The Ice Hotels August 18, 2008
Posted by James in Architecture, ice hotel.add a comment
Whenever we speak of unique, innovative design what usually comes into mind are structures designed by famous architect such as Frank Ghery, Zaha Hadid, Thom Mayne or Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Their cutting edge designs represents what architecture has achieved in this period. Structures like the Guggenheim museum at bilbao or the birds nest stadium are exceptional achievements of both design and engineering standards.
Technology has been rapidly advancing that a lot of daring and bold designs are popping up all around the world. That is why when I first saw the Ice hotel back in college, I was shocked to see these masterpieces made purely of snow and ice, or a mixture of both which they call snice.
Most hotels are usually built to accommodate the growing number of tourists in a place. Ice hotels on the other hand are built to attract tourists and the same time accommodate them. Even before construction begins on the ice hotel, a lot of people have already made reservations on the unbuilt hotel. Its popularity has been growing since they began building Ice hoetls way back in 1989.
The concept of building a whole hotel made up of “snice” would definitely arouse curiosity in anybodies mind. The mere thought of staying inside structure made of ice, which also include most of its furnishing and fixtures, is like experiencing something which could be found on fairy tales. I would definitely consider these hotels as masterpieces on ice, its too bad though that these structures are only temporary and seasonal.
Bigby’s August 17, 2008
Posted by James in Baby Back Ribs, bigby's, calamaris, fish fillet, fried chicken, pasta, salad.add a comment
A couple of weeks ago my aunt visited us here in cebu and my mom wanted to treat us out for dinner. After we toured my aunt around the northwing of SM city Cebu. We went to bigby’s for dinner.
I must say, I love eating their cause their food tastes great. The only problem is that their prices are also a bit expensive. Maybe it is because their are a lot of restaurants which offers the same food at almost half the price. Well anyway my brothers were the ones who ordered our food and it wasn’t a surprise to me that they ordered a lot of dishes.
It was a good thing though that when we ate their, the restaurant had a promo. We got a free salad cause our order was more than what they specified in their promo. The salad was made up of lean chicken, lettuce, toasted bread, and Parmesan cheese. It was just an appetizer and what made it tastier was the fact that it was totally free.
The next dish that was served was the calamaris or squid rings. The squid was tender in the inside and the covering was crispy and delicious. It also had a large serving and would probably satisfy about 2-3 persons in our case.hehehe
The pasta was served together with the squid and is definitely different from most pastas found on fast food restaurants. It is served with garlic bread and the sauce is packed with meat. The sauce has just the right blend to it is topped with a touch of cheese and herbs.
My mom ordered this fish fillet dish which i wasn’t able to get the name on the menu. I think this dish was on of the tastiest in all the dishes we ordered. Although I am not a big fan of fish dishes but I got to admit that this was very delicious. The fish was very tender and the sauce enhanced the taste of the fish. It was topped with some deep fried potatoes which were more like thin small fries on top of it. The mixture of the sauce, fish and fried crispy potatoe was superb.
Some of the most commonly ordered dishes in Bigby’s are the buttered chicken and their famous baby back ribs. The chicken is ok with me but I would have to say it is not the tastiest fried chicken here in Cebu.
The baby back ribs on the other hand is what I would recommend in this restaurant. The meat is grilled to perfection and the meat can be easily cut off from the bones. The barbecue sauce also complements greatly with the ribs.
All in all I would definitely recommend this restaurant. I would have to give it a 8 out of 10 though. The ambiance of their restaurant are good. The presentation of their dish are also ok. Service would also be ok. The serving of their dish a big which would really be sensible since their name tells it all. The only problem is that although you usually leave this restaurant with a full bulging stomach you also go out with an empty wallet, well maybe that only usually happen in my case. The prices are a bit high, but I guess for me it is worth eating their every once in a while.
– Boy
Cafe De France August 17, 2008
Posted by James in Cafe, Cafe De France, Cebu, Coffee shop, Mandaue, coffeehoue, starbucks.add a comment
Cafe de France is a wifi-zone and the second floor is an internet cafe. Boy even said that their internet cafe is more salable than their coffee. They offer full hearty meals, a variety of cakes and pastries, a so-so selection of coffee blends, and smoothies.
