A Magical and Musical New Year's Eve in Makati!

MAKATI BARES PLANS FOR MAGICAL, MUSICAL NEW YEAR'S EVE COUNTDOWN

posted by : icrd on 12/07/2011

After a two-year hiatus, the New Year’s Eve Countdown in Makati is poised for a spectacular comeback this year with a non-stop concert featuring famous bands, a magical show, a pyro-musical display, and a raffle draw offering a brand new luxury car as the grand prize, among the events lined up by the organizers.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay said the countdown will be mounted at the intersection of Ayala and Makati Avenues with the theme, ‘Magical, Musical Makati 2012’, where revellers will be enthralled by the magic tricks of Jeffrey Tam and entertained by the performances of Antimano Band, Bloom Brothers, Grupong Pendong, The Dawn, The Company, and many more.

“The city government and its private sector partners are pulling out all the stops to ensure that this year’s New Year’s Eve Countdown will outshine all previous countdowns we had staged.  We aim to derive the utmost enjoyment of residents, visitors and tourists, especially those who have missed it for the past two years and are excited to once again take part in the festivities,” Binay said.

The mayor also said that the event offers the public a safe yet exciting way to welcome the New Year with renewed hope and optimism, and provides a venue for the people of Makati to come together and give thanks to the Almighty for all the blessings received in 2011.

This early, major hotels in the city are coming up with special New Year’s Eve packages, and are expected to be fully booked on December 31. 

At the countdown, food booths of traders from the Ayala Center, Salcedo Weekend Market, and the major hotels in the city will provide revellers with a wide variety of Media Noche choices for the traditional New Year’s Eve meal. Six five-star hotels will also provide catering for invited VIP guests.

Meanwhile, mime performers, clowns and fire dancers will be doing their acts along the main stage area to add to the festive atmosphere.  

In between the performances will be a series of raffle draws with valuable prizes and a brand new luxury car as grand prize.  A 15-minute grand pyro-musical show will cap the countdown to usher in the New Year.

This year’s event is also expected to raise funds for Makati Festivals Foundation. The Foundation fund has been used in various relief assistance operations in calamity-stricken communities.

The Makati New Year’s Eve Countdown is supported by Ayala Land and Makati Commercial Estate Association (MACEA).  

***please note that I just got this news from Makati's Official Website. For further information, click here.

****So what do you think? Are we ready to par tey here in Makati??? :D

xoxo,

Yeps

Do You Know the Most Famous Korean Fried Chicken in Town?

This is just going to be a quick review about the most raved about Korean fried chicken in town as of the moment. 

Bonchon is the name if you are looking for a quick Korean food fix for your tummy. If you are still not aware about this latest fast food that I am talking about, then you might as well head to Ayala Triangle Gardens or to the nearest Bonchon branch in your place.

Their famous fried chicken is really a winner because they were able to maintain the crispiness of the chicken even if some kind of coating or some sauce just like in buffalo wings was applied on the chicken. You can choose between soy garlic and hot and spicy for your Bonchon chicken. I chose hot and spicy since I like to eat spicy stuffs. It was indeed very scrumptious and tasty. I also ordered chapchae since that is my favorite Korean noodle dish. Bonchon's chapchae did not disappoint me as well. All in all, it's good food I must say. However, I also have a couple of "room for improvement" things that I would like to say. First is that the price could have been a bit more less expensive or if not, the serving size or the chicken size could have been quite bigger. And second, the branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens could have been much bigger. But in totality, I will definitely go back to Bonchon and I am also recommending it to all those who are looking for a new place to try.

Just thinking about it makes me drool!

Yum-O!

As of the moment, Bonchon has 2 branches in Makati and 7 more outside the city. 

Bonchon Crispy Chicken

AYALA TRIANGLE GARDENS

Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Ave. Bel-Air

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 621-6130

GREENBELT

Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 519-8438

KATIPUNAN

Katipunan Ave

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 442-1818

LIBIS

Acropolis, along E.Rodriguez, Libis

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 655-1818

PROMENADE

G/F Greenhills Promenade

San Juan, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 661-1818

ROBINSONS GALLERIA

Robinsons Galleria, EDSA cor Ortigas Ave

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 477-181

SM MEGAMALL

UG/F SM Megamall, Bldg. A, Doña Julia Vargas Ave.

