More and More Reasons to Enjoy

How did you spend the Holy Week? I spent mine at home, I was and still am a bit under the weather while cleaning the house. All lunches and dinner were with my dad and youngest brother (with my hubby and little J) for the whole duration, since my mom and other brother weren't in town. My side of the family got used to not having a maid at home, so I offered them dinner at our place instead so they didn't have to cook and wash the dishes.

Sometimes, we'd go out for lunch. One of those was at Italliani's Greenhills, where I got to use my Enjoy card again. We got 15% off from the total bill, and got an extra discount for dad's Senior Citizen card, too :) Not bad at all! Sorry, wasn't able to take photos. I forgot to bring my camera that day... But they changed their menu layout. Food, I think was the same. Except for a few entries, like the truffle oil fries that I ordered.

For those who do not have an Enjoy kit yet, and is thinking of getting one. Here's a great promo :)

Buy 1 Get 1 Enjoy Memberships
To celebrate the launch of EnjoyPH v1.8 for the iPhone, we have set aside very limited quantities of Enjoy memberships for sale, available exclusively through Enjoy PH's in app ordering system. Buy a 2009 - 2010 edition and get the 2010-2011 edition delivered free upon availability. Still at Php 1,495! Terms and Conditions: 1. 2010-2011 membership to be delivered upon availability June, 2010. 2. Valid only for online purchases made through EnjoyPH app 3. May not be combined with other offers.

Click on this link to get started :) Have a great week ahead everyone, and Happy Easter!

Sunday Post

Sunday lunches are spent with my side of the family, and we always end up at Rockwell Power Plant Mall. The boys picked Myron's (again); they love their steak.

I showed them my ENJOY card, and got this: vegetable curry samosas (It was ow-kay, nothing exciting)

Hubby and I had pastas. Presentation was good, but this one below with the breaded pork chop didn't make the cut for us. But if you like crispy ones, then this one is for you.

Their Grilled Chicken with Blue Cheese was so-so as well. I couldn't taste and smell the blue cheese—I was excited for that :( On a happy note, their garlic bread was good.

Baby brother ordered their steak, as well as my dad and my other brother. Unfortunately, my baby brother's steak had too much tendon and "litid" that he wasn't able to enjoy :( Good thing, the staff was kind enough to make him another one. So, plus points for that.

In between entrees, an activity started outside. You know how brands have been coming up with "impromptu" activities at the mall? Well, Havaianas just did one yesterday. I was able to take a video of it:

After which, my brother Jones ordered his fave coffee dessert. If you love coffee and ice cream together, then you should try their Coffee Espresso:

While my family waited for their "Alice in Wonderland" movie tickets (we've already watched it), we walked around and checked out the new Mercedes Benz cars. I told hubby: "One day, little J will have his own—in 3 decades... haha..." I just hope that he will grow up to be a very good, loving, and successful man/son. Love you, my little man!

So, how was your Sunday? :)

... and the WINNERS are...

Based on the sequential number of entries (with date stamp):

1. Jenny Joy Ong

2. Kumiko Mae L. Yasuda

3. Hedley Chua

4. Grace Umali

5. May Ann Saturno

6. Carla Gonzalez

7. Stonibert Lim

8. Dianne Chrisdelle Lu

9. Alona Banlos

10. Denise Lu

11. Carina Gue

12. Rowena Wendy Lei

13. Jay-L

14. Jamie Tan

15. Mary Anne Co

16. Rosa Ferrer

17. Shirley Co

18. Danessa Lu

19. Elisa Co

20. Teresita Lim

21. Deanina Lu

22. Jane Jimenez

23. Joel Angot

24. Paulina Gue

25. Paul Jefferson Gue

26. Jason Gue

I have randomly picked FOUR numbers, with the help of random.org

Here are the winners:

17. Shirley Co + special gift

2. Kumiko Mae Yasuda + special gift

20. Teresita Lim + special gift (to be confirmed)

6. Carla Gonzalez

Congratulations, ladies! I will be sending an e-mail regarding pick-up of your ENJOY KITS worth P1,595. I have set aside three beauty goodies for Shirley, Kumiko and Teresita, and will be sending a photo of the prizes for Shirley (first) to pick, then Kumiko, then Teresita.

