Ignite @ Il Terrazzo

Il Terrazzo has been one of my refuges for my Yogurt cravings since it opened years ago. I go there a lot on weekends and every time I work out in Fitness First at ABS CBN. I know how fun it is but I didn't know there was something more up there! Good thing IGNITE @ Il Terrazzo happened a few days ago and I was up for a night of partying. Friends were also there so I really did have fun!

Here's one of the first shots with Catch, John, Nicole, Ange, Vergil and Hezron at Il Terrazzo.

Vergil, Mikki Galang, Nicole Santos, John and Rovie :)

DJ Callum David was there to man the music! He's not just a pretty face, he's very talented and he got us jumping up and down. We were partying so hard that evening!

Some more pretty people in the crowd!

Gorgeous people, overflowing booze, great music plus awesome food choices all in one place. That's IL TERRAZZO for you! I had so much fun and met some new friends, I'm looking forward to see more of these guys, gals, celebrities and people from the fashion industry to frequent the happiest, happening place this side of Quezon City, hail IL TERRAZZO baby!

For those who want to experience parties or celebrate their birthday or just plain want to have fun just go to IL TERRAZZO at Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Philippines (Right in front of former Hard Rock Cafe/Pier One in Tomas Morato). They are open for business Mon - Sat: 11:00 am - 12:00 am and Sun:    12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm.

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Il Terrazzo

Bai Yok Authentic Thai Cuisine

Tomas Morato has been more or less saturated with restaurants and bars since the 90's and pretty much has been so hard to go to because they don't have ample amount of parking in the area. I don't mind going there on foot because it's a skip and a hop away from where I live. We just discovered a very nice spot to chill out at the corner of Scout Castor in Tomas Morato Avenue where Thai Food comes at a very affordable price. It's called Bai Yok and together with Anton of Pusangkalye.net and his wife; we dined with the owner himself.

The Interiors

Although I find the place a little lacking in that Thai presence they have some key pieces that you can say was pretty well executed. The main dining floor I guess just had the basics. They don't have that much lounging chairs, but the dining hall was okay. You get to eat the food that you want with a bunch of friends and the place doesn't get that pretty crowded; which in my books is perfect because I don't like places that are too noisy/you hear everyone else next table.

For those holding small parties or private lunch/dinners they have this loft you can go up to so can enjoy the privacy whilst seeing the busy streets of Tomas Morato in the evening.

Now I can't say the space is bare because they've got it painted and all but I feel it can still be jazzed up. The owner himself says he's planning to move next door so he can get a bigger space in the works. They'll get their Pinoy inasal restaurant and this Thai one together so people can order with one or the other. Honestly, I said they should charge more for their food because once I took a peek at their menu (plus the amount of their servings), nothing was actually more than 300 pesos. Imagine that!

The Food

Now let's start salivating and check out what they have on their menu. Thai Milk Tea for starters just got our thirst quenched at an affordable price of 85 pesos (don't quote me on that but the price is on that level). I don't know why but I felt the thing is under priced, when I saw the rest you'll know what I'm talking about.

I love Green Papaya Salad and this Som Tam was definitely a perfect way to accompany what we're about to eat that evening. This is so nice, fresh, crunchy and chewy. It was really reminiscent of the one I ate in Bangkok but had thicker strips of papaya here. The nuts and tomatoes just gives you that extra something for texture. I would love to have this again when I invite my folks for dinner. Would you imagine this only costs 100 pesos? See what I mean by being underpriced? You won't see pretty stuff like this for that amount honestly.

For those who don't eat catfish like me or Anton, having this is just nirvana. They ground the meat up and make this crunchy concoction together with mangoes, tomatoes and sprigs of Cilantro. You can opt out cilantro if you're not much a lover of it like me. But a hint of it won't be bad. This is so awesome that I didn't get to taste it because Anton ate it all! LOL It's his favorite! It's as authentic as it can get! It's called Yam Pladuk and costs only almost the same as the Papaya Salad.

Spring Rolls, just the mere mention of that dish's name made me think of this. The vegetables that they harvest plus the rice noodles inside a crispy brown crusted wrap that's light and filling just makes this the perfect appetizer I had three of these! It's called Popiatort in Thai and I love how it stays not that oily. It only costs 170. Mind you it's big and fit for about 3 people in one serving, unless you can't get enough of it. :)

If you don't get this one off the menu, you'll be sorry. The Bagoong Rice or fondly called as Khao Pad Kra Pi at P145.00 is just amazing. I don't care who you're with on a date but just get this one. It's authentic because they import ingredients from Bangkok. It's not salty at all.The price point is another thing, I don't have to tell you how much again because no matter what the price is you should taste this. It's from another world and I loved it. I just didn't show too much excitement out of decorum for the owner and I suggested them to feature this one and a couple of other things on their menu.

