altMNL presents: Top Ten Midnight Mercato Musts

It’s 12AM – you’re in the city after a hard day’s work, or maybe it’s your lunchtime, or maybe the barkada hanged around a little bit too much and now you’re out-of-your-wits hungry. Tired of the usual 24-hour places, you scour the city for something more filling, something more affordable, and something new to the senses. There’s no other place that will satisfy your (or your crazy barkada’s) need at this time of the day better than the midnight market.

But lets face it: it can be quite a challenge (and a little tiring) to go through all the stalls to find out what’s hot and what’s not. Fear not, awesome readers! Your ALTteam is here to bring you the top 10 bites from Midnight Mercato and Mezza Norte: two of the metro’s jampacked midnight markets.

Read on and you can thank us later!

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You guys!! It’s my first article on our new blog altMNL. Hope you can drop by for a visit! Thank you so much!!

Celebrations means…

ALCOHOL! Well, for the sober lots of food. But for us, izz beer!

I am not the biggest beer drinker there is (I know, sucha wuss) but thanks to friends who seem to have a knack for victimizing me for beer bong, I finally acquired the taste for it. My favorite beer would be the apple-flavored one and strong ice variants…

And so, as San Miguel Corporation launched their newest marketing slash corporate social responsibility program (a month ago, actually, oops this is part of the backlog list on steroids) it advocates to promote tourism through featuring local, major and minor, fiestas around the country! Get ready as SMB will be there from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao!

Along with this, they launch a new website too which tells more about this program, and has advanced features when you register. You get to access the BEER LOCATOR, which pretty does what it’s named (#sabaw) and the ITINERARY PLANNER which helps you plan a trip to wherever in the 7,107 islands of the Philippines!

For more information, you may log on to (and do register, too!) at http://smb7107celebrations.com.ph/

Maginhawa is home

It’s a pretty accurate map of what’s what of Maginhawa street here in Teacher’s Village, where I currently taking refuge work. And oh, you see there my humble favorite tea shop, Moonleaf. And some other favorites like Tomato Kick, Combi (now defunct, but replaced by another favorite Zugbu,) and The Pino Kitchen group (with Pipino and BRGR Project.) They should really add the recently opened Kowloon siomai stand in front of BRGR Project!

Will be doing a Top 10 list of Teacher’s Village finds! Any suggestions?

Maginhawa street map by Rogue Magazine

You had me at bacon

I JUST CANNOT THINK STRAIGHT NOW BECAUSE ICE CREAM HAS BACON NOW. Bring me to Sebastians NOW, please?

Globe Tatt Awards Night

Really felt special when they sent my ticket to the office. And izzo pretty!

Keynote speaker Gang Badoy

Stylisimo finalist Divine Lee, who called me fierce that night – kinilig lang ako haha

Chuckie, Yen, and Kring

Team Globe reprezent!

What even more special was the menu was made by Margarita Fores of Cibo di M! Couldn’t pass up the opportunity for this!

Visualizer finalist Nina Sandejas – I really love your hair, qurl!

Visualizer winner, 1/2 of EWWS, Garovs Garovillo

BECKY NIGHTS!

Mini Timballo “Al Forno”: baked rectangular dome penne pasta, grilled melanzane, organic Negros mozarella with zucchine, Philippine ham, pink tomato cream and pesto drizzle

Halibut in “Cartoccio”: fennel & Onion confit, Sagada orange, Tagaytay haricot vert

The highlight of my night: watching last year’s Indie Rocker Up Dharma Down! I still get kilig!!!! And they played new songs… I can’t wait for their new album!

We have to give it to Globe for having the best nights ever! That night when they awarded the raddest rockstar of the Philippine online world (where basically all of us are citizens) all the raddest netizens (syempre kame din, rad chos!) came and lauded these personalities which made an impact on their chosen fields of influences. I am so honored that I have been invited to witness this [online] historical moment, though admittedly some of the winners are not my bets. BUT HEY! Congrats to them. Maybe next your me and you can be the next American Idol! Ay mali, I mean… The raddest of them all!

