Capricciosa for a night

Capricciosa is an Italian word for capricious or anything characterized by whim. And last Friday, I chose to be one.

After a hard week's work, my officemates and I decided to reward ourselves by eating something we haven't eaten before. We tried Capricciosa in Greenhills, San Juan. It was a spur of the moment food whim. We didn't mind the price or the location. We just went there, not knowing what that Italian Restaurant has in store for us. For an hour or more, I just enjoyed the company of good (young!) friends and good food that Friday night! It was so stress-releasing!

Capricciosa's facadeCapricciosa is established by Chef Masaaki Honda, a Japanese chef
who worked for an Italian cafe and studied at National Culinary Academy of Italy.
He must have loved Italian cuisine so much that he put up the very first Capricciosa when he came back to Japan.
Capricciosa's interior.
Me and my young officemates :)
Capricciosa P485
Capricciosa's house specialty pizza. Southern Italian Napoleon style pizza
topped with salami, bacon, mushroom and bellpeppers. This is so yummy!
Calamari and Onion in Squid Ink Sauce (S P365 and L P650)
One of Capricciosa's specialty dishes. Fresh squid, sliced onion sauteed in squid ink and tomato sauce. This is like eating Adobong Pusit with Spaghetti Noodles. Don't order this when you are with a date you want to impress.
This is best ordered for hunger and fun! :)
And this is the fun I meant! :)
We were given plastic bibs for stain prevention purposes.
Four Varieties Ice Cream P220
Four Italian gelato in one dessert, which are vanilla, strawberry,
mango and chocolate. This is served either in one bowl or
in separate small bowls, depending on customer's request.
This is the price of about an hour of fun and food satisfaction.
For drinks, we ordered Bottomless Iced Tea P80,
Strawberry Iced Tea P95 and San Mig Light P65
I had a very good dining experience with Capricciosa Greenhills. The food was delicious and served fast. Their customer service was excellent. Their staffs were very accommodating and friendly. Special mention to Analyn, who willingly took pics of us in our blackest mouths!:)

Capricciosa, Greenbelt
3/L, Fun Dining Area, Greenbelt 3,
Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St.,
Ayala Center, Makati, MM
Phone Number: (632)757-7811, (632)757-7898
Mobile No.: (+63)922 84-CAPMA
Operating Hours: 10am to 11pm

Capricciosa, Greenhills
G/F, Fox Square Bldg.,
53 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan, MM
Phone Number: (632)744-0689, (632)744-0490
Mobile No.: (+63)922 80-CAPGH
Operating Hours: 8am to 11pm

I heart Magnolia Ice Cream this Christmas!

I almost forgot that there was Magnolia Ice Cream.

When I was a gradeschooler, my sisters and I would wake up early to see a bottle of Magnolia Chocolait waiting for us at our door. That was my earliest rendezvous with Magnolia, the brand. Later, the rendezvous became an affair when I realized that I also love their ice cream. For years, I didn't taste any other ice cream brand.

I came to love Magnolia more when I was able to drop by at its plant in Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City when I was in high school. Located inside the plant was the Magnolia Ice Cream Parlor. I remember I got a bit excited because I got to choose many flavors! During that time when malls and other hang-out places were still scarce, going to that ice cream parlor was already something a teenager like me could brag about! And since we lived in San Juan (a municipality then), we would pass by that Magnolia Ice Cream plant whenever we went somewhere north. I clearly remember seeing happy faces of Magnolia employees. Could their happiness be one of the reasons for its delicious flavors then? :)

With the merging of Magnolia with Nestle a few years after, I began welcoming other ice cream brands. Slowly, I forgot about Magnolia.

Until this December. When NomNomClub invited me to a Magnolia Ice Cream Bloggers' Event, I immediately said yes! I again felt the same excitement I had on my first visit to Magnolia Ice Cream Parlor years ago. And this time, meeting an ex-love was delicious! Magnolia, with the Nestle brand no longer tagged with it, now offers Nuts, Cakes and Fruits: The Magnolia Ice Cream Christmas Limited Edition 2010. I got to sample the three flavors and I fell in love with all of them!

