November 12, 2019

What to Eat at The Farm at San Benito

The Farm at San Benito was on my bucket list for the longest time but I was hesitant to reserve a room because I’m a meat lover so vegan cuisine is not in my vocabulary. No Meat, No Eggs, and No Dairy do not appeal to me. Since this is a Health and Wellness Resort, bringing of foods and drinks are not allowed. You have to leave JUNK foods at the gate.

Read: Sweet Escape at The Farm at San Benito

Food is life so I was really worried that I might go hungry if I will stay here. So if you are a meat lover like me, don’t worry because "NO FASTING" at The Farm at San Benito. I was thankful that The Farm at San Benito opened PESCE restaurant a few months ago so it was really good news for us who are not a fan of a plant-based diet.


PESCE is a Pescetarian and Mediterranean restaurant that focuses on health and longevity of life. Pesce is an Italian word for fish so expect that there is seafood on their menu. The restaurant also offers fruits, vegetables and whole-grains to serve a balanced meal.

Lunch at PESCE Restaurant 

Since we arrived before eleven in the morning, we ate lunch at PESCE. They are open every day from 11:30AM to 10:00PM. Prior to our visit, I already saw their menu so I am no longer surprised with the price. The Farm at San Benito is a luxury resort so just like other 5-star hotels or resorts, the price is expensive. For Lunch Menu, the price ranges from PHP400 to P620.


We ordered Seafood Pinakbet PHP580, Calamari ad Fries PHP620, Aglio Olio Ala Chef PHP400 and Extra Rice PHP100. We also ordered Fish and Chips PHP620 but it was not available. While waiting they served complimentary bread and it is fresh from the oven.


Aglio Olio Ala Chef - Sauteed garlic, mushroom, fern salad, and chili deglazed with wine and tossed in olive oil and topped with grated pili nuts and walnuts.


Calamari and Fries - Crispy squid with traditional farm fries served with tartar sauce and lemon.


Seafood Pinakbet - Traditional Filipino stir-fried organic vegetables with bitter gourd, pumpkin, ladyfinger, and string beans in prawn paste served with jasmine rice.

We all loved the Seafood Pinakbet, how I wish 2 order na lang ng pinakbet ginawa namin kasi masarap talaga. If this menu is available during dinner, we will order Calamari and Fries and Seafood Pinakbet again. The Aglio Olio Ala Chef is just okay for us.

Update: December 2021

We went back to The Farm at San Benito but unfortunately, the lunch menu is no longer available. They only have one menu for both lunch and dinner so ito na yung mga mahal na options. 


Dinner at PESCE Restaurant 



For dinner, we are contemplating if we will eat at ALIVE or PESCE but when I checked the ALIVE menu, wala ko type so we went back to PESCE restaurant for our dinner. The only thing na ayaw namin sa PESCE is, nakakabutas ng bulsa ang presyo ng dinner nila. They have a separate menu for lunch and dinner. To give you an idea, here are the price ranges.

Appetizers - PHP725 to PHP5200
Salad - PHP725 to PHP1500
Soups - PHP450 to PHP1400
Main - PHP1000 to PHP2300
Chili Crabs - Minimum of PHP1600 for 300g, PHP500/100g
Wood Fire Oven Baked Lobster - Minimum PHP3000 for 300g, PHP900/100g
Pizza and Pasta - PHP700 to PHP1500
Dessert - PHP600

We ordered Wood Fire Baked Oven Seafood Pizza PHP1200, Spaghetti Gambereti PHP1200, and Eggplant Melanzane PHP1000. They served fresh complimentary bread while waiting. I’m thankful for the complimentary bread, kasi busog na anak ko dito. Hindi masyadong bet ng anak ko ang pescetarian and vegan diet but he tried some of the meals.


Wood Fire Baked Oven Seafood Pizza - Buckwheat dough pizza which prawn, scallops, crab meat, broccoli, and bell pepper.


