Our home in Japan

     Imperial Hotel was our home for this year. This was highly recommended by my parents who have been loyal guests since the 80's. Since my first time here last 2009, I too have fallen in love with the hotel. 

Feels like you're in a Palace. ^_^

     Now let me show you our room...

I love the TV in the bathroom!

     You will encounter toilets with controls everywhere. Isn't this just the coolest thing ever? ^_^

     Besides our elegant, clean and cozy room, service is excellent! The staff (I mean everyone) are the most accommodating, cheerful and friendly. They never fail to greet and offer their service with a smile and bow. Last but definitely not the least, their food is one of the best, which I will talk about later on. Overall, we felt all positive vibes. ;)

Imperial Hotel

Tokyo, Japan

Visit their website

Dessert festival in Japan

    There's always room for dessert... especially in Japan. If you recall my videos of the basement section of a department store, who won't be in awe and resist all those fancy, mouth-watering cakes and pastries on display? After every meal, we definitely didn't miss out on dessert. We had our own dessert festival in our room. ^_^

Baumkuchen cake

     This is a German layered cake, which is popular in Japan. We first had this when our Japanese family friend gave us a box of this. 

Cheesecake

     There are 2 cheesecakes: the fluffy kind and the baked one. This was the latter. It's light and creamy with a hint of citrus.

Chocolate refrigerator cake

     Mom was hesitant buying this one because of the size. This was the smallest... but couldn't resist after all. She made the right choice. :P

Milk and white chocolate

Love it!

Custard pudding

Mom and Dad's favorite. This is similar to Leche Flan.*

Laduree chocolate ice cream

     I was surprised and happy to know Laduree also has ice cream. Of course I chose chocolate. Love it! ^_^

Strawberry Shortcake

     A popular cake in Japan, also known as a Christmas cake. This is one of my favorite cakes. Love the combination which is light and creamy. I wanted to have another slice before leaving Japan. :D

     

     Japanese cakes and pastries are as good as they look. Taste and consistency are just right, not too sweet, not overwhelming.  

     As we were walking by Ginza and waiting for stores to open, we came across a bakeshop called Dalloyau. This was familiar to Mom and Dad.  Because of our amazement with their display, it took a while before deciding on what to buy. We bought Macarons, Madeleines and Strawberry jam (sorry forgot to take a picture of our stuff). Again, we enjoyed. ^_^

Pastry chefs in action.

  
Dalloyau
6-9-3 Ginza
Chuo-Ku
Tokyo
Visit their website


Leche flan -Filipino custard flan

Konnichiwa Japan! (Part 2)

     Hello Kitty has been an all time favorite (I'm sure most girls will agree). I can't believe I almost forgot to pass by this part. Thank goodness Mom brought it up. ^_^

     For fellow foodies, don't miss out on the basement section of a department store. This is why...

     Sorry I got overwhelmed so I didn't get to take pictures of all the food. Check out the videos for more goodies...

Let me share some info and tips I learned:

-You will encounter everyone bowing as this is a way of greeting and is also a sign of respect.

-Giving tips or "keep the change" isn't practiced as it's considered rude. 

-When eating noodles, you may slurp as slurping indicates it's delicious.

-The numbers 4 and 9 are bad luck. The former is shi which also means death and the latter is ku which also means suffering.

-Do not place your chopsticks in an upright position inside a bowl because it will look like a ritual done in burials.

     I'm currently learning Japanese and got to practice when I would order. The people here are the nicest and most accommodating, so you don't have to worry. Thank you to my friends, Candice and David for your help and tips. :D My first time here in Japan was last 2009 but I didn't have a camera that time. Now I already have not only one, but two cameras. ^_^ 

Konnichiwa Japan! (Part 1)

     Japan was always in my top destination list because of the food and culture. I would get engrossed and amused with the stories of my parents' trips here. I remember watching a show called Oh Tokyo before, where Filipino reporters feature Tokyo tourist attractions. Seeing their features on amusement parks, stores, markets and food led to my curiosity. The only time I ever set foot in Japan was for stopovers, which I don't consider to have been here.  Now that I have set foot here for real, let me share some shots of Ginza and Shinjuku...

Ginza

     This is the place to go to for electronics and gadgets. There are restaurants and a pharmacy too... Very complete.

Shinjuku

Biking is a common mode of transportation. 

I'm a vending machine lover. I just find these really cute!

Teaser for the next series

     Konnichiwa! Just got back from our vacation. You probably can guess by now what will be the next series. Have your eyes ready with what you will be seeing soon. ;)

Getaway @ Sonya's Garden

     A Tagaytay experience isn't complete without going to Sonya's Garden. A trip here would definitely be a unique and relaxing experience, perfect for nature lovers and for those who "want to get away from it all". Our first experience here was in the 90's with my siblings, where we also met Tita Sonya Garcia for the first time. We stayed by the Bed and Breakfast area, which seems to have a more intimate setting.

This was the flyer given (sorry for the blur and crumple texture).

The garden and flowers are just beautiful! 

Dalandan juice

The dressings and other condiments

Salad

Some mix both the Sonya's Secret Salad Dressing and Balsamic Dressing.

This is how I eat my salad. I love Sonya's Secret Salad Dressing! ^_^

Bread and dips

My favorites: Basil Pesto, Mushroom Pate, Kesong puti*

Pasta with 2 sauces cream with chicken and tomato and other condiments

I love the creamy sauce! Again... some mix both sauces.

Chocolate cake

One of the best chocolate cakes! I just wish the portion was bigger. :P

Turon and Glazed Kamote*

Tarragon tea

     The good thing about her menu is you can mix and match everything. Once you set foot here, you can kiss stress goodbye and say hello to serenity. Sonya's garden is also an ideal date place and weddings (we were told there have been many marriage proposals here) and for dog lovers (yup you can bring your dog). I hope you get a chance to meet Sonya's charming and gentle angels. ;)

Aldo

Bambina

Tetot

Sonya's Garden
Buck Estate Alfonso, Cavite
0917-5231080 / 0917-5329097
info@sonyasgarden.com
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Kesong puti -white cheese
Turon -banana spring rolls with Langka (jackfruit)
Kamote -sweet potato