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 451-1818

SHANGRI-LA PLAZA MALL

LG/F Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA cor Shaw Blvd

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 696-1818

UNIVERSITY MALL

University Mall, Taft Ave, Malate

Manila, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 516-1818

New Bombay: A Great Place to Try Indian Food for First Timers

Namaste! A few weeks ago, Riju and I went out to buy some groceries and after that, we have decided to check out Food Choices in Glorietta 4 for some great dishes that will silence our then grumbling stomachs.

We usually settle for World Chicken the moment we reached the food court because the food there is simply yummy! Having mentioned World Chicken, I just realized that I have not bragged about this favorite fast food chain yet and that I will have to add it in my what-to-write-about list. Anywho, going back, so instead of Riju settling for some World Chicken, I actually told him to check out the Indian restaurant that has a stall in Food Choices too so that he can see it for himself and probably order his dinner from there as well. So off he went and there on the other side of Food Choices, Riju finally saw New Bombay and of course, he ended up buying his meal from there. I have also decided to give it a shot and below are the foodies that we tried.

The color of a typical curry dish in India is different from our usual yellow green type of curry. 

Another shot of the Mutton Biryani.

Riju said that an authentic Chicken Tandoori is baked in a traditional brick oven.

The other two food that did not have solo shots are the garlic rice and the chapati.

That's Riju checking out the menu in New Bombay

So how was the food? Overall, everything tasted great. The mutton curry was very tender and the taste was really nice. Also, according to Riju the seasoning was almost close to the mutton curry that people eat in India. As for the Chicken Tandoori, I thought it will be bland and would taste dry because it kind of looked like that. However, I was surprised to find out that the chicken is actually tasty and somehow juicy. The chapati bread was also okay. Even the sweet lassi, a famous Indian drink that is yogurt/curd based that I ordered is very refreshing. But it came in a white plastic container so I didn't bother taking a picture of it.

Our entire experience was good and every food that we ordered did not disappoint us. Moreover, the price of the menu is not really pricey although again, the portions can improve a bit more. In addition to that, we can see ourselves coming back for more although we wish that the serving size will be a bit more generous in the future. Lastly, I can recommend this place to all those who are thinking of giving Indian food a try.

Moving forward, aside from the branch that they have in Food Choices, New Bombay also has other branches that are scattered all over the metro. If you want to find out more about this restaurant, just read the available details I made for you below.

New Bombay


GLORIETTA 4
Food Choice Glorietta 4, Ayala Center
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines


GLORIETTA 3
G/F Glorietta 3 Ayala Center
Makati, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 986-8622


THE COLUMNS
Tower 1 G/F The Columns, 6821 Ayala Ave. cor. Gil Puyat Brgy. Bel - Air
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 901-3275


GREENBELT 2
Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 757-1704


SALCEDO VILLAGE
G/F, Sagittarius Bldg. III, 312 H.V. Dela Costa St. Salcedo Village
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 819-2892

Oh! And before I forget, I just want to apologize for the quality of the photos available on this post. I was starving the moment the food arrived so I just quickly snap some shots and started digging in so there.

Have You Been To Dillingers 1903 Before?

If your answer to the title of this entry is a no, then keep on reading so that you can get a good idea on what Dillingers 1903 is all about and if you should be including it in your must-check-out list.

Dillingers 1903 Steak and Brew is a bistro that is really more of a bar rather than a place for people to dine in. It is located on the third floor level of Greenbelt 3. It is at the farthest right corner of the building so it is pretty easy to find but tricky to locate especially for people like Riju and I who do not often go to that place.

The reason why we had one of our date nights there is because we bought some vouchers online that offer a 50% off discount on a P500 worth of food at Dillingers. What really made us go for the vouchers is the fact that this bistro offers some mouthwatering dishes such as the USDA Angus Ribeye Steak that Riju is dreaming about.

The vouchers are only valid til November 30, 2011, yesterday that is. The good thing is that I was able to check our voucher collection (yes, we or at least I am a voucher addict) a couple of weeks ago or else, our vouchers would have just expired, our money went to waste and worst of all, we didn't get to try those yummy foodies!

