holiday specials from 2nd's

I was invited to sample some of the Christmas specials from 2nd's last night and asked Lissa & Camille to try them with me... 2nd's is known for really great comfort food & an upscale dining experience so I was excited to see what they were adding to the menu. Really interesting flavors going on and sure enough, each dish really reminded me of Christmas!  

CHICKEN RELLENO ROULADE 

Chicken leg stuffed with sausage and roasted chestnuts. Served with potato & pumpkin dauphinoise, french beans, and peppercorn whiskey jus.

-Loved the potato & pumpkin dauphinoise! Cams said this was her favorite, too. 

CHRISTMAS HAM & QUEZO DE BOLA CROQUETAS

Served with truffled aioli

-Even if I had to take out the ham, this was still really tasty. 

CINNAMON & PINEAPPLE GLAZED PORK BELLY “HAM” 

Served with warm red sauerkraut and rosemary browned butter potatoes

GINGERBREAD COOKIE & EGGNOG ICE CREAM SANDWICH

-LOVED IT

PUTO BUMBONG GNOCCHI

Served with desiccated coconut pinipig, gata butterscotch, and coco sugar.

-I really liked that they made a Filipino favorite more interesting. 

❧

These holiday specials will be available starting November 19 (Monday) til the end of December. 

2nd's is on the 2nd floor of Quadrant 3, Bonifacio High Street, 9th Avenue Bonifacio Global City Taguig 

Tel. no. +6328465293 

(be sure to make reservations)

Open from Sunday to Thursday 11:30 AM - 10:30 PM (last call) 

Friday and Saturday 11:30 AM - 11:00 PM (last call)

❤

Furne One x Bench

   The launch for the most awaited collaboration between Bench and Furne Onè was held last November 8 at the Peninsula Manila through showcasing 42 never-before-seen pieces of Furne Onè’s new creation, with shoes provided by local designer Nereku. 
Furne Onè X Bench Bench creates a stellar collaboration with one of Dubai’s most prestigious designers, Furne Onè. The designer has truly come a long way from being rewarded in Mega Young Designers Competition, an apprenticeship with Josie Natori, gaining the first prize at the Japan’s Women’s Wear Awards, a finalist in Manila’s Fashion Designer Awards three years later, a store in Dubai with a roster of elite clientele, guesting in Germany’s Next Top Model, and this year, as Bench’s designer perfume “concoctionist.” 
 Three scents are going to be released this season under this collaboration: Unholy Eau de Toilette, and an oxymoron of scents such as Beautiful Boy Eau de Toilette, and Handsome Girl Eau de Toilette. The first fragrance, Unholy, is bottled in a red, glass flask (pictured above). A unisex scent, it has a top note of mandarin, a middle aroma of rose, and musk as its base note. Beautiful Boy, a fragrance for men, is a concoction of grapefruit, neroli, bergamot, cardamon, peppery, rosewood, iris and musk. And lastly Handsome Girl has a floral and fruity cocktail blend of apple, melon, lemon, orange, frangipani, neroli, cedarwood, amber and musk. 

The face of Furne Onè’s scent for Bench is none other than Raina Hein of the 14th cycle of America’s Next Top Model (pictured here with owner of Amato Haute Couture, Furne One, and Ben Chan).
The show was enchanting with the right hints of eeriness throughout the production, brought about by the music and choreography on the revolving stage. It was definitely one of the best fashion shows I've seen this year! 
❤

I like what I like: my not-so-basic basics.

Last night's closet roulette resulted to this ensemble. Nothing special, just a couple of old items in a sea of black jeans/leggings/blazers. I wasn't expecting we'd end up in a grand event so I opted for the stretchy pants + top combo since I'm recovering from muscle injury. I can totally do cartwheels in this outfit, and I would, if my legs didn't feel like cured concrete. 

[bubblegum nails by Nail It!]

My affinity for studs, boots and black bottoms dates back to my first attempts at playing dress-up & intrepidly posting photographs of myself online... I started when it wasn't a norm to ask friends to take your OOTD in the middle of a busy promenade, so most of my shots were taken using my tripod. To this day, I still find it disconcerting to ask AND be randomly photographed in public. I'd rather be behind the lens. 

[posted this for my #throwbackthursday on Instagram]
A self-portrait taken in my old study (May 2009). I actually purchased those Doc Martens on eBay- a men's size 8 which are now too big for me. DMs weren't too popular here yet so I had to swallow the fee for customs & shipping. All that trouble for a pair of clown shoes? Now that I think of it, much of the headaches I've gotten from online shopping's always been inflicted by shoes.... 

And yes, I know some of you have been telling me to grow my hair out... Haven't you heard? Hair takes time to grow. I'm just glad that it's turned out healthy after maybe a dozen dye jobs. I do miss my faux-hawk (It's evident as I haven't moved on from that blog header), and a couple of people have been telling me that short hair really suits me, but now I can't wait to rock the mermaid tresses just so I can abuse it til it dies and I'm forced to chop it all off once again. Vanity... it's a vicious cycle. 

Photos from the Furne One fashion show will be up on a separate post. The collection was so extravagant and it deserves to be classified in an entirely different blog entry! 

❤