Michi Photostory

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.

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

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 

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 

We went to World Travel Expo at SMX Convention last weekend and on our way home, my husband suggested that we drop by at Ayala Malls. I said no at first kasi kagagaling nga lang namin ng MOA, tapos mall na naman. But then I changed my mind, kasi bihira naman kami makaluwas. So off we went to Ayala Malls Manila Bay. 


Ayala Malls Manila Bay opened to the public last September 26, 2019 so one-month pa lang siya nung bumisita kami. This is the largest Ayala Mall in the country and each floor has its own mini village or town like Filipino village, Korea Town, China Town, and Japan Town. Signs are also written in different languages so it is good news to some foreigner visitors.


This reminds me of our visit to Terminal 21 in Bangkok, Thailand, though hindi pa siya tapos and marami pa under construction and kung may asthma ka, baka hikain ka pa kasi maalikabok pa yung ibang part. As of this writing, FREE PARKING pa siya.

Crazy Crepes 

We explored the mall and we saw Crazy Crepes, it reminded of our trip in Boracay. I’m not sure kung kakaopen pa lang nila kasi may promo sila na “Buy any 2 selected crepes at PHP50 off”. You can choose from the following flavors; Raspberry Choco, Banana Foster, Banana Choco, Nutty Choco, Tuna Mayo, and Almond Nutella. We bought Banana Choco and Almond Nutella for PHP150. 


We bought two crepes pero halos anak ko nakaubos so tumikim lang kami. Lol. Mas mura din price nila kaysa sa Boracay. My husband said, bumili na lang ulit pero tinamad na ko pumila and kakain na rin naman kami ng dinner.



Mumuso 

Then I saw Mumuso, they have a branch in Southwoords Mall but I still checked their store. While checking, the staff told me na nakasale daw sila, 15% off discount sa lahat ng items and if maka PHP1000 ako, may FREE Facial Coupon daw ako. And because of that, pinilit ko na makaPHP1k purchase talaga ko. I bought tissue, wipes, cotton pads, cotton buds, deep cleansing brush, moisture absorber and cellphone holder (car) for my husband. Sayang discount and I need these stuff din naman, bawas na bibilhin ko sa grocery. 



Japan Fudo Street 

When we reach the Japan Town, we saw this Japan Fudo Street. We thought that it is a Japanese food court where you order in different stalls but we were wrong. Upon seated, the staff gave us the menu, ilang pages din yung menu nila so it took us a few minutes bago mag-order.



We ordered Gyu Saikoro Steak PHP430, Rame Gyoza Set PHP380 and Tonkatsu Bento Box Set PHP295. I love steak so I ordered Gyu Saikoro Steak, I was expecting that it will be sizzling hot pero room temperature na siya nung sinerve. Malayo siya sa picture na nakita ko sa Menu. I’m glad that the beef is tender but I don’t think I will order this again. For PHP430, I think I will just eat steak in other restaurants like Pepper Lunch.


Gyu Saikoro Steak - 100g beef tenderloin cut into cubes with yakinuku sauce and stir-fry beans sprout.

My husband ordered Half Ramen with 3 pcs Gyoza. I like the idea of half-ramen kasi sa totoo lang hindi ko kaya ubusin ang isang bowl of ramen. I tried my husband’s ramen and it is good. But again, it is not hot. I like hot ramen not warm or room temperature. Gyoza is also good.


My son ordered Tonkatsu Bento Set, the meal includes coleslaw, house salad, soft tofu, rice, and miso soup. The serving is big for my son so he was not able to finish it, he ate tonkatsu, rice, and miso soup. My husband ate the leftover and according to him, the pork is dry, overcook and hard. Iba pa rin daw ang katsu ng Yabu.


So overall, our food trip is just okay, may masarap and meron hindi. When it comes to service, for me it is okay lang, may okay na staff and meron din lutang, they need to improve on that. In addition, Japan Fudo Street has a mini store too where you can buy Japanese beverages, snacks, and even condiments so if you like Japanese products you can check their store.

I’m itching to travel again so when I learned that we have two weeks semestral break, I immediately look for a place where we could spend our sembreak. Unfortunately, I was having a hard time kasi lagi na lang may problem, like hindi okay ang weather, mahal ang airfare or wala na ko makitang available resort or hotel na pasok sa budget. I don’t want to spend P10K/per night sa room because hindi naman kami magstaycation.

I want to travel but of course, I don’t want to hurt our savings so as much as possible I have to stick with our budget. Nainis din ko ng slight kasi sa school calendar namin, one-week lang semestral break so wala ko balak umalis. Then a week before sembreak, may nasagap ko na tsismis na two weeks daw ang sembreak namin dahil nasa South Korea mga school personnels. Pero last day of class na nag-inform si teacher and confirmed TWO WEEKS ANG SEMBREAK. Waah!

This is the reason, bakit Friday lang ang blog post ko last week because I was busy searching and planning for our trip. I stopped searching na lang kasi napagod na talaga ko kakahanap. I felt that I wasted my one week because wala din akong naplano and nastress lang ako. After few days, I checked kung may Travel Expo and voila, meron World Travel Expo at SMX Convention Center so napaluwas kami bigla. And the search is not yet over.

What: World Travel Expo 2019
Where: Function room 3, 4, and 5, SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City
When:  October 25, 26, 27, 2019, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Admission Fee: Php 80 - Adult and P50 for students, senior citizens, and PWD.


I checked the list of exhibitors and ang konti lang, wala nga ko nakita na airlines. Nagpunta pa rin kami and totoo nga ang konti lang talaga ng nagjoin. Mas marami pa yung nag-aalok ng credit card at nagpapafill-out ng kunyari raffle ticket na may kasamang salary and position sa sasagutan kaysa sa mga nagbibigay ng flyers. Wala rin gaano mga freebies. Malayo siya sa naexperience na namin sa ibang travel expo like PTAA Travel Tour Expo and Philippine Travel Mart. Anyway, this is the 4th World Travel Expo so mag-improve din sila in the future.




Kahit konti lang ang nagjoin, hindi naman nasayang ang punta namin. We availed the PHP600 (from PHP1200) Japan Visa Processing, malay mo makabalik kami ng Japan. hehehe! I have 3 months to use the voucher and submit our requirements. I also bought 2 Stanley Food Jar at PHP1589 each less 25% off. Lastly, we booked 2 Palmera Suites at The Farm at San Benito (PHP8000 nett/per room). We checked other resorts and hotels pero dahil ang laki ng discount sa The Farm at San Benito kaya dito kami nagbooked. Matatanggal na rin siya sa bucket list ko. :)