You Quack, Super Duck!

After the coffee craze of Filipinos, here comes the tea shops that appear in every corner of the malls where I get to realize that everything is set for perfect timing for a certain product to get trend, do you agree? And here’s a new tea shop in Ortigas that is introduced to me from Taiwan - Super Duck Modern Tea Shop!

Super Duck, Ortigas

Super Duck Tea has 12 branches in Taiwan and the owner started only as a crew in one of the tea shop there. What has made him to be successful is because of his passion with the tea rather than the business that has set him to be one of the most popular tea shops in Lu Kang, Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Steve and his wife Ellen happen to taste its authentic taste. With that, Steve has proposed to franchise and put up the business here in the Philippines. Now, Dennis who is his cousin and Olivia have joined with them too. Wow, I just wish I can have same business with someone I trust too someday.

They have overflowing tea lists so I would discuss this by category and as simpler as I can. Allright!

PERFECT TEA BLENDS are fruits with tea

Mixed Fruit Green Tea: Orange, passion fruit, passion pulp, lemon and coco jelly, fresh apple and coco jelly.

Roselle Plum with Fig Jelly: lowers the risk of having heart attack and high blood pressure

SUPER DUCK MILK TEAS are the list of all their milk teas. By the way, there are two kinds of teas they serve for milk tea: the black tea which is the usual taste we know and the green tea which we get to have the fragrant after taste. Problems with us Filipino, we cannot appreciate the green tea because we feel like we are drinking cologne (‘Im the guilty one when I was in college) but as time goes on and taste preference change, I am able to appreciate green teas.

Jasmine Green Milk Tea: this is the milk tea with a flowery taste

Green Heart Oolong Milk Tea: their best seller as it is good for the heart.

Tie Guan Yin Milk Tea: Salted Oolong, rustic taste and good for the heart too!

Adzuki Bean Milk Tea: the bean they use here is from Taiwan. There is no bean here in the Philippines that can fit into the real taste of Adzuki Bean.

TEA BAGS from Taiwan are difficult to take it at home because the water is not filtered. Good thing that Super Duck's ice is filtered so that the taste will not alter, just so you know, the main ingredient is the water!

Black Fruit Chestnut Tea. Picture below is the actual size of their serving.

Golden Oolong Tea. Very light and relaxing drink.

MILK SERIES. Just another trivia, Taiwanese don’t really drink water but milk! No wonder. Let us take a look of their milk series. So this one has no tea which can be very good recommendation for kids.

Roasted Matcha with Brown Rice: the crispy tidbits are the brown rice, what’s on top is the matcha milk and the under are the black beans that are already grind.

French Rose Milk Tea: From the name itself brings sophistication and when you love it, you have a royal taste! But all of us love the taste, so it means we’ve got the state-of-the-art. Come on!

SUPER DUCK TEAS are the kind of teas they always prepare for the day just like this one.

Wenshan Clear Tea: It is called Wenshan derived from mountain of Taiwan and making it to be named the Taiwan tea.

NAI KAI WITH CHEESE and Philippines is a cream cheese country!

Wintermelon Nai Kai (left) and Chocolate Nai Kai (right) have the art of drinking. First, taste the cream cheese; second, taste the liquid; third, mixed the drink; and fourth, you lick the cup! Yum, delicious ever, as I am a fan of cream cheese.

Their drinks could cater all – from kids, parents, grandparents, and to the yuppies where the pleasure of alcohol intake is much to the extreme. With that, Super Duck can have you this!

Heineken Green Tea

Bailey’s Milk Tea

These are very excellent, like you already have cocktail drinks disguised as a tea and I swear that these are a-must-try!

QUACKERS

Their quackers are really good and healthy. Veggie nuggets that taste like chicken, flavorful shrooms, the veggie cheesedogs that taste like meat, and the delicious tofu bites, how did it all happen? Is it because of their flavoring salt and pepper and plum and pepper or they are just meticulous to fascinate their customers?

COMING SOON!
Taiwanese toasts will be served to the public soon. They are just polishing for the bread that is best for the spread. Chocolate, coconut, and garlic toast. The winner of my taste is the coconut spread!

DESSERT
Taiwan Herbal Jelly Dessert: So this is a Taiwan dessert that can be compared to the Philippines’ halo-halo. It contains pearl, herbal jelly, fig jelly, qq pearl, and it is unsweetened with the purpose of exploration of taste from the sinkers.

