#brandfeatures

 ESPECIALLY XIAO LONG BAO. Man, i love Xiao Long Bao! I am never not craving for Xiao Long Bao. 

Since its opening in 2016, Paradise Dynasty has gained recognition for their splurge-worthy Xiao Long Bao. Aside from the usual, typical xiao long bao we all love, Paradise Dynasty also offers this crowd-favourite in many different flavors - which I would be sharing with everyone later on. 

Sure, it’s good. Great, even. But if you think it’s all Paradise Dynasty has to offer, you’ve got it all wrong. Luckily for me, I got invited to an exclusive lunch that gave me first taste of the restaurant’s newest food offerings. 

What’s a trip to Paradise Dynasty without geting some of their Xiao Long Bao, right? 

As I’ve mentioned earlier on, they offer Xiao Long Bao in many different flavors, namely : Ginseng, Garlic, Black Truffle, Crab Roe, Foie Gras, Szechuan and Cheese. Personally, my top two favourites aside from Original are Cheese and Black Truffle. 

Now, on to the much awaited, part : their newest dishes. 

New Dish #1 : Shanghai Style Braised Pork Belly 

Super soft, not too salty and also not to sweet. Very flavorful. The Pechay goes well with it too! The perfect pairing to go with rice. 

New Dish #2 : Salted Egg Prawns 

This one looked really, really, really good but I didn’t get to try it because I’m allergic to certain seafood such as this one. Based off the reactions of my lunch maters, however - it’s a must try! 

New Dish #3: Grilled Grouper with Tofu in Mapu Tofu Style 

I couldn’t really describe its exact taste but if you’re a fan of spicy food and love putting your taste buds to the test - this dish is something you will enjoy. It’s not the type of dish you get to try everyday. 

New Dish #4 : Grouper with Pine Nuts and Fruits 

Just like the sweet and sour dishes we all love - BUT BETTER. Despite it being super saucy, the flavor doesn’t overpower the freshness of the fish used. Perfect for barkadas of families of 4 to 5 people. 

New Dish #5 : Deep Fried Duck and Steamed Buns 

Chronologically speaking, this dish was the one served right after the Xiao Long Bao. However, I decided to talk about it last because while all the dishes were really good - this is the one I would order again, given the chance. 

I had my first taste of fried duck the first time I stepped foot in HK back in 2017. I’ve tried it in some other restaurants here but so far, this dish from Paradise Dynasty is the best one yet! 

If you think about it - it’s actually a super simple dish but with the right amount of crisp, the juicy (and suprisingly, not oily!) you’ll be wanting more. 

Special shoutout to Ms. Chosa for having me over for lunch that day :) 

(Photo from Eugene Araneta via Facebook) 

(photos from : Ken Ortega | @ken.ortega )

The event took place at the 2nd floor of Estancia, Capitol Commons in Pasig. I was feeling a little drained out and sick that weekend so I arrived after lunch already. Even then - I still got to do A LOT of activities. I could just imagine how much more fun I would’ve had if I arrived much earlier.

First stop : Instagram Photography 101 by Kenneth Amparo

As someone who’s aiming to thrive in the digital scene, it’s important to at the very least, have a good eye for what is or what isn’t instagrammable. Kenneth Amparo taught us simple but very, very often overlooked significant tips and tricks in slaying that photo -- all for the gram. 

Second stop : Canvas Bag Stamping

I’m not exactly gifted when it comes to ~ahrt~ but I find DIY activities very very therapeutic. The BDJ team prepared a lot of stamp options for everyone - letters, iconic symbols and even horoscope-related designs. Quite fitting since a lot of us are becoming more and more into astrology and understanding the different signs of the zodiac. 

Third stop : Fun, Fearless and Forward talk by Jillian Gatcheco Cantada 

Since the day I realized I could actually write, it’s been quite the dream to contribute for Summit Media - more specifically, Cosmo. Candy and Total Girl -during my younger years. Jillian mentioned a lot of things which were very much on point, but these were the words that really struck me in so many ways -- (quoting her professor from Ateneo) : “Love has three stages. The first stage is where everything is sparkly and magical. Where everything is fun. The second stage is where you start seeing the flaws, ultimately, you fall out of love. The third stage is when you decide and when you commit to love. You see, it’s also like that when it comes to your dream job. You’ll fall in love and you’ll fall out of love. It’s whether or not you commit that matters.”