Our order:
- Braso de Mercedes
- Strawberry and Banana Smoothie
- Cafe Mocha
Our total order costs us around Php 280. Yes, Starbucks can charge a bit higher especially when I pair my coffee with a cake however its all worth it.
Location and Staff:
There are several Cafe de France branches in Cebu and you can barely see certified coffee addicts flocking inside it. The location is good and I would have to add that the internet bit is a good one to pull the business through. The chairs are not that comfortable and the framed tarpaulins (of digitized paintings) are not adding any aesthetics either. The staff are not at all accommodating albeit they are fairly fast at serving your orders.
Verdict:
I’d give Cafe de France a grade of 4. I guess from the start of this post, you could already tell that I didn’t enjoy my Cafe de France experience (I already voiced out my verdict to Boy that night, he only smiled nonetheless since he enjoyed the sight of how bumbed out I was after I took a sip of his cafe mocha). I love coffee and the feeling after drinking their blend was, “I can make a better cafe mocha than you”.
– Yaya
Patrick Blanc – Vertical Gardens August 16, 2008
Posted by James in Architecture, Eco design, Eco friendly design, Green Art, Green architecture, Patrick Blanc, Vertical Gardens.add a comment
Going green has inspired me a lot lately. It made me re think about my approach towards architecture. After seeing a lot of stunning eco friendly designs, I was convinced that going green is the next step in achieving a truly efficient and modern building. The designs were exceptional and it took sustainability into consideration.
Cradle to Cradle – Coates Design Architects
The houses featured in The Unbuilt Houses of 2008 of architectural records web site really made me ponder how I could apply sustainability in my design or at least make part of my designs eco friendly.
San Vicente Residence – Pugh + Scarpa
The problem first dawned on me when I tried to design a house which would display and function as an green building. I struggled in applying these concepts in my designs but I never gave up on it. I continued my research regarding eco friendly designs and while I was browsing the net I saw this building with its wall covered with plants. I researched on the designer of the wall and found the name Patrick Blanc. He is a botanist who invented this whole new concept of vertical gardens.
After surfing through some of his works it was only then that I appreciated more the value of his invention. Asides from its aesthetic value it is also functional in the sense that it helps reduce pollution in the environment. I admire his pioneering approach in incorporating plants in enhancing structures. In some cases it becomes the focal point of the building. It is eye catching and yet to my observation the functionality of these vertical gardens surpasses its beauty. The essence of having plants on a structure is highly beneficial to the users and its surrounding environment.
It helps lessens both in air and noise pollution. The plants on the wall significantly reduces heat thus creating a natural insulation for the building. This is significant especially in tropical countries. The plants cooling effect would benefit the users of the building and its adjacent structures since it would lessen the effect of the heat emitted from concrete buildings.
Using plants to cover the surface of the wall is actually not a new technology. What made his invention unique is he was able to create art in using plants as a finish on a vertical wall. I hope in some of my future projects I’ll be able to apply his techniques as a centerpiece to a building. This is truly a striking example of green architecture.
Things we take for granted in life. August 11, 2008
Posted by James in Daily Thoughts.Tags: poverty
2 comments
Last saturday Zenia and me saw an episode of a famous program here in the philippines “Maalaala mo kaya” which mean”could you still remember” or “can you remember” or something like that. The program features real life stories of individual. Most of the time its based on love stories of couples which I really don’t enjoy much. Last Saturday’s episode was unique and very touching.
It is a story about the love of a grandmother with her grandchildren. The title of that episode was “saging”, What captivated me to watch the whole episode is that it made me realize how difficult life is for other people, especially here in the Philippines. You don’t need to go far to realize how difficult life has become for most of my countrymen.
The story revolves around a grandmother who struggles to provide the basic necessities to her grandchildren after their mother has deserted them. The family belonged to the urban poor of society, where a meal a day is even hard to get. What made things worst was that the grandmother had no income, no work and no money.The only thing they had was a shanty in the squatters located near the shore.
The first problem the family faced after the mother of the children left was their immediate need for the food. They even reached a point where in all the grandmother could offer to her grandchildren was water to keep their stomachs full. After realizing their dire situation she tried to find ways to feed her grandchildren. Luckily for them a kind hearted neighbor was able to help them.
