GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

stop, look and listen

the guggenheim museum is one of our favorite museums.

buko: "what do you like about the guggenheim?"
ichigo: "it's a fun museum to go around in. every turn is interesting and you can get "lost" in it without really getting lost."
buko: "i can't lose you."

stop...

look...



and listen.

cold silence

waiting to exhale

DIMSUM GO GO

roughhouse dining

the last time we were in new york, we discovered a hole in the wall dimsum place in chinatown. while looking for a place to have lunch, we spotted the red, bold signage of dimsum go go. the restaurant was packed with chinese people, foreigners and a que of other customers lining up for a table. clearly, this place was the place to eat at, but we were too hungry to line-up.

we went back to dimsum go go for a late dinner that night and we understood why people lined-up at this joint — the food was simple, tasty, and you didn't feel bloated and lethargic from msg after eating.

it was almost closing time when we left the place, but before leaving we chatted a bit with the waiters. they shared with us that the place has been there for nine years and there are a lot of locals, tourists and celebrities that frequent their restaurant. they also told us that their new lease is coming up and they fear that if the rent goes up, they may have to close down the place or move. we hope not, because their current location has character and the food was superb.

we went back to dimsum go go several times during our stay and i even took some friends who had been living in new york for years and had never heard about the place. everyone gave it a two thumbs up.

dimsum go go is located at 5th east broadway (212-732-0796).

check out the numerous awards and positive reviews on dimsum go go.

write your own orders. this is a fun and smart way to take orders. no pictures though, but the food is pretty self-explanatory.

complementary oolong tea

peanuts and assorted dimsum sauces

steam buns (tdf) and assorted dimsum

fried spring rolls

i forgot the name of this dish, but it has a mushroom filling and wrapped in rice wrappers with light soy sauce and vinegar.

ichigo: i'm full. let's go home.
mr. roboto: cool red signage.

TWELVE FOREVER.

it's never too late to stay young

one of the gifts being married to tom is that there is never a dull moment with him. he is a born adventurer, a master prankster and a joker. unlike me, who's uptight and serious. not anymore. when you are part of this family, you have to be able to dish it out and take it as well. over the years, i have learned to loosen up and hone my skills on pranks and dishing it well.

it is no surprise that aryanna turned out to be another joker. i wish i recorded all her funny one-liners and comebacks because she is sharp as a tac when it comes to dishing it out. she just has to learn how to take it, but she's only twelve. she's allowed to be sensitive once in a while. lol

if you are wondering why aryanna is busting up in this photo, it's because we were planning an "attack" on dad. strategy and the element of surprise are the key to a successful prank.

researching and planning for a good strategy.

must. read.

research material

buko: did you find anything we could use on dad?
ichigo: not really, but i found something i'd like to try.
buko: what?
ichigo: you won't like it.
buko: *excited* i'll like it! c'mon, show me.
ichigo: *shows the page*
buko: aryanna!!!
ichigo: lol... told you.

nice try.

THE CITY BAKERY

hot chocolate break

i still have a lot of photos that i haven't uploaded from our last trip to new york, so i will just randomly post it here since this is really more of an online family album than a blog.

one of the best cafes we've visited in the big apple was the city bakery located at 3rd west 18th street, footsteps from 5th avenue. they are known for their breakfast pastries (each one is hand made with organic flour), their cookies are the most popular in the city, and they bake them every 30 minutes all day long. they also serve one of the best hot chocolate by maury rubin. the city bakery is also the creator of birdbath neighborhood green bakery — a must-visit place also when you're in nyc.

the ambiance is cozy and the smell of the place wreaks of good chocolate, dessert and divine food. it's the perfect place to have a coffee or hot choco break!

the food station and cashier are located at the center of the coffee shop.

a special room houses some of the best chocolates in the city.

warm, soft and mouth-watering cookies!

a cool diner is located on the first floor.

cookies and pastries served fresh from the oven.

get a heads up from the city bakery via twitter. don't you just love twitter?

i ordered brewed coffee and a hard cookie. i prefer hard cookies over soft ones.

tom and aryanna got the same black bottom. aryanna had hers with hot choco and tom with capuccino.

melt in your mouth goodness!

they serve their hot chocolate in a small bowl. aryanna used a straw to sip it — how cute!

this is how she does it. tom and i were amused by her.

a candid shot of aryanna and i taken by mr. roboto. why do we look so serious?

TRUE TO OUR ALIASES

you are what you eat

sunday is family day. despite our busy schedules the whole week, tom and i make sure that we don't work on the weekend. we spend our sundays cooking brunch, going on picnics (yes, people still go on picnics) or eating out. a few months ago, we were invited to sample renaissance makati city hotel's m2m lunch buffet. i took some random shots during our lunch and it was interesting to find out that we are what we eat.

ready...

get...

set...

go!

enjoy the food porn!
ichigo (means strawberry in japanese): strawberry crepe with fresh strawberries and strawberry ice cream

buko (coconut in filipino): rice cake made with coconut milk

mr. roboto (random name = random desserts): bread pudding, dark chocolate mousse and chocolate cake.

"IT" BAG

national bookstore eco bag

unlike some grown-ups, kids really don't care about branded bags. what's important to them is that it looks cool and functional. cool usually means cute to grown-ups. or not.

one of aryanna's favorite bags is the national bookstore eco bag that we got for free two years ago. once in a while, the eco bags are available in selected national bookstore branches. you just have to ask the sales people to check inside the stock room for stocks.

i asked aryanna what she liked about the bag:

ichigo: mom, you don't see this kind of red color anymore, plus it's easy to see what's inside my bag.
buko: isn't it dangerous that people can see through your bag?
ichigo: mom, the little money that i have is not worth the thief's time.
buko: what about your other stuff?
ichigo: like what? the books we bought for my book reports? please, by all means, someone please steal them!
buko: hahaha...

the perfect red color!

ichigo: this bag "airs" my stuff.

ichigo: stop it, mom! let's go home. i still have books to read and so much assignments. i wish someone would steal my books. just leave the 'persepolis 2' and my manga.

I 'HEART' ICE CREAM

cold rock

when it comes to sweets and desserts, aryanna is the "master." she rarely eats junk, but when she does, she chooses the best of the lot. i didn't think cold rock was all that until aryanna pointed out...

buko: what's the big deal about cold rock anyway?
ichigo: mom. it's been my life long dream to mix several flavors of ice cream and ingredients in one cup. cold rock made my dreams come true!
buko: aryanna. you just had that yesterday.
ichigo: right. *evil grin*

"if you can dream it, we can ice cream it!"
-cold rock

dream in a cup

ichigo: they are mind-readers!

on ichigo: herbench red cap and white t-shirt, topshop black dress and glittery heart belt, levi's white watch and red chucks.

ichigo's record: 3 flavors of ice cream with 6 different ingredients.

another record: devoured in less than a minute! ouch! brain freeze!

ichigo: i love hearts! my favorite is the silver double heart ring my dad gave me for my 11th birthday.