart cranberry drizzle and crystallized cranberry sugar. I enjoyed sipping it as it’s not too sweet even with all the extra sugar added. Or maybe I just have a sweet tooth, I don’t know. Try it and let me know.

We can’t help but admire how Kentucky Fried Chicken or simply KFC remains at the top of their game in the fast-food industry. One key strategy to their success is innovation. People from KFC Philippines are not afraid to experiment. Every now and then they come out with their latest creations which are quick to become huge knockouts to KFC-fans nationwide. Remember that only a few months ago, we all went gaga over the California Maki Twisters and their Double-Down Burgers (also released in other countries), and now comes another surprise – the KFC Tower Burger.

KFC Tower Burger: Php 110.00 (Ala carte) or Php 140.00 (with Fries and Drinks)

The KFC Tower Burger, proudly standing at 2 1/2 inches tall, is layer after layer of So Good – an Original Recipe chicken fillet, blanketed by a layer of premium cheese, topped of with a crispy hash brown, dressed with lettuce and mayo,  and sandwiched by two halves of a sesame seed bun!

I really had a hard time finishing the burger by myself in one sitting, so just imagine my shock when I was challenged to devour the whole thing in under two minutes! My inner competitive self took the best of me, so I gladly accepted the challenge. Bring it on!

Here’s a recording of my attempt to demolish the tower:

The challenge is to completely finish the KFC Tower Burger in 2 minutes or less to get a chance of winning a trip for two to Singapore and witness the 2011 Formula 1 Night Race.

So do you think you can beat my record time of 1 minute and 47 seconds OR even make it before the timer hits 2 minutes? If yes, then what are you waiting for? Go get yourself a KFC Tower Burger and start demolishing!

How to Join:

1. Buy one KFC Tower Burger.
2. Take a video of yourself eating the Tower Burger in 2 minutes or less. For video to be considered valid or qualified, it must show:
   • That 1 Tower Burger is completely consumed within 2 minutes.
   • The video is not edited, cut, or spliced together.
3. Upload video on YouTube.
4. After the successful upload, get the YouTube URL of your video and enter it into the KFC Demolish the Tower Facebook App, together with your name, mailing address, email address, and mobile number.

Note: Deadline of uploading of videos is on September 16, 2011 (12 midnight).

Good luck! For more info, check KFC’s Facebook Page.

Update: I found boxes of Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich at SM Hypermarket today (December 22, 2011) so I guess this is now widely available. Yayy!

A few weeks ago, there was this hype in our local internet scene over the Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich. Yes, from the same people who brought us the Hansel Mocha Sandwich. Being a cheese lover, this new snack intrigued me a lot, especially when I saw a growing number of bloggers joining the meme (see here) where they take a photo of themselves with a box of these cheesy delight.

So, I was convinced. I just had to taste it! When we were at Ortigas for a friend’s birthday party, we saw a 7-11 branch near the area. We headed off there and luckily found 2 boxes of this baby.

I took the photo right at the counter, beside the barcode scanners at the 7-11 branch.

Each box only costs Php 37.00 and most people have reported that it’s only available at 7-11 stores in the Metro. Here’s what you get inside, or at least 3/4 of it as I couldn’t help but gobble up about 3 pieces while I was taking photos at home.