Motherhood 101

It's 3am and I'm still awake because I just put Reese to sleep. He had his milk, I changed his diapers and checked his temperature because he had a fever earlier tonight because of his vaccines. For all that these statements represent, I decided there's no better timing than now to publish this blog.

Going back to the title..Motherhood 101. Of course, there's no such thing because motherhood, just like any relationship, will be different for every person..Nonetheless, I'd like to share in a nutshell what I've learned in the past eight weeks.

1. Havin a baby is expensive

I know it sounds stupid because as we all know, having a baby really is expensive but I didn't know that it would be this expensive. Sure, I accepted that we'd have to adjust our budget but not this much. Lemme give you a rundown of our fixed and varied monthly expenses after having Reese:

1. Yaya's salary- 2,000( we have an all-around housekeeper and that's my share for her salary)

2. Milk- 4,000( Reese's milk is Nan Pro One and we buy approximately 4 1, 000 peso packs per month)

3. Diapers- 700( He uses Mamy Poko's Power Slim diapers alternately with reusable cloth diapers. We buy 28-piece-packs every week, which costs 155-170 per pack depending on where we buy it)

*Most people think Mamy Poko is expensive but this variant is actually cheaper than Pampers comfort. It's the blue variant that is actually expensive, close to the price of Huggies

4. Distilled Water- 300(we buy 10-liter water bottles for his milk

that's already 7,000 and it still doesnt include expenses that vary such as monthly birthday cakes, sickness check ups, vitamins, vaccines and clothes. Truth be told, we've already switched to the barangay health center for his vaccines because they cost 800-4,000 per shot if we avail it from his pedia.

2. Motherhood aint just about googly eyes and candy sprinkles and angelic baby faces you upload on Facebook and Instagram. Motherhood is hard
Being an ECCD (early childhood care and development) degree holder, former preschool teacher, an Ate who took take of her two younger siblings + the power of the Internet, I was disillusioned that I'd revolutionize motherhood and somehow do most things right. To say that I was wrong does not even begin to cover it. It's been eight weeks and somehow I've eaten my words in countless ways, to name a couple:

*I've read about Dr. Ferber and the theory or method that babies are supposed to and have the ability to go to sleep on their own without rocking them to sleep, lullabies and habits that may be hard to break. When I was still pregnant, I promised myself I'd do it and after 8weeks, here's what I'd say. Ferberize my ass. If you have a crying baby at 10pm who cant go to sleep, and a household of people who have to get up at 6am the next morning to go to work or school, the only sensible thing to do is to put that baby to sleep by all means possible. Nuff said.

*For all its benefits, I said I'd breastfeed exclusively until I get back to work. I'm about to go back to work in two weeks time and I havent exclusively breastfed my son for one single day..because it's harder than I thought. I delivered via C section because of my highblood pressure and it took a while for my blood pressure to go down. While I was drinking meds, my son's pedia didnt want me to breastfeed so I just pumped it diligently and threw away the milk. By the time I've stopped drinking meds, my son was already used to his feeding bottle and so he got frustrated in sucking my nipple which yielded very little milk. I tried to make him suck once a day but after a few days, the routine of making him suck and making him frustrated, pumping the milk and adding it to his formula milk became too tedious for a mom who was still bearing the pains after the operation, continuing her home based job and tended to a growing baby who wanted milk every two hours, woke up from time to time and needed changing. So to conclude, I gave up breastfeeding because of these complex concerns.

There are many others and sometimes, I stare into nothingness thinking of how I want to be a better mother, doubting myself if I am really cut out for this, on how I could make better choices for Reese. There are times when he'd cry longer than necessary either because a)my stupid brain is darn slow in sending signals that my son is crying (bakit na nga ako nagising? you moron, your son is hungry!) or b)I am finding strength in the depths of my sleep deprived body to get up and feed him. There are also days when I'd reach into that pack of disposable diapers even though it can cause skin irritation if used too frequently because it is much more convenient than to use his reusable cloth diapers that get soaked much more quickly and needs to be washed. I am not proud, and sometimes I am not sure if the courage and character that I have are enough to be a mother.

3. Motherhood causes a whirwind of emotions
I thought post partum depression was a laughingstock because I thought..how can the joy of an angel overpower anything else? but then again, when it was my turn, I understood how it happens to some of us moms because of the change in dynamics of my relationship with people around me.

*There are days when I'd look at my husband and thank him silently for without him, I wouldnt have Reese; there are days when I'd resent him for sleeping so soundly while I try all means possible to put Reese to sleep. There are days when I love him more for all that he has done for us but there are days when I doubt how long his fidelity will last after I look at my stretch marks and smell myself after a days worth of sweat, dirty nappies and puke.

*There are days when I love my Mom more after taking care of me and taking care of Reese but there are days when I wish she wouldnt give as much advice about