FREEBIE
And we have free gift certificate and one take-out drink for dinner or for our breakfast the next day! Yey!

So what do I say aside from having full tummy with all the drinking and tasting session? I will definitely come back to this tea shop (not for the sake of promoting) because this is a kind of tea shop that has garnered their knowledge and it seems that its passion has passed through to the franchiser. This is a splendid discovery in Ortigas and you just really make me quack-quack. You definitely duck, Super Duck!

Super Duck Modern Tea Shop
AIC Burgundy, ADB Avenue corner Garner St. Ortigas Pasig City
Tel No: 570 2292
0917 891 0697

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How to Open BPI Express Teller Card

ATM Cards are just one of the things that you will see from everyone's pocket. Be it for student's allowances, personal savings, or for your salaries it is one way to keep your money without getting your pockets get bulky.

I choose Bank of the Philippines Islands to open an account because it has a lot of ATMs scattered especially in Metro Manila and it is the oldest bank here in the Philippines, yes it is a trivia. With this, it gives me an assurance that my money is safe and there are some branches like TriNoma and Quezon Avenue branch in Barangay South Triangle that have teller machine for deposits that I can deposit my money even if the bank is already closed. Anyway, how can we have BPI Debit Cards?

Requirements are: two valid IDs with photocopy (still they would need to see the original), billing statement, two recent 1x1 pictures, and the initial deposit. But how much is the initial deposit?

There are different initial deposits required depending to your choice of kind of savings. To give you basic idea, here are the lists and some descriptions of the savings account:

1. Jumpstart Savings are for ages 10-17 years old who wants to have savings. Free fees up to four withdrawals
2. Easy Saver has no maintaining balance but has P5.00 charge for every withdrawal.
3. Express Teller Savings only have ATM cards
4. Passbook Savings have ATM cards and Passbook.

This chart sums up all the initial deposit and maintaining balance:

credits to BPI online

Now, I have my card and activated right away upon changing my pin.

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Poco Deli, Comfort Me!

Makati is known to be the capital business center of the Philippines where you get to see people wearing in their coat and tie, to hear businessmen talking to their clients over their mobile and to taste unique food from restaurants you would ever first time to hear.

Poco Deli

Poco Deli is a Filipino-owned casual restaurant. This delicatessen in Ayala Triangle is their second branch and has opened just this year of the 14th of January. Poco could mean small in Spanish but the servings of Poco Deli will make your tummy bloated! So what's on their menu?

Quattro Formaggi Pizza (P360.00)
While my friends and I are waiting for our heavy meal orders, Drew ordered for pizza to make it like an appetizer. Quattro Formaggi Pizza has thin crust and stretchy toppings as it has four kinds of cheese: mozzarella, pecorino, gorgonzola, and grana padano. Imagine those cheese bursting in saltiness but the taste is heaven.

Quattro Formaggi Pizza

Irish Beef Stew (P300.00)

Simmered in dark beer, no wonder Drew's meal is so dark yet that color make it also mouth-watering and the perfection of the beef is when you taste it. Yum! that caramel flavor giving distinct taste and tenderness. 

Irish Beef Stew

By the way, it is also served with bacon rice.

US Steak Sandwich (P220.00)

Mika ordered the food with the image on the menu. It is a sandwich of beef topped with mozzarella cheese. Tender meat plus the softness of New York bagel is satisfying and sided with cheesy cassava chips. Tired Mika from her work is replenished to an energetic bella. The photo is from her as I got bad shots.

US Steak Sandwich

Wagyu Sausage (P360.00)

As said by Mika, the servings are so generous that makes Bhing and I to share for one. Poco Deli is known to make home-made sausages so let us see if their sausage has something to say and Wagyu is definitely the king of sausages.

Wagyu Sausage

Citrus Delight (P120.00)

Soda with calamansi, lemon, and I am missing the two citrus fruits. Oh! all I just want to say that this drink is affordable to be very good. Imagine to drink this one only for you? You just gotta burp the whole time!

Citrus Delight

Blueberry Smoothie (P205.00)

Drew's drink is just right, nothing really special. He ordered it just to be different among us.

Blueberry Smoothie

We want to order for their dessert. Since it is Deli, we should try one but we are already full tank and the comfort has been too much! I will definitely come back to the restaurant and will try to have a taste of their wine, see the prices on our back!

