The Darth Vader Burger

Whoa! Burger with a black bun?! That's exciting! Well, for me that is, 'coz I am adventurous when it comes to food.  I wonder how it feels like to eat burgers with buns the color of charcoal or burnt food... XD

Ta-da! Weeee!!!

French fastfood chain Quick came out with this Star Wars inspired burgers as a tie-in with the release of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace in 3D.

I know the black burger doesn't look appetizing at all but the "adventurous me" is reeling of excitement.  I hope it reaches Philippine shores soon!  Not that many would be keen on eating burgers with black buns... only people as crazy and adventurous (with food) as I am, I guess!!!

Nightcap at Starbucks

If there's one thing I'm addicted to, it's coffee.  And what perfect place to go for coffee in the middle of the night than Starbucks!  Compared to Gloria Jean's Coffee and Seattle's Best, Starbucks is way above them on my standards.  Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf?  Ah, that's a different story.

I just love the ambiance in Starbucks Coffee shops.  Although it is always packed with people any time of day that it's almost always impossible to get a good seat (love 'em couches!); and even if people's chatter mixed with the soothing aroma of coffee fills the air, I still find it very homey and quite relaxing.  A very nice place to hang around if you don't feel like going home just yet.

Love the caption: "When we're together, snowmen come to life!" >_<

Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cake

I have a sweet tooth, but when it comes to cakes, chocolate isn't really one of my favorites.  I've had my fair share of chocolate cakes though - commercially-sold, bought from different cake shops and bakeshops, and those made by family and friends.  So far, for me, aside from the moist chocolate cake of Starbucks & Ms. Polly's, Mer-Nel's is one of the best I've ever had.

Mer-Nel's Cake House started with but a small stall in the town of Los Banos in Laguna, Philippines.  To this day, that first stall still stands and three more others were opened.  Later on, they built a restaurant along Los Banos' main highway to cater to a wider clientele (Laguna is a favorite out-of-town destination due to its famous hot springs and its proximity to Metro Manila).  Now, Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cake is starting to become a staple "pasalubong", much like the very famous Buko Pie.

It was my cousin who recommended Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cake to me saying that it's one of the best there is.   I was hesitant to buy at first but when I saw that it comes at a very reasonable price, I opted to buy a small one.

heart-broken...? ;)

And from the very first bite of the heavy yet soft and moist chiffon cake, I was sold!  Since then, I've been addicted to the chocolate-y, caramel-ly, marshmallow-y taste of Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cakes.  It has a distinct flavor that is truly its own.  With a slight hint of caramel, plus the flavors of chocolate and marshmallow icing melded into one distinct taste, it's just but the right combination for me.  Add that to the fact that their chiffon just kinda melts in your mouth (I swear!).  It is heavenly!

Know more about Mer-Nel's here.  Also check out their Facebook page.

An Nyeong Ha Se Yo, KOREA!

My niece just came back from a vacay in Korea.  It was so thoughtful of her to still manage to buy us some things despite the fact that pretty much everything in Korea is quite expensive, except for gadgets and electronics she says.  Can you believe the Samsung Galaxy Tab only sells for Php8,000 when converted?! What the F!!!

She bought me these loots...

Yogurt.  Yup, I love yogurt and I love 'em plain.  Funny one of the cups actually burst during the flight due to air pressure but luckily, they were in shrink packs so it didn't smear all over her clothes.  Dunno if these are the best there is in Korea but they taste really great! Very creamy and not too sour, unlike other commercially sold ones.

These chocolates smell like Cloud 9 but taste like Big Bang (talk about 2 chocolates in 1). XD  She didn't buy them though, they were given by a friend.

Nice packaging for cigarettes.  I think the one on the left are filters.  The Marlboro is menthol (we don't have this kind here yet).  This one has an "ice ball" embedded in the filter that you pinch/crush, which brings out a burst of a much cooler menthol flavor... pretty much like inhaling menthol candy.  XD

Noodles... Haven't tried this one yet.  I hope it's spicy!

And, socks galore... these are soooo cute!

Snickers Peanut Butter... Squared!

( source: www.igossip.com )

I just love SNICKERS!   I grew up thinking that the best chocolates there are are Snickers and M&M's... I still do.  From the classic nougat + caramel + peanuts + milk chocolate, they now have variations such as almonds + peanuts & dark chocolate coating (instead of the usual milk chocolate) in one rich tasting, yummy bar.

And now comes Snickers Peanut Butter, too!  Nougat + Peanut + Caramel + Peanut Butter + Milk Chocolate... and with a cute, bite-size square shape to boot!  Isn't that just great?!!!

Another reason for me to love Snickers all the more...

Multigrain Sticks, Anyone?!

I just discovered a new "healthy" junk food today.  Ironic?  Well, it's cheese flavored baked multigrain sticks made from 5 healthy whole grains - oats, barley, wheat, brown rice, and corn.  I told you it's healthy!  Tastes good, too!

Not sure if there are other flavors, but I tried Cheese.  The "multigrain" thing got me... Not bad...