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Canton and Himalaya present two contrasting faces of contemporary Filipino society: one that thrives, and one that strives to survive. Ea Torrado’s Canton draws from the strained lives of sex workers in Manila, wrought by oppression and the desperation that ensues. Showcased at the Ho Chih Minh International Dance Festival, Canton gives form to narratives that are often ignored and…

With just a day shy of Valentine’s Day, boyfriends are usually tested with questions from their girlfriends. “Where will we eat?” “Did you call to make a reservation?” All the usual sorts of details that reveal just how much planning was done for February 14.

Still stumped with where you and your partner could dine in? Here’s an option that might just tickle your bubble tea taste buds.

Tokyo Bubble Tea has always been an affordable favorite among those looking to satisfy their hunger pangs. The restaurant boasts of unique maki plates, yummy pasta dishes, and tasty milk tea drinks.

From February 12 to March 8, customers can avail of the Yoshoku Valentine’s Treat for the low cost of P1,143.00! The meal comes with two servings of Miso Soup, one limited edition Maki, two Yoshoku big plates, two medium milk teas, and two Tokyo Bubble Tees. (Choice of big plates, milk teas, and tees are dependent on the customer.)

Start your meal with a serving of Tokyo Bubble Tea’s Miso Soup, which is bound to warm you and your partner up. The Miso includes a serving of seaweed and tofu, and is a light start to the Valentine’s meal ahead.

Rolled inside the Maki is a breaded pork fillet that comes with a crunch. Slices of cheese lie atop the rice, which is then decorated with even more bits of the breaded pork. 

Pick the Taro Milk Tea if you’re feeling a little adventurous. It’s one of the restaurant’s best sellers and has only the slightest hint of taro — not too much that it’s overpowering, but still significant enough to taste it in the drink.

The soft chicken fillet is comes with such a crisp breading that it’s almost addicting to bite. The meal is accompanied with a sunny side egg, that still holds a bit of the yolk’s softness. Do yourself a favor and pierce the yolk in the center to have the egg run down to the garlic rice nestled below it. Yum!

This has to be one of the best big plate offerings in the Yoshoku Valentine’s Treat. The fresh salmon is nicely charred and the grilled pineapple brings out the sweetness of the fruit. The dish comes with a choice of either garlic rice or mashed potato, but it’s recommended to choose the latter instead of the former.

So last weekend us WhenInManila.com writers celebrated our editor Vince's birthday over at their place. And I finally took the commute outside Makati on my own for once and ventured into the far unknown right at the depths of LRT 1, and actually crossing over to the LRT 2. It's honestly the farthest commute I've made on my own (which is quite embarrassing LOL) but I'm very glad to have lived to tell the tale.

Our editor getting his cake and eating it too lol

Me about to attack Ilustrado's insanely yummy paella, it's FILLED with sahog wuhoo toppings abound!

Some of the dude writers of WheninManila.com

I honestly don't remember what was so funny here -____-

Cheryl with Chase the weird cat! This cat kept hiding in a plastic bag the entire night.

When In Manila writers are weird o.o but heaps fun!

Yay group photo!

After dinner we had more drinks and played charades. And because When In Manila is so badass the prize up for grabs was a high-end speaker! Too bad I lost FML T_T

Me being mad at Aileen for making me lose >:) LOL just kidding I don't know why my face looked like that!

I forgot I was with a bunch of bloggers that night; didn't take any photos but managed to grab a ton from everyone else! Grabbed most of my photos from writers Cheryl Violangco and Mae Ilagan, instant documentation committee!

During the awarding ceremony, Cheryl won the speakers *luckyyyy*

Sea of bottles, Manila Beer sent the birthday boy 18 cases! Enough booze for year's worth of parties wtf

Hello piggie! Yummy yummy baked lechon courtesy of Hecky's Lechon. So crispy!

PIZZA HEAVEN MY OH MY ultimate grub from Yellow Cab! I would've finished it all if I had no shame.

Stacks on stacks of pasta and wings, I swear I tried to eat as much as I can to help them out

Yeah

One of the writers brought over cupcakes his mom made! Managed to get myself a red velvet before all four were attacked.

Mochi from Dezato Mochi Cafe! So good, especially the dark chocolate one! You know how some mochi balls get all messy and soggy once they thaw out? These don't *thumbs up* Birthday boy got one of the green tea flavored ones before anyone got to take a piccie of it.