Spaghetti Gamberetti - Pan-served prawns in garlic-deglazed white wine, added with cream, diced tomatoes tossed in spaghetti, and garnished parsley.


Eggplant Melanzane - Baked eggplant filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce served with crispy potato chips and filled with braised sprouted chile beans.


For our dinner, we liked the Spaghetti Gamberetti, the pizza toppings are good, hindi lang namin type ang buckwheat dough pizza. The eggplant melanzane is okay lang din, I thought it was similar to Eggplant Moussaka of Mano’s Greek Taverna pero hindi pala.

Breakfast at Alive Restaurant 

Our room package includes breakfast for two at Alive Restaurant. It is one of Asia’s first and finest vegan restaurants. The Alive restaurant is an award-winning restaurant; they already received 9 international awards recognizing their unique food preparations, culinary creations, and delicious vegan dishes. They serve home-grown produce, so the foods are from the farm to your table.



For breakfast, you will eat 3-courses. Since there were only two options, we ordered them all so we could try each meal.

Breakfast Menu 

Tropical Fruit Salad with Homemade Yoghurt 135Kcal
Organic Mixed Salad with Citrus Fruits and Nuts 122Kcal 

Healthy Cereals with Granola 165kcal (per person)

Open-Faced Tofu Sandwich with Potato Wedges 126Kcal
Banana Pancake 142 Kcal

For drinks, you have herbal tea, coffee, ginger lime tea, coconut milk, and almond milk.





We are happy and satisfied with our breakfast at Alive, sobrang nakakabusog yung 3-course meal. We liked the healthy cereals with granola, hindi ko nga lang naubos kasi masakit sa braces yung nuts but my husband finished my granola. And because he loves the cereals, we bought Rude Health Granola Honey and Nuts PHP375 at Landmark. I will check Healthy Options kung meron din sila. The only meal na hindi namin type sa breakfast is the Open-Faced Tofu Sandwich.


For kids, they have a Kid’s Menu. My son ordered Chocolate Banana Pancake PHP385 (183.7) calories. My son likes his order, ang bilis nga niya naubos yung pancake.

Alive Room Dining Service 

If you don’t want to leave your room, you can take advantage of the room service. They offer all-day breakfast in a jar, salads, soups, sandwiches and pasta, raw mains, cooked mains, side dishes, desserts, and drinks. Price ranges from PHP150 to PHP815.

In short, you will never go hungry at The Farm at San Benito because you have two options, you can choose PESCE or ALIVE! The only thing that you need to worry about is your budget. Hehehe! 

Book a Day Pass at The Farm at San Benito Klook.com

November 11, 2019

Lunch at Pho Hoa Noodle Soup

I’ve been sharing about Vietnam these past few weeks and it reminded me that we dined at Pho Hoa Noodle Soup last month. I was checking my old post and it’s been six years na pala since we last dined at Pho Hoa. Well, my first experience was not good so it took me a long to revisit, you can read my old post below.

Pero dahil kagagaling ko lang sa Dentist and kakakabit lang ng braces ko, I just want to eat noodles. My husband suggested Pho Hoa because he loves Vietnamese Cuisine kasi and favorite din niya ang Pho. We ordered Pho Chin Nam (Brisket Pho) P295 and Com Tom Thit Nuong (Marinated Prawns with Grilled Pork on Rice P355.

Just to give you an idea Pho is the world’s famous Vietnamese noodle soup. It consists of broth, rice noodles, herbs and your choice of meat. At Pho Hoa, there are different Pho-Noodle Soup in their menu; you can choose from Beginners, Adventurer’s Choice, Just Regular and Fortifying Combos.I only chose the Beginners.



They serve the bowl of noodle soup with a plate of vegetables and a wedge of lemon. There are also condiments on your table so it is up to you how you want to add flavor on your soup. But I prefer to eat it without herbs and vegetables. And because I was in pain because of my braces, my husband finished my order. He added the condiments and ate the vegetables.


