Hello Balloon | dining

Pass the Crayons // An Oh-So-Colorful Birthday Dinner

Posted by Arlu on Dec 14, 2012 in Featured, Food, Thought Bubbles | 0 comments

Call it an evening of “first impressions,” quite literally, as we celebrated my mom’s birthday last Sunday — This was our first time to try out Impressions, the swanky French restaurant by celebrity chef Cyrille Soenen, located at Maxims Hotel in Resorts World Manila.

Ready to Get Messy? // An Accidental Encounter with Award-Winning Barbecue

Posted by Arlu on Nov 14, 2012 in Featured, Food, Thought Bubbles, Travel | 2 comments

For hardcore carnivores such as Anthony and myself, the discovery of a new barbecue joint is always a thrilling endeavor. During a recent road trip from Virginia Beach to Rockville, Maryland, where we spent a few days hanging out with my best friend Tina, we happened to drive past an establishment called Famous Dave’s, right along the Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge.

Pancakes with Carmen Miranda

Posted by Arlu on Aug 1, 2012 in Featured, Food, Travel | 9 comments

Anthony is always on the prowl for good American breakfast places here in the Philippines — So far, based on his standards, there have only been a handful of restaurants that have gotten it right. You see, it’s not just about the menu and the flavor. It also has a lot to do with the size of the portions, too, which should come heaping, overflowing, and always piled high.

Where Cows Laugh and Sing

Posted by Arlu on Jul 20, 2012 in Featured, Food, Thought Bubbles | 0 comments

It was one of those afternoons where Anthony and I had to run to the mall for something random, like a garden hose or something. Now I just remembered that since we live in a condo, we don’t really have a garden, so it probably wasn’t that. Let’s just say it was in that general category — Something important enough that we had to drop everything we were doing and run to the mall pronto just to get it. That, or maybe we were simply looking for an excuse to eat out. Honestly, I think that’s more like it.

Real Men Eat Cupcakes

Posted by Arlu on Jul 11, 2012 in Featured, Food, Thought Bubbles | 7 comments

One thing I learned early on about Anthony is that if he doesn’t get his burger fix one day, he’ll most definitely work on satisfying it the next. Over the years, I came to understand that the same applies for pizza, pasta, cupcakes, and, more recently, Chicken Inasal, Korean fried chicken and Singapore coffee buns. Persistent, focused, and incredibly passionate — His relationship with food is deeply rooted in his Brooklyn Italian background, which I find both adorable and hysterical at the same time.