• Stylisimo – Cecile Van Straten (chuvaness.com)
• #ThoughtMover – Kimpoy Feliciano (@kimpoyfeliciano)
• Video Slinger Award – Real-life couple Jamyhille and Paolinne Michelle, more popularly known as JAMICH (youtube.com/JamichTV).
• The Visualizer – Ryan Vergara and Garovs Garovillo, of Everywhere we Shoot (everywhereweshoot.com).
• The Advocate – PAWS (facebook.com/pawsphilippines)
• Indie Rocker – Gloc-9 (facebook.com/glocdash9)
• The Explorer – Bogart The Explorer (facebook.com/bogarttheexplorer)
• Game Changer – Jinoe Gavan of takbo.ph
• Tech Junkie – Jason de Villa, of technoodling.net

Spicing up this year’s Tatt Awards is the string of special awards:
Trending superstars Gandang Gabi Vice of Vice Ganda won the award for #Trending TV; Chico, Dela Mar and Gino Quillamor of Morning Rush for #Trending Radio and Jake Galvez, Matt Gozun, Buern Rodriguez and Divine Lee of Becky Nights for #Trending Podcast.

Singer-actress Julie Anne San Jose was also a big winner at the Tatt Awards receiving the People’s Choice Award and Trending Personality. GMA-7’s Think Before You Click Campaign received the Safe Surfer Award for their advocacy towards responsible internet usage. The award was received by Howie Severino, Editor in Chief of GMA News Online.

Receiving the Freshest Award are Robbie Becroft (robbieoffduty.com) and foodie blogger Pepper.ph while The Prodigy Award went to teen YouTube crooner Luigi Yotoko.

Binalot now at Multiply.com!

It’s the rainy season already, and I admit skipping meals (YES, I HAVE THOSE DAYS, stop looking at my love handles) because I’m so lazy to go out and buy food. I can’t live on McChicken Nuggets and Iced Coffee alone (though, I love nuggets.) So in times of desperation and utter craving for your Filipino food favorites, there’s Binalot on Multiply!

Finally, Filipino food is at your fingertips! Utilizing Multiply’s convenient shopping features, Binalot has partnered with the online shopping brand to bring a taste of home at your doorstep.

Ordering is just so simple! Just follow these hassle-free steps:

• Select PRODUCT from the MENU list
• Choose the QUANTITY and click  the BUY NOW tab
• Provide your EMAIL ADDRESS and SHIPPING ADDRESS
• Choose your PAYMENT OPTION and PLACE YOUR ORDER
• Put DATE/TIME of delivery in the COMMENTS BOX
• Wait for our call to confirm your order

All my Binalot favorites!!! I must admit they have the best tapa in town!

Okay, those last two pictures must have stirred your appetite! Go order now at http://binalot.multiply.com!

Antonio’s at Tagaytay

Before heading out to Nurture Spa Village for the Happiness Boot Camp, we stopped by the famous Antonio’s Restaurant at Tagaytay City. I’ve been meaning to go here, but due to the lack of company, and apparently funds (ohgadasdfghjkl) it never pushes through! I’m really glad we tried it that day… It was all good!

I like the set up inside Antonio’s! It’s an old house converted to a restaurant! There are different table arrangements – from the main dining hall to the garden.

Wedding photo shoot, anyone?

The food was A-OK! Blaming my poor memory for forgetting the names of what we ate! Clearly, I’m not that much of a food blogger now (I almost forgot to take pictures haha) You can view the menu here though! It’s not in the menu, but friends have been telling me they have the perfect sinigang – so that’s what I’m having next time I’m here!

Antonio’s Restaurant
Bgy. Neogan
Tagaytay City, Cavite
(046) 413-0975

Friday Night High

I seriously loooooooooooooooooove Village Tavern at The Fort! I think it’s one of the best new places in town.

Scampi!

Pita sandwiches

Sweet Potato Fries. Seriously and sinfully delicious!

This smoked bacon flatbread pizza is one of the BEST pizzas I’d ever had!

It’s my first time to meet Nikita Conwi of RX 93.1! Sucha nice lass… anyway, comment/vote for her to be the next I am Meg Style Ambassador!

After dinner, we went to Centerstage for some booze and songs! AND JACOB KILLED EVERY SONG HE SANG! He’s so good, I wanna tear his vocal chords off! Haha, I wish I took some vids though…

I miss these people! Been weeks since I last saw them. Get together soon, yes?

What I’m Loving Now: Peach Yakult from Moonleaf Tea Shop

#itsmorefuntoTWEETUP at Relik Tapas Bar