Sold in a bowl of rich hot and sour goodness is this Tom Yum Soup. It's a staple in every Thai restaurant and by the looks of it it had me just love it bowl after bowl. Mind you I am allergic to seafood but how can I pass out on this? Seriously?! This is one of the relatively pricier items in their menu, but at 230 pesos, would you call that expensive? Aren't you just excited to take a hot bowl of this on a rainy day. Oh my.

If that wasn't enough, take a look at this Mixed Seafood Noodle Soup that's got almost every thing in it. It tastes light and refreshing, perfect for those who prefer a soupy thing to end the night after a drinking spree in Tomas Morato. #NoToHangovers. This cost almost the same as Tom Yum but less the spicy kick. It's best for ladies who prefer a subtle, strong flavored, comforting soup right after a night out on a date. ;)

You can't get enough of Thai food if you have this on your menu. This is the famous Pad Thai and just look at how they intricately prepare each of these items on the menu. The Pad Thai had that perfect chewy noodles and crunchy veggies, peanuts, plus that sweet sugar mixed altogether with strips of egg in this dish. Their version wasn't too spicy and just had the chili on the side. This would be great for those non adventurous types who just need a fix of Thai flavor because you can choose how much fire you put into the plate. I love spicy food so if you are like me I'd add more of that kick into it. This only costs 200 pesos for this huge serving. It can probably get 2 or 3 people in one plate. I had this together with something special. Just look at the picture and see something to rave about!

This ladies and gentlemen is their Sampaloc Shake. Yes you heard that right. If you haven't had one yet it's time you do and it was something totally unexpected for me. I LOVE THIS! When I go back to Bai Yok this is something that I would totally order right off the bat. It was sweet, sour, almost velvety consistency and just had the right balance of flavors you would expect from Samapaloc. If you had your share of Tamarind from Bangkok and got the best ones, just imagine that made into a sweet drink and you'll know what I'm talking about. I almost had a heart attack out of excitement over this single drink and found something that I'd recommend you guys to try in this restaurant. It's one of the best drinks I've ever tasted in Manila and if you don't mind, please make the trip down Tomas Morato and get one of these for me will you?! :) Sorry about the photo (coz I drank it already LOL) I just can't help but taste it first before judging it best drink in Manila! For health buffs they have Ampalaya Shake also, I didn't get to try it because of time constraints but Anton raved about it. You should try that out too!

 

If you want to go to Bai Yok and get that Authentic Thai Food crave out of your system, just visit them at Tomas Morato Corner Scout Castor. It's right beside the 7-11 store and the big Teriyaki Boy at the front of Roces Avenue. You can probably get to park there if the slots in front of the store is full.

Capisce?!


For more information:

Visit their store

Bai Yok Authentic Thai Cuisine
185 Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Scout Castor
Quezon City
(+63 2) 475-8828
(+63 2) 788-7707







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Baiyok Thai Cuisine

America's Next Top Model Cycle 19 on ETC!

School starts in the US but these ladies are suiting up for different reasons as America's Next Top Model Cycle 19 premiers August 29, 2012 for the "College Edition". Watch as 13 ladies from different parts of the US ages 18-23 strut it out on the runway in the hopes of becoming the next winner of this season.

Who will win the fashion spread of a leading magazine, 100,000 dollars and an exclusive modeling contract from one of the most reputable agencies in the world? We still don't know but we should always should stay tuned as Tyra Banks, Kelly Cutrone, and Rob Evans choose who's in it or out of it plus see how you fit into the puzzle as popular Filipino blogger Bryanboy gets to be the Social Media correspondent and gets the say of the people as a fourth judge, isn't that amazing?

America's Next Top Model Cycle 19 will air on ETC at 8PM sharp! Don't you dare miss it!

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8 Artists x Bench x Dimensione x Secret Fresh x Magis

Art is subjective, and so is interior design. Honestly, I'm not an expert on the subject because my standards are pretty high. When I see something nice it'll have the credit its due but in all the right places; it must be special. That's why I always want to be in Dimensione. They've literally given us a choice and a taste of what modern European aesthetic is.

Now this "Wonder Puppy" over here has been an iconic piece for Magis and they did a spin on it via the artists listed above. We have very talented people; and seeing our work instilled on pieces like this would just be proper. The artists themselves believe that this has been a great collaboration between them, Dimensione, Secret Fresh and Magis. We were up for a big surprise later on. I even saw some interesting items on the store so I had to take tons of photos!

These are actually chairs. Pretty cool stuff if you had this on your garden or maybe on your own room. It has this psychedelic vibe.

For people who love cats, isn't this a neat bunch? :) I already want one hehe

This I gotta have! It's uber cute and you have to sit on top of him which surprisingly is comfortable. I thought it was gonna be awkward but no!