Thank you so much for joining my little contest. It's great to hear your thoughts. Rest assured that I will try to put a little of everything you've requested in my future posts. Watch out for more contests as well ;)

In the meantime, I got this text last weekend from one of the prettiest and stylish Marketing/PR moguls, Carmina Sanchez, who happens to own this hip clothing brand Poivre:

POIVRE at The Ramp, Glorieta, welcomes summer with neutrals, polka dots and flirty cuts. Check out our first batch of deliveries this week. All dresses from 999-1899 only! Limited stocks per style so hurry and get your hands on the hottest stuff this weekend! Perfect for the hot days and breezy nights ahead :)

Enjoy Kits—Up for Grabs!

As promised, I am giving away FOUR (4) Enjoy Kits. Here's how to join:

1. Only one entry is allowed per person.

2. I will pick the winners with the use of random.org; the first four names will be the winners.

3. Winners should be able to pick up the prize—I live in Metro Manila. I still haven't found a place nearby where I can have them delivered :( sorry...

4. Contest starts now (Feb. 22, 12 m.n.) and ends Friday, February 26, 2010—11:59 p.m.

5. Winners will be announced next Monday, March 1, 2010

6. Simply leave a comment under this post with the following:

a. full name

b. e-mail address (I don't want you to put in your mobile/landline numbers for privacy reasons, right?)

c. what do you like about this blog?

d. what do you want to see/read more of?

e. where was this picture (below) taken? *hint: I wrote about this a few months ago.

f. for those who can post this contest in their blog OR in their facebook profile page, please include the link in your entry/comment. And if you're one of the four winners, I'll throw in a special prize ;)

*All comments will be visible only after the contest is over, when I've announced the winner :)

Good luck and have a great week, everyone!

How to Greet Happy Chinese New Year in the Philippines

I know it's a bit late, but I just had to share this article. Did you ever wonder why there are different "Chinese New Year" greetings? For those who are curious, below is the explanation :)

Oh, and to celebrate the year of the Tiger... I'm giving away ENJOY kits to four (4) lucky readers. Contest rules will be posted on Monday, so visit us again next week :D Happy weekend everyone!

Kung Hei Fat Choi or Kiong Hee Huat Tsai?
By Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News | 02/13/2010 8:07 AM

A Chinese-Filipino finally puts the dilemma to rest

MANILA, Philippines - This Chinese New Year, you no doubt wonder which greeting is correct: Kung Hei Fat Choi or Kiong Hee Huat Tsia?
Both greetings refer to the same set of 4 Chinese characters that literally means “Congratulations and wishing you prosperity!”
Which one is the more approriate term when you are in the Philippines? (Actually, one term doesn't even mean "Happy New Year.")
“Kung Hei Fat Choi” has obviously been the more popular one, commonly said and printed on banners, advertisements and different forms of media. But this greeting is Cantonese.
Considering that majority of the Chinese Filipinos here in the Philippines speak the Hokkien dialect, I recommend that we say the greeting in Hokkien, which is pronounced and spelled as "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai."

Lost in translation
Tsinoys will appreciate to hear the greeting in the dialect they understand.
Cantonese is one of the 9 other groups of dialects in China and is most commonly spoken in Hong Kong, Guangdong, and Macau.
Hokkien is the dialect spoken in Fujian province where most of the Chinese-Filipinos come from.
If you happen to be in China and if you want to say the greeting in Mandarin, China's official language (and spoken by the most number of people in the world), pronounce the greeting as "Kong Xi Fa Tsai" (written and spelled formally as "Gong Xi Fa Cai").
I suspect that a Hong Kong or Cantonese restaurant started to popularize the Cantonese greeting here, which is weird because there is a very scant population of Tsinoys from Guangdong or Hong Kong.
Quite disappointingly, the Cantonese greeting has been mercilessly repeated and spread in print ads and gigantic banners in commercial banks, restaurants, department stores and shopping malls supposedly owned by Hokkien-speaking Tsinoys who should know the difference.
I remember a jingle from a TV commercial of a fast food chain years ago that goes: “Kung Hei Fat Choi ay nandito na….” This is ironic, because the fast food chain is owned by a Chinese-Filipino who hails from Fujian.
Well, Tsinoys do not understand and speak “Kung Hei Fat Choi.” It’s like saying “Maayong buntag” (Good morning) to a Tagalog who doesn’t understand and speak Bisaya.