The neighbor told the grandmother that she can get free food at the ports where they throw rejected bananas and that she can earn some money picking up garbage at the shores and selling it to scrap yards. The grandmother followed the advice of her neighbor and was at least able provide food for her children. Even though things was difficult for her she made sure that she sent her grandchildren to school in order for them to have a better future.
After watching that episode I tried to reflect on their situation. I couldn’t imagine how she was able to make ends meet with the monthly income she earned which was even less than my daily rate. I now know why my parents are very understanding and helpful to those who are less fortunate. That episode opened my eyes and made me realize how fortunate I am to have what I have right now and that I can make a change in a persons life one way or another.
One thing I learned from my parents is that you don’t need to have a lot of money in order to change a persons life for the better. My parents have already helped a couple of people, who were willing to learn and sacrifice, and finish school. Some of them have changed their life and have become professionals. I think will follow my parents foot steps in the near future.
“Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.” — Confucious
Red Moon Chinese Cuisine and Delicacies August 11, 2008
Posted by James in Chinese Cuisine, Chinese Restaurant, Chinise Dishes, Red Moon, Siomai, chao pat chien, fish fillet, lumpia, pancit, pata, yang chow fried rice.2 comments
Yesterday my family and I spent some quality time together. It has been a while since we had lunch together, things has just been busy the past few months. We decided to eat at the Red Moon restaurant at the paseo arcenas.
When we arrived there, the place was full inside so we decided to eat outside. The place is quiet small considering they usually have a lot of customers, but its a good thing they have extra tables outside. There outdoor tables are nice during the evening and is okay during the day as long as its not scorching hot outside.
After we were accommodated by their staff, we immediately ordered the usual dishes such as siomai, lumpia, pancit and my dad ordered the rest of the dishes. I got to hand it to them, the service there is fast and it doesn’t take long for them to serve your food.
Siomai - the first dish to be sereved was the siomai, which was different from most of the siomai’s here in cebu. Anyway just a small insight regarding siomai, this dish is already very common here since the “Siomai sa Tisa” has been spreading like wild fire in every corner of Cebu.
Anyway back to my topic, what made their siomai unique is they used mostly lean meat compared to other siomais which is rich in fat. Their hot sauce is also good since it is spicy but not too hot. Me and my brothers really loved it that we made an additional order in the middle of our meal.
Price : P42.00 per 3 pcs
Pancit- was the second dish which was served. This dish was okay, there was nothing really special to it except that its really packed with meat and vegetables. If you can you take a look at the picture you can hardly see the noodles in it.hehehe
Price: P 95.00
Fish Fillet & Lumpia Shanghai – were the tastiest dish we ordered there. The fish fillet was delicious and fulfilling. It is crispy on the outside and soft fish meat in the inside.
The lumpia shanghai which is my favorite Chinese dish was also very delicious. In fact we also made an additional order since my younger brother and I ate most of it.
Price:
Fish Fillet – P100.00
Lumpia Shanghai – P 70.00
Yang Chow Fried Rice – it taste just like any normal yang chow fried rice.
Price: P80.00
Chao Pa Chien – it is good and has the right mixture of vegetables, meat, squid balls and the right mix of flavors.
Price: P120.00
Pata – this dish needs a little improvement. If I have to compare it to the other chinese restaurants, this would be at the bottom of the list. It lacks taste and the meat is hard to cut of from the bones.
Price: 180.00
Overall I would give Red Moon a 7/10. Most of the food are delicious and affordable and some are just not worth the price. Their service is good but the ambiance is not conducive for a dating or a romantic dinner.
–boy
Ngohiong Express August 11, 2008
Posted by James in Ngohiong, Ngohiong Express, Siomai, Squid Roll, fried chicken.add a comment
If you are on a tight budget and you want to have a cheap yet satisfying meal go to Ngohiong Express. They have a wide variety of foods to choose from. Their specialties are Ngohiong, Siomai, Tempura, and Squid Roll.
They also have a wide variety of meals which you can order, ranging from tapsilog to sisig. They have a lot of branches and some of their branches are open for 24 hours.
Yaya and me usually stop by at their North Atrium Branch after she gets off from work. This is a fast food restaurant and self service is pretty much what you expect out of this restaurant.