I love the transparent pieces too that look like glass. Some of them (MAGIS brand from Italy) you can only find at their store.

These are stunning pieces all available at Dimensione in Bonifacio High Street and who couldn't resist looking at those accent/big pieces that's all made of plastic. Aren't they just cute? Plus this ladder looking storage cabinets look really good, I'd want to have some on my home.

 I also met some of my favorite Fashion blogger friends. Of course some of us had fun in the space too because the chairs were really awesome!

That's besties Jacob of http://www.projectjacobg.blogspot.com/ and Angel of http://wonderwomanrises.blogspot.com/ on the great spinning top chair. You can tell they were having fun!

Arnie of http://www.arnievillanueva.com/, Ana of http://www.anagonzales.com/, Raiza of http://misspopquiz.tumblr.com/, Paul of http://paultheprguy.blogspot.com/ and Paxieness of  http://www.aisaipac.com/. That was a mouthfull LOL!

She's April (sorry I don't know her blog), Hezron of http://hezronperalta.tumblr.com/, Jacky of http://jmoraleda.blogspot.com/, Angel and Jacob again, Verge of http://rightontheverge.blogspot.com/ and the lovely Rovie of http://thebargaindoll.blogspot.com. I'll have to really get to memorize their names after this post hehe. (More photos here)

Back to the event, Patty Laurel hosted. She's so simple and nice no? I should have talked to her but she was busy doing this gig. She also introduced people from Magis and Secret Fresh.

They very much explained the brand and how the collaboration came up. They tapped esteemed artists from around the country just so they could get different looks. Imagine how they jazzed up the ordinary white puppy!

When the curtains came up there was a huge display of the puppies! Imagine the smile on everybody's faces when we saw the artworks! Each piece is also for sale, and I think there are some more in their store. You should definitely get a hold of these!

This is the Magis Wonder Puppy which is made into "The Anti -Monochrome Puppy" by Tripp 63. He's a self taught artist. His previous work and art pieces involved graffiti and spray painting. Colorful eh?

This one is from Electrolychee. I hope you can still see the etchings on the puppy itself. It's quite nice since he drawed inspiration from agimat, or charms via computer generated vector art. It's quite symbolic in execution. You should see the details personally the photo just won't do justice. This one is entitled "Upong Otso Singkwenta Lamang"

This gorgeous one is called "Sta.Cruz" by Wesley Valenzuela. This is his homage to the Philippine Jeepney and his hometown Sta. Cruz in Manila. He does mixed media and a lot of things on his artwork. We'll need an encyclopedia to discuss what he's done lately but you get it right? Isn't this nice? :)

Shiny and galactic this piece is entitled "The Green Guardian" by Farley Del Rosario. He's won awards and had some of his work featured abroad. No doubt this was one of the nicest pieces I've seen in the event. Maybe this implies the planet we live in and this hero will probably be protecting it. Nice eh?

 I saw this lady in high heels come in while the event started, I didn't know she was the artist who made this whimsical piece that's got toy soldiers all around it. It was really nice to look at and you won't see the soldiers when you're far looking at it like this. You need to look closely and know the reason why she named it "Rally". Mimi Tecson is into art crafts and had made pieces that had symbolism and sentimental value for her. She's done a lot of reconstructive ones that made her work a bit fancy. Isn't this nice? =)

Among all the pieces I loved this monsterized piece by Nemo Aguila. He's done several pieces in the past and he's doing a lot on this style. Shocking, very unique and quite astounding. I love the eyes and the mouth on front and on both sides. He called this one "Ponkan". It's funny, weird and I like it!

This one was made by Whoop. As you can see it's quite a piece for women and children. It's soft and the color palette followed a group that's totally different I could imagine teletubbies would love this. It would be perfect for a kids or maybe a babies room right? Whoop loves pastels, candies and things on this genre. It's definitely an eye catcher now.

They say you can never go wrong with re-interpretation if you did something from the ground up, so this piece made of the same wood Sto. Nino's are made of was designed by Janus Design Studios. They call this "Stray" which appropriately stands for going out of the line, or going out of the box. I guess they proved their point and got this awesome woodsy art piece that was in the center of it all. They had a fan club when the exhibit opened too! =)

Here are the artists and the birthday boy himself Mr. Ben Chan! Congratulations on the Magis Wonder Puppy - Secret Fresh and Dimensione collaboration! This truly spelled a great meeting of minds and talent. This is what you call success!

For more information where you can get these items

You may visit their store at 

Dimensione
Unit 901 Quadrant 5 Block 6 BGC,
Taguig, Metro Manila
TEL NO: (632) 8566756
FAX NO: (632) 8566755

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PS I swear this could have been the time I would meet Ms Daphne, but she was stuck in traffic in South Superhighway and didn't get to the event. Hopefully soon! :)