Fourth Stop : Tarot Reading

While I definitely enjoyed all the activities, tarot reading was the one that I found most interesting. I’m amazed at how eveyrthing seemed so accurate despite me divulging very little information about myself. I wouldn’t go into detail about how it went but it’s worth sharing that IT actually IS possible to predict the future, after all - the future is the sum total of all our previous actions. As such, the only way to future is to create it. To make it magical. 

I first got my hands on a Belle De Jour planner when I was about 14. It served as my diary - the keeper of my secrets, my confidante, the friend who I first told everything I aspire to be and it’s quite an honor to have been part of this event 8 years later. Who would’ve thought?

As part of our GOLD PR ticket - I was lucky enough to have been gifted by the amazing Belle De Jour team with one item each of nearly everything in their 2019 product line! 

People always ask me : ‘How do you do it? Juggling so many things all at once?’ and I usually respond with a laugh or a smile. The truth is, I literally do not know.  But I can tell you how it feels - endless to-do lists, tons of pressure, late nights, (attempted) early mornings and a very, very intimate relationship with my laptop and my phones.

For starters, here’s what my usual day looks like : I (try to) wake up by 7 am (which usually ends up never happening). Shower. Drink water. Squeeze in some work. If it’s a Monday then I try to send updates on all my Viber groups, if there are any. Try to leave for school 2 hours prior (which also, very rarely, happens). Sit in class. Grab lunch real quick and go up to the library. Squeeze in some work again. Sit in class again. Then rush off to an event, a meeting or rush home in hopes that I get home immediately and just try and get as much work done as possible. Every single day. Sobrang #pagoda, besh. Nakakaloka. It doesn’t make it any easier that I am living alone and so everything else is my responsibility - laundry, food, what have you. It’s a never ending battle between “sis, you gotta step up” and “bakit kasi ang dami mong gusto in life”.  It’s mentally, physically and more importantly, emotionally exhausting.

Even then, it’s also worth noting that I live in a time where full-time jobs are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Working two, three or even for jobs or more is becoming the norm. Flexi-time is the new nine to five. Time in what? Time out who? Despite the struggle that comes with being a multihyphenate, I am grateful for two things and these are (1) the mobility of work and (2) the supercharged power of our cellphones to do most things our laptops can, during moments I couldn’t take my laptop with me.

My phone(s) is probably the most important part of my job and one of the things that really stresses me out is when its battery level falls below 50%. While it’s also a perk to be able to work anywhere, ‘anywhere’ doesn’t always have functioning or readily available plugs for me to plug in my phone. Hence, regardless of where I go, I always make it a point to bring with me my trusty powerbank : Romoss Polymos 20 20000 mah Li Powerbank.

NOT ALL POWERBANKS ARE CREATED EQUAL

While it’s undeniably a little big - it’s definitely worth the space it takes up in your bag. Personally, I’ve experienced having to bring five ‘little’ powerbanks everyday because I knew having just one wasn’t enough. 

This changed when the Romoss Polymos 20 2000 mah Li Powerbank came into my life. I don’t have to worry about my powerbank dying on me because charging it once every week is already enough. It has a dual port - so I can share it with a friend in need. It doesn’t overheat like some of the powerbanks I’ve used. 

In case you missed that heck of an important fact about the Romoss Polymos 20 2000 mah Li Powerbank : I charge it once and it lasts for about an entire week. Around 8 to 9 full charges at a time. For reference - I’m using a Huawei P20 & and an iPhone 6+. 

The best part? Romoss offers a WIDE range of powerbanks so you’re sure to find something that best fits your lifestyle. Romoss Powerbanks are definitely a must have for multihyphenates like me. Next up : I’ll be sharing with you the wonders of the  Romoss Sense 6+, Sense 8, Sense 8+,KN20, and LT20.

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This is where online shopping comes in. Online shopping allows you to purchase whatever it is that you need with just a few clicks of a button.  Thankfully, there’s  Hataw.ph - the newest e-commerce platform is finally here to serve you!