.
Siomai, Ngohiong, Chicken & Squid Roll
The photos above were taken about a year ago and I’ll be updating it with better photos soon.
–Boy
Dessert Factory August 7, 2008
Posted by James in adobo, beef, dessert, dessert factory, ice cream cake, mash potato, pork.add a comment
This post has been sitting at the dark nooks of my computer since last June. Boy has been urging me to write my very first post then; was never really convinced since I was busy with my other blogs and, of course, with work. Anyway, since I enjoyed my Tokyo Joes review, for this post I will be objectively dishing out my criticism when dining at the Dessert Factory.
Well to start with, the Dessert Factory is for people with a sweet tooth. There are all kinds of cheesecake, crème brulée, mango cake, chocolate cake, flourless chocolate cake, banana split cake, carrot cake, chocolate mousse and strawberry truffle. Their split ice-cream cake is an affordable treat of Php 65. You can also sink your taste buds in palatable smoothies and coffee of different kinds.
Our order:
- 1 Beef Ribs Adobado for Boy
- 1 Curry Pork Adobo for Me
- 1 order of Mash Potato for us to divvy up
- 1 Split Ice Cream cake
- 1 Hot Calamansi Juice for Me
- 1 Pineapple Juice for Boy
Boy and I definitely enjoyed our beef and pork; it is not only flavorful but quite tender. We also enjoyed devouring the mash potato. I have to say that their mash potato happens to be one of the best that I have tasted. It is thick, creamy and certainly delightful; a side dish worth my recommendation. Every after meal Boy and I like to drink pineapple or calamansi juice since it helps with the digestion (we are, after all, health conscious). After our hearty meal we guttled the cold split ice cream cake and tasted a hint of strawberry, banana and nuts.
Total Cost of our dinner is Php 535.00 – I’d have to say, a good price for a good meal.
Location and the Staff:
You can find several Dessert Factory restaurants in Cebu, with SM and Ayala (Ayala being the most noteworthy and full of customers) being the most accessible. I have to hand it to their staff for being so accommodating.
The moment you enter, their staff will greet you with a smile and accompany you to your seat; very welcoming.
And you just have to love the Jester’s Hat; it denotes fun and comfort (at least in my opinion).
The Verdict:
I’d give Dessert Factory an 8. The food is excellent, especially the desserts, and I just like the lively and colorful interior. The Jester’s hat is their icing on the cake.
–Yaya
Priorities in my professinal life August 2, 2008
Posted by James in Daily Thoughts.Tags: Architecture, career, law school, priorities
2 comments
Its been a while since my last post, I’ve been really busy these past few months. Right now I’m in a very awkward situation wherein I have to decide if I have to continue doing the things that I know would benefit me in the future or concentrate in the things that I’m passionate about.
Right now I’m faced with the dilemma of what to prioritize. My professional life right now is a bit complicated, I am currently practicing as an Architect and my day job is an architectural visualizer. What complicated my life right now is that I am taking up law which is by the way really neat cause I learned a lot of things which gives me an advantage in dealing with certain problems regarding work, business, or everything that is covered by the law.
What made my life complicated right now is that I have some projects which I have to finish by the end of the month and my mid terms is fast approaching. I used to enjoy the pressure in the past but lately its really affecting me and sometimes I get so cranky that its just unhealthy.
Well if I look at the bright side I’m really glad that Zenia is supporting me with my career and my law school. It just makes things easier for me if she supports me every time I’m stressed out. Anyway I hope that I’ll be able to finish the projects on time and end up with good results and at the same time pass this semester with good grades.
Proposed Restaurant and Internet Cafe August 2, 2008
Posted by James in 3d rendering, Architecture, Bore - X Internet Cafe, Design, Restaurant, Rose Cakehouse, Sun Architects and Associates, Yatz Burger.1 comment so far
This is a design proposal of a restaurant for my uncle and cousin. They are planning to begin construction within this year. This is the second proposal for this project because there was a lot of changes to the required spaces. Construction will be in three phases and will depend on the viability for the expansion.
This is the first phase of the project. I utilized the roof deck for an outdoor restaurant which can also be used as a restobar during the evening or as a function area for birthday party or for wedding receptions. 