My husband ordered Com Tom Thit Nuong, I was not able to try his meal because I can’t chew. But he finished everything so I'm pretty sure hindi na lasang sunog ang pork. I hope on my next visit to Pho Hoa, maappreciate ko na yung order ko. Hehehe!

May 20, 2013

My husband always tells me that he likes the food in Pho Hoa but he was not able to convince me to try this Vietnamese Noodle House. Last Mother’s Day I was lazy to cook for our lunch so I just told my husband that we will just eat outside which was not a good idea because when we reached Festival Mall. All fastfoods and restaurants were full and we really had a hard time looking for a restaurant.

I took this photo yesterday

We’re not choosy at that time and we’re just looking for an available table and luckily we got a table in Pho Hoa, past 1:30PM. My husband ordered Grilled Pork and Fried Spring Rolls with Rice, a large bowl of noodles and a dessert. I don’t know the name except for my meal. 




While eating our meal...

Hubby: Sarap noh? Favorite ko yan and yan lagi ko order.
Me: Hindi kaya, lasang sunog.

Since I was not able to finish my meal, my husband ate my leftover and he said “Sunog nga”. 

November 08, 2019

JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi in Vietnam

Two years ago my husband had a not so good experience at Hanoi Vietnam so when he went back two weeks ago, he made sure that he will only bring clothes and all business product samples were sent via courier. Read the story here.

Read: Sheraton Hanoi Hotel

When my husband told me that he will go back to Vietnam, part of me wanted to go. I wanted to join his trip because Philippine Airlines has already a direct flight to Hanoi so wala ng mahabang layover and of course, I wanted to visit Halong Bay but unfortunately, exam week ng anak ko yun so bawal talaga umabsent.


Moving on, he was in Hanoi for almost a week and he stayed at JW Marriott Hotel. It is a five-star hotel near the National Convention center, The Old Quarter, Hanoi Night Market, Hoa Lo Prison, and even temples. This hotel is a little bit far from the city center but if you want to have a staycation or want to be away from the busy city, this is a good hotel.


My husband enjoyed his stay here, he likes the room, food, service, and the environment. So far, this is the 6th Marriott Hotels that he tried and for him, this is the best among the six hotels. Looking at my husband’s photos, I also like the JW Marriott Hotel; the interior and exterior design are very impressive. Look at the rooftop pool, lobby chandelier, garden, and lake.



De Luxe City View Room

He only stayed at Deluxe City View but the room and bathroom are pretty, clean and spacious. The room is big for one person, it has chairs, entertainment gadgets, working desk, safe, coffee and tea service, mini-bar and more.





The bathroom has a separate bathtub and shower. Knowing Marriott, they are very generous when it comes to toiletries and other complimentary stuff. They even have bath salt for the bathtub, kung may bathtub lang kami sa bahay, for sure iuuwi ni hubby yun. My favorite is their eco-shopping bag and chocolates. Every turn-down service, the staff leaves few pieces of chocolates on his desk and he took home some of it para matry din namin.

Buffet Breakfast at JW Cafe 

If you stay in JW Marriott and budget is not a problem, you can eat or drink at Akira Back, Smack Dab Hanoi, The Lounge, French Grill, Cook Cats Jazz Club, JW Patisserie, Chocolate Lab, Milk & Co, and JW Cafe.



The room package includes buffet breakfast at JW Cafe, it is one of the top restaurants in Hanoi which offers international like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mediterranean and Vietnamese local dishes. They also serve fresh seafood, barbeque, and desserts. What nice about their restaurant is the view, you have a nice view of the lake.




JW Marriott Hotel has a luxury spa, rooftop indoor swimming pool, 24-hours fitness center, kid’s room, and meeting venues. Speaking of venues, this is also the reason why my husband stayed in the hotel because they have company events at JW Marriott Hotel.