Anyway, so off we went to Greenbelt 3 last Sunday and boy were we surprised to find out that Dillinger's only have four dining tables inside the restaurant and it's either you wait until those tables become empty or you just sit on one of those bar stools that people who booze usually sat on. We totally did not expect that so it was kind of a minus point for Dillingers.

And as we surveyed the place, nobody even bothered to welcome us and offered us some seat that we had to call the attention of a staff about how we can get us some comfy seats and all that. I mean, come on, it was just 5 in the afternoon that time and I saw a lot of staff over there but nobody can welcome and usher in customers? It's not even a huge place for us to not get someone's attention.

So okay, I was able to talk to one of the Dillingers' staff and told him that I called in earlier for a reservation because it was written on the fine print of the deal to call at least 2 days ahead before dining in. However, he told me that they do not honor reservations if you are going to use a voucher. Geez~ What's the point of having a fine print written about the deal? I did not bother making a scene about it since I'm too hungry to get angry so I just let it be.

About our seats, I realized that each table is actually made up of two separate tables connected together to make it look bigger. A couple was kind enough to share their extra table to us so we managed to make ourselves comfy on their very plushy seats. So we're ready to order our food!

Our initial order was made up of one USDA Black Angus Ribeye Steak for Riju and  one Fillet Mignon for me. And guess what? At 5pm in the afternoon, they said that they ran out of Fillet Mignon already! Seriously?! Anyway, I had no choice but to order another dish so I went for the Pan Seared Salmon. It was a pretty long wait before our food were served to us but maybe that is really the actual cooking time needed in order for our food to be perfect so I won't complain about that part. Aside from the two dishes we had, I also ordered some buffalo wings and a Bacardi Mai Tai.

The verdict about the food? Riju's steak was humongous! It was nicely cooked just the way Riju wants it, medium rare that is. And I think that even the regular price of the steak is quite reasonable compared to other restaurants. As for my Pan Seared Salmon, it's also nice and my fish was perfectly cooked. Even the thick creamy sauce that came with it was nice. The only problem I had with it is when it comes to plating. I think it was too plain. Haha! So much for watching too many cooking competitions on the telly. The buffalo wings? I like it's hotness although I'm not a fan of the sauce really. It's ok. And the Mai Tai? Well, it's my first time to have that so I really can't compare it with other Mai Tais but the taste reminded me of the medicine I used to take when I was still a kid. LOL!

And how much was our bill? Well, what do you know! We bought 3 vouchers which means that we have P1500 worth of Dillingers food and we consumed a total of P1497 worth of foodies. So we knew we were able to maximize the vouchers we bought.

Will we come back at Dillingers again?  Probably yes and that is mainly because of their reasonably priced and tasty dishes. Although I really hope that when that time comes, all the crews are well trained when it comes to not only taking orders of customers but more importantly in receiving arriving customers. Remember, first impression lasts.

Will I recommend it to others? Hmm, most probably a yes again. Although I will most likely give them a run down about our dining experience there.

It was actually USDA "BLACK" Angus Rib Eye Steak. This is a huge serving I must say.

My order. The taste is quite good although I still want my fillet mignon.

The bar area where booze in different colored bottles can be found. 

Dillingers' pretty chandelier

Oh! Before I forget, there is actually this one Dillingers crew who really brought down the house when it comes to customer service. He was always cheerful when taking down our orders and checking us up if we need something and what not. Too bad I forgot his name. I even made a mental note to write down his name (was it Rap?) here just in case the Dillingers management chanced upon this blog entry that I made.

So there. Decide for yourself!

If you want to give Dillingers 1903 a try, check out the information below.

Dillingers 1903 Steak and Brew

Greenbelt 3, 3rd Level
Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St., Ayala Center
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: (+63 2) 391-7978
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 11:00am to 4:00am

What Topics Do You Want GetLostInMakati To Tackle?

As much as I want this blog site to be the perfect place to share my adventures in Makati with others, I also want to know what my readers (and even future followers) would want me to talk about that is of course related to Makati.

This is because I believe that not only will I know what my readers would like to see in my blog site but it will also give me an idea on what are the other things that I can explore and experience in this dynamic city.

So tell me my dear reader, what are things that you want to see being talked about here in GetLostInMakati? =)

xoxo,
Yeps