Vanilla Praline contains cashew praline with
streaks of caramel ripple in a vanilla ice cream base. Yummy!
Caramel Cheesecake contains cheesecake bits with
streaks of caramel ripple in a caramel ice cream base. Nomnom!

Apple Strudel contains apple cinnamon bits with crushed chocolate pretzels swirled with a combination of green and red apple ripple. Triple Yummy!


My kids were able to taste the three new flavors, too and they love all of them! Sunday likes Apple Strudel and Gabby wants the Caramel Cheesecake. I like Apple Strudel. I don't like apple but this flavor made me want it. It is so yummy!

These Magnolia Ice Cream Christmas Limited Edition flavors in 1.5L tub will only be in supermarket and Monterey shops until February 2011. So hurry and grab them all! Believe me, you will fall in love with them, too! :)

PS: Want to win Magnolia Ice Cream GCs? Join NomNomClub.com's blogging contest today!

I Dream of Going to Batanes Someday

My husband’s “No!” is sometimes my “Yes!”

Working in another country and thousands of miles away, Fred requested that I do not travel anywhere far. He cannot bear the thought that I am in this or that province and not safely seated in front of our desktop computer chatting with him. I understand him and how he feels. He is just worried that something might happen to us while he is away. But I always love to travel! That’s the main reason this blog was aptly addressed wondersandwanders.com. I’ve always wanted to explore and discover new places.

Just like Batanes. It is always included in my Top 5 Must-Visit Destinations list. I dream of going there since my college days when I was still free to go anywhere I please! That dream was deeply embedded in my subconscious that when I watched the movie Leap Year, I almost thought that the rolling hills and staggering coasts of Ireland were that of Batanes. Believe me, I was so fascinated with that National Geographic documentary-like movie that I watched it more than ten times! But I know I don't have to go to Ireland to appreciate those sceneries. Batanes is Ireland’s countryside, Asian version. And maybe, even better!

I would love to see Batanes's green landscape and blue waters!
Seeing these rugged cliffs would be a dream come true!
This is what I look for in a perfect tourist destination.
For me, a getaway is not a getaway if it doesn't have long, sandy beaches!
When I told Fred that Seair is holding a contest on Batanes Winter Bloggers' Tour and showed him the images of that stunning province, he immediately said, "Join! Join Seair's contest!" to my surprise. What happened to all his apprehensions? He said he finally realized that while working there, my world, including that of our kids, should not stop revolving. We should continue to discover new places and things while he also explores the sights and wonders of Saudi Arabia.

Fred plans to take us to Saudi Arabia because he foresees that he will be working there for a long time. His employer has already given him the go signal and promised financial support for our transportation and housing. God willing, the kids and I will be with him when he renews his contract. While waiting for that time to come, I think it's best that I continue exploring our homeland. And the best way to start again is on top. Geographically, that is Batanes.

Fred’s “No!” became a “Yes!” this time. It only took Batanes to make him agree. :)

Update: I didn't win in this contest. But it's alright. The winners all deserved to win. :)

A Day at the Market

I thought of bringing Gabby and Sunday to Market! Market! at The Fort because I haven’t been there myself. My officemates told me that there was this sports store in the 5th floor that offers running shoes at discounted prices. We went there lunchtime. Although I’m also window shopping for LCD TV and maybe a TV table to go with it, I decided to bring the kids out for some fresh air! I was a bit disappointed because the mall was kind of crowded. But it was understandable because of the holiday rush.

The Market! Market! shopping mall
The Serendra beside Market! Market!
This Serendra Piazza is best visited at night.
Perfect for gimmicks and meeting with friends or a date.
The Play Zone of Market! Market! with the Serendra at the back

Gabby and Sunday didn't leave Market! Market!
without trying its Play Zone.

Before heading home, Gabby and Sunday enjoyed looking at
these animal sculptures with their bodies covered with plants.


It was a fine weekend for the kids. I hope you'll have a fine one, too! :)