Spread the word
So, let's start banishing "Kung Hei Fat Choi" from our vocabulary and start to pratice saying the greeting in Hokkien, "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai," which is widely understood by Tsinoys here.
Spread the word, “Kiong Hee Huat Tsai!”
If you want to greet your friend “Happy New Year” in Mandarin, say it as “Xin Nien Kwai Le” (formally written as “Xin Nian Kuai Le”). In Hokkien, say it as “Sin Ni khòai lok.”
Also, don't also be confused with the lion and dragon dance, which are sometimes interchanged.
The four-legged dancing creature is a lion, which is maneuvered by two dancers (one moves the head while the other moves the tail).
It has wiggling ears and blinking eyes and is the one that also goes around the streets and reaches for the angpao or red envelope hung at the door. It is usually led by a masked man with a fan.
On the other hand, a dragon has a longer body that is maneuvered by more dancers. It is a guided by a man that holds a dragon ball.
Point out the difference when people say "There’s the dragon!" while the dancing creature turns out to be a lion.
Those are just some cultural nuances to take note of. To Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese alike, "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai!"

50,000 More Reasons To ENJOY

Can't believe we have less than two weeks to go until Christmas! :o Still haven't found the perfect gift for your loved ones? I suggest the Enjoy kit above.

This yuletide season, Enjoy Philippines gives all the weary Holiday shoppers a reason to get excited about Christmas as it issues the 2009 Enjoy Holiday Release. Beginning December 1, every registered member of Enjoy will receive by registered mail a booklet containing Php 50,000 in additional VIP privileges to 39 additional premium venues.

This means that your gift will in fact be a whole bundle of Christmas gifts to last you months and months and a perfect kit that suits anyone and everyone’s needs and wants.

You and your friends and family can choose to Enjoy this Christmas in so many different ways… Pamper yourself with a complimentary foot spa at Posh Nail Spa. Treat yourself to bespoke jeans at Viktor. Enjoy half-priced international buffets for up to three persons at Dusit Thani’s Basix... Then jet off to your favorite domestic holiday destination while saving 15% on online bookings via SEAIR. You can even ring in the New Year with two-for-one deals on bottles at Attica. Lastly, work off those excess holiday pounds with a 2-week trial gym membership at Planet Infinity in your latest trainers from RUNNR.

So visit www.enjoythebest.ph, or call the Enjoy hotline at 7520958 to start bringing joy, laughter and freebies to all your loved ones – including yourself!

Memberships purchased beginning all of December will have the Holiday Release included inside every kit from over 100 participating venues that also include all Fully Booked branches.

Do check out this sale with Enjoy, too :D

*All Enjoy Members may avail of an additional 5% off on top of the discounted price by just presenting their Enjoy Philippinesmembership card upon purchase.

ENJOYing my first voucher

I used my first Enjoy voucher at Restaurant Cicou (Hotel Celeste, Pasay Road beside San Lorenzo Village gate) with my mom for lunch yesterday before visiting my Ninang Liz of New Yorker (will post that visit for another day).

Choices: Free breakfast for the 6th person, free special dessert for every appetizer and entree ordered for lunch or buy one get one free on wine-based aperitifs for dinner OR you can just use the membership card to get 5% off on your total bill. We chose to use the voucher.

I ordered their special iced tea (bottomless at P100). It has a zesty orange taste to it—yummy to my taste buds. They also served us bread (wasn't able to take a photo); the olive version smells and taste good. Literally, with olive bits and herbs in it.

For our appetizer, we got their Scallops roasted and marinated with beans sprout risotto, parsley juice, ham shaving at P620. It might be a bit steep on the pricing, but it's one of the best appetizers I've ever had. Actually, this one (along with a small bun which I had earlier) made me almost full already :o

Mom loves soup, so she ordered Squash (a thick creamy soup with duck liver flan—see photo) that's priced around P230. We asked them to split the soup into two, and it was served in a cute coffee/tea cup. I am not a fan of duck liver/foie gras but this one won me over. Restaurant Cicou is actually known for their foie gras; I noticed it's included in a lot of their dishes.

Mom had Codfish that was roasted with garlic confit and mashed white beans, mushroom and tomatoes. She wasn't too happy with her entree as the fish was a bit on the dry, flaky side.

But I loved mine! I had Beef USA Steak marinated and sauteed, with potatoes gnocchi, parmesan, and tomatoes confites. A winner at only P580, and I wasn't even able to finish it. Sweet and salty, the beef was cooked just right for my palate. I'm looking forward to having the leftover for my lunch later ;)

And finally, our free special dessert. I was disappointed to see this 2" x 3" (wallet-sized photo) creme caramel flan with mandarin oranges and whipped cream. I was expecting something bigger as my mom and I finished it in two bites each. In all honesty, it tasted good. Bitin lang nga.

Overall, I would still come back and recommend the place. Just be sure to be in good company, as the service is quite slow. As for the menu, I requested for more choices as they only have seafood, one pork dish, and about four beef entrees. No chicken and vegetarian dishes :( Parking is also quite hard as well, but valet service is available.

More to ENJOY

I missed a great event last Thursday, June 18. The launch of Enjoy card was held that day at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street branch. Here are some pics though, as sent to me by the ever-sexy and pretty PR and events lady, Carmina Sanchez :)

The Enjoy teams from both Manila and Shanghai jumped for Enjoy!

Enjoy Manila partners Glecy Lopez-Go and Alfonso Sy show off bigger versions of the Enjoy card.

Karen Pamintuan and Sam YG gamely pose with the cards, as well.

Enjoy Live and Learn display exhibits by participating establishments were there to celebrate the launch. Yummy confections from Sweet Life by Ange were enjoyed by guests that night. How I wish I was there...

Complimentary back massages were also provided to those who want one, courtesy of Terra Wellness Spa.

Shopper's delight—Puey Quinones and Jun Escario pieces are offered at discounted prices. Just present your Enjoy privilege card.

*Photos by Arney Nucum

Here's a quick list of the participating establishments, but for more details, please visit their website at

http://www.enjoythebest.com.ph

MANILA Restaurants

Abe TriNoma

Balducci, Bistro Remedios, Bizu Patisserie and Cafe, Blackbeard's Seafood Island, Blu Fish

Cafe Adriatico, Cafe d'Asie, Cafe Havana Malate, Cav, Cesca Wine Cafe

Chateau 1771, Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, Chef Laudico Culinary Services, Chelsea Market and Cafe

Chili's Chocolat, Claw Daddy, Cold Rock Ice Creamery, Crustasia, Cyma

Fish & Co., Fish Out of Water, Flapjacks, Fruit Majic

Gasthof, Guilly's

H & E Rockstar, Haagen Dazs, Harbor View, Hexagon Lounge

Italianni's, John and Yoko, Kabisera ng Dencio's

L'Opera, Larry's Cafe and Bar, Le Souffle, Lili, LIttle Asia, Lutong Macau

Machiavelli Chocolatier, Madison Grill, Marciano's Market Cafe, Max Brenner

Mr. Kurosawa, Museum Cafe, Myron's Place

New Orleans, NU.VO, Oliver's Super Sandwich

Padrino, Peri-Peri Grill House, Pho Hoa

Red Crab, Restaurant Cicou

Sentro 1771, Serye Cafe Filipino, Sizzlin' Pepper Steak, Sumo Sam, Super Bowl

Tea and Therapy, Ten Titas, Teriyaki Boy, T.G.I. Fridays, Thai Patio, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

The Fireplace, The Flying Pig, The Sweet Life by Ange, The White Hat

Tokyo Cafe, Tony Roma's, Trattoria Gourmet, UCC, Zing Juice Bar

MANILA Nightlife

Barcino, Embassy Superclub, Manor Superclub

Red Box Karaoke, The Mezzanine, The Music Bar

MANILA Shopping

300 Dive Bar, All Flip Flops, Arts of Asia

Bench, Chocolate Clothing Co., Crumpler

DIgital Hub, Digital Walker, Fully Booked

Golf King, Human, Ideal Vision

Janina, Jun Escario, No Curfew

Penshoppe, Puey Quinones and Sumdex

MANILA Health & Beauty

Belo Medical Group, Bikram Yoga Manila, Lay Bare Waxing Salon

Movement Dance Studio, Neo Spa, Red Corner Boxing

Terra Wellness Spa and Suriya Spa

MANILA Live & Learn

A.S.A.P, Instituto Cervantes, ME Nihongo

MANILA Travel

Abe's Farm, Adventure Bound, Crown Regency, Mayumi Resort

Microtel, Bellevue Manila, Ultimate Phil. Tours, Walk This Way Tour

CEBU and BORACAY

Abaca Hotel Cebu, Abaca Restaurant, Amuma Spa, anzani

Bellini, Big Mao, Blu Bar in Marco Polo, Chick-an, Crown Regency

Echo Electrical, Eye Center-Chong Hua Hospital, Executive Panel-Chong Hua Hospital

Fairways and Blue Water, Hola Espana and La Taverna

Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Microtel Inn, Nonki

Park Lane Hotel, Patio Pacific, Pino, Plantation Bay, Prana Medispa

Sky Experience, Tajimaya, The Gustavian, The Spa (Cebu), Tides Boracay and Wang Shan Lo