Read: Marriott Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel 
Courtyard Fort Worth University Drive by Marriott in Dallas Texas 
Chengdu Marriott Hotel Financial Centre in China 
Marriott Residence Inn Austin Lake 
Cebu City Marriott Hotel 

JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi
No 8 Do Duc Duc Road,
Me Tri Ward, South Tu Liem District
Hanoi Vietnam

November 07, 2019

Glimpse of ACV Business Lounge in Noi Bai Airport

I thought I have more time to blog this sembreak because we don’t have a long travel trip but I spoke too soon. Anyway, we still have more few days to enjoy the semestral break but today, I’m pushing myself to blog. I shared about PAGSS Airport Lounge last week and now let us have a glimpse of ACV Business Lounge in Noi Bai Airport.


ACV Business Lounge is one of the 3 airport lounges in Noi Bai Airport (2 international and 1 domestic lounge), it is a shared lounge by different airlines like Thai Airways, ANA, Emirates, China Airlines, Qatar Airways, Hongkong Airlines, China Southern and Philippine Airlines.


Two years ago, Philippine Airlines does not have a direct flight to Hanoi so my husband took Thai Airways and because of that, he has no lounge access from Bangkok to Hanoi to Bangkok. So he was glad that Philippine Airlines has a direct flight already and he has lounge access at ACV Business Lounge.

The business lounge is open 24 hours a day and if you have kids (12yrs old below) in tow, they can use the lounge for free with an adult companion. The airport lounge was big but since this is a shared lounge the place looks crowded too. While waiting you can enjoy the view of the arrival and departure of different airplanes.



ACV Lounge has luggage lockers, computers, fax machines, massage chairs, and comfortable chairs. The lounge offers drinks, fruits, noodles, and other hot meals but keep in mind that from 2AM and 6AM, you only have limited options for food and no hot meals. You can only eat instant noodles or fruits. Good thing my husband’s flight was 1:45AM so he was able to eat hot meals. And because of the late flight, he has limited photos. hehehe!

Who Has Access to Airport Lounge? 

You may stay in Aiport Lounges if you are Mabuhay Miles Elite, Premier Elite, and Million Miler member. If you are not a member but you have a Business Class ticket you can access the lounge for FREE. Check the list below of different lounges.

Domestic Lounges
International Lounges 

Read: 5 Ways to Get Into Airport Lounge 

October 30, 2019

Glimpse of PAGSS Airport Lounge at NAIA 1

Hubby went to Hanoi, Vietnam via Philippine Airlines last week and he was surprised when he learned that he needs to go to NAIA Terminal 1. He has Mabuhay membership so he can stay at Mabuhay Lounge but this lounge is only available at NAIA Terminal 2. We already canceled our credit card with FREE AIRPORT LOUNGE since there is already a limit of 2 lounge access per year.


Fast forward to his trip, he was happy that he still has airport lounge access. As I’ve said before, there is no Mabuhay Lounge but he was able to stay at PAGSS Airport Lounge. I’m not sure if this is a new airport lounge but for our past experiences, we were able to try MIASCOR and Club Manila at NAIA Terminal 1.


PAGSS Lounge accepts passengers from Kuwait Airways, Air China, China Airlines, China Southern, China Eastern, Eva Air, Xiamen Air, and Philippine Airlines. AUB credit card holders can stay in the lounge too. For economy passengers who do not have airport lounge access, PAGSS Lounge accepts walk-in, just pay $25 per person.

Important Information 
Children under 5 years old are admitted free with an adult.
Separate smoking room available.


When it comes to size, the PAGSS lounge is similar to Mabuhay Lounge but since this is a shared lounge of 8 airlines and 1 credit card company, the lounge tends to be crowded. But at least you can eat and drink for free, you have wifi access, and a comfortable environment compared to the boarding gate.





Who Has Access to Airport Lounge?

You may stay in Aiport Lounges if you are Mabuhay Miles Elite, Premier Elite, and Million Miler member. If you are not a member but you have a Business Class ticket you can access the lounge for FREE. Check the list below of different lounges.

Domestic Lounges
International Lounges 

Read: 5 Ways to Get Into Airport Lounge 
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