Hataw.ph is the answer to your budget problems. From clothing, faucet parts, personal care needs and even baby items - it’s all here. The best part? they offer the lowest prices in the market. They’re in partnership with some of the country’s most well-loved houseware and personal care brands too so the authenticity and quality of the products you’re purchasing are guaranteed.

Looking to shop without a credit card? As early as now, cash on delivery is already available! You can opt to secure your payments through any Cebuana Lhuillier branch.

Last and definitely not the least - if you’re an entrepreneur interested in making your products available in an online platform with a wide reach (and reasonable payment arrangements), all you have to do is head on over to the seller center to sign up. Agree to the terms and conditions, upload your products and voila! You’re good to go.

While Korean stars are absolutely adorable and Korean drama is highly addictive (basing on my friends’ reaction at least!), My favourite Korean thing has to be food! Their famed desert, to be exact - the Bingsu. 

I guess it’s safe to say that the Bingsu (sometimes called Patbingsu or Bingsoo) is like the Korean counterpart of our very own Halo-Halo. It’s made up of extra fine shaved ice, milk and topped with different fruits, ice cream, cookies or flavoured syrup. 

Over the past couple of months, stores and cafes offering Bingsu have been appearing left and right. But for me, Snowbing is the best one so far! 

Let me share with you the reasons: its price, its taste and the quality of the ice used.  

Snowbing offers 12 different Bingsu flavors and all of them are priced below 200 pesos. Aside from Bingsu, Snowbing also offers mouthwatering toasts with prices ranging from P210 - P250 already good for sharing.

I’ve had Bingsu from other stores and what I’ve observed is that it’s either too sweet or too icy. This is not the case with Snowbing, despite the Bingsu consisting of 90% ice, it’s not too cold nor to sweet! The ice used was shaved very finely that you can taste the flavor until the very last scoop.

The next time you find yourself craving for a sweet treat - get your fix at Snowbing’s Trinoma branch! 

Undeniably one of the world’s (if not THE) most loved food items. I for one, have never met anyone who isn’t fond of pizza. In fact, 2013 was a great year for pizza lovers such as myself because that’s when Project Pie first opened its doors here in the Philippines. 

It’s been four years and Project Pie continues to take every pizza lover’s dining experience to a whole different level. What sets Project Pie apart from all the other pizza chains is your freedom to create your own masterpiece - your very own #MasterPizza so to speak. 

Photo from http://stylemaxim.net 

Photo from http://leeflairmarch.com

From scrumptious meat options to the delightful sauces, you can opt to go crazy with your pizza. It’s safe space, no judgment, really. Project Pie serves pasta and salad too. The best part? It’s also customizable. Suit yourself.

Clearascar is a scar gel solution made up of 100% Natural Silicone. For years, Silicone is an ingredient proven to have the ability to improve the appearance of scars through lightening, flattening and softening. Using Clearascar is pretty simple : Cleanse and dry up the affected area. Apply a very thin and even layer of Clearascar gel to the affected area. Allow the gel 2 to 3 minutes to dry up. Lastly, once the applied area has dried up - you’re free to apply sunblock, cosmetics or your everyday lotion on the area. 

To set expectations straight : results will start to show for as little time as 8 weeks! As compared to other scar lightening gels available in the market, Clearascar is cheaper for only P418.95 for the 6g tube and P761.20 for the 15g tube. :-) Best of all, it’s safe even for pregnant women, breastfeeding moms and even kids. 

During a training session, Skip got into an accident -it was so bad that doctors and specialists swore Skip could never walk again. Unwilling to accept defeat, Skip went on a journey with a made up mind to find a cure. Within six months, given his determination and through intensive research, he was able to get back in shape. More so, in just a span of 18 months, he became a gymnastics champion once again!

Since then, Skip has worked with the rich and famous such as Sir Richard Branson, Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tony Webber. 

Skip now dedicates his life to help people overcome health issues and share his message about the benefits of a life with optimum health, energy and vitality.

Skip is coming to Manila on June 10th, Davao on June 14th, and Cebu on June 17th.

Meet him and learn how to live your life to the fullest! Register for PHP500.00 ONLY.

Contact PMCM Events Management at (02) 5053746 / (02) 501 0029 or text 0995-281-3320 :-)