Poco Deli

Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City | Kapitolyo, Pasig City

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Kettle Korn: Poppin’ Fun All The Time!

Watching movies are just one of the things I usually do whenever I go to a mall which is highly influenced by my friends as my parents are not movie theater lovers, preferring to watch movie at the house slouching on the couch or lying on the bed before going to sleep. Anyway, I even thought of becoming the main actress of the movie I watch so grab your Kettle Korns and let me share with you the story I will role if I will be the one:

Jam is a Sales Supervisor in a hotel where everybody is afraid of her because of her hostile look and strict discipline towards her employees. She even scolds an employee because of unprocessed papers which the deadline is that day.

That night, she goes to a filthy garage with bundle of box and vandals on the wall. Someone appears to her back and it’s Olga, the leader of the dance crew where she is a member. Olga tells Jam that there would be a new competition where the dance crew leader is Quattro, the popular and unbeatable crew where they would have assembly the next day. After that, Jam meets Marco and they eat a dinner.

In her office, there is a newly hired employee named Ian that is assigned in Banquet Sales Department and intimidated of her bossy attitude. In the General Assembly, Ian meets Jam and they have known that they are under the competing crew. Thrilled with what he has found out, Ian can’t help but mock Jam during their office hours, that bossy is actually a sociable person. Meanwhile, there is an Assistant Supervisor that comes from another hotel branch named Louisiana where Jam becomes her close friend. Later on, Jam realizes that Louisiana is much chosen by their General Manager and that she has more recognition than her. 

Kettle Korn

Heading to their hideout, Jam gives Ian a ride seen by Louisiana and the next day, everybody has thought in their office that they are together and because Jam is the superior, she is the one who got fired. Disappointed, she does not attend to the Assembly a couple of times that makes Ian feel guilty with what happened even if it is just a misunderstanding until he sees Jam with Marco and relieved that she is okay and that someone comforts her.

Jam finally appears to the Assembly where she and Ian gets closer making Quattro angry befriending an enemy and planned shooting him but saved by Marco and reveals they are police, been eyeing them because Quattro is actually an illegal drug dealer.

Cleared with everything, Marco is a best friend of Jam and Ian has got the chance to be with her. Jam realizes to not force herself with the things which is not her specialty thus continue to where she excels and that is dancing and to be an undercover police.

Is my story took you so long? Are your Kettle Korns got empty? Well, Kettle Korns play a big role whenever I watch movies alone where I continuously chew whether there are breath taking or nerve-racking scenes! Caramel, butterlicious, cheese, sweet corn, or sweet n’ salty twister – there are many flavors to choose from sating my craves! I don’t feel alone as long as I am eating Kettle Korn, as long as there is something to munch. Kettle Korn makes me watching movies poppin’ fun all time!

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Culinary adventures await you at Eastwood’s Levante night and food market this May!

Eat’s going to be a fun foodie adventure in Eastwood as the Mercato Centrale group, organizer of the premier food and lifestyle night markets around the metropolis, brings to you Levante – the newest night food market in Eastwood Citywalk 2. Grand opening is on May 17, Friday from 6pm to 3am.

Enjoy a culinary adventure at Levante with its mouth-watering homemade cooking straight from the kitchens of Eastwood’s budding food entrepreneurs, along with your favorite Pinoy street foods and, of course, the best-selling dishes from your favorite Mercato Centrale vendors.

“Eastwood has always been very supportive of new food concepts, from their new fusion restaurants up to their gourmet food markets in the malls. We are very glad to bring the Mercato Centrale concept to Eastwood to further complement the foodie-friendly lifestyle they have created” said Anton Diaz, co-organizer of Levante. Diaz is responsible for the popular food and travel blog www.OurAwesomePlanet.com.

Come over to the grand opening of Levante and enjoy great-tasting and affordable food, pastry and dessert choices and live acoustic entertainment. Levante is open only on Fridays, 6pm to 3pm.

“We can’t wait for the residents, office workers and visitors of Eastwood City to enjoy the wide variety of gourmet and artisanal vendors we are bringing to the market!” added RJ Ledesma, co-organizer of Levante.

For vendor inquiries, please contact (+63 917) 840-1152 or (+632) 812-0102, email admin@levanteeastwood.com or visitwww.facebook.com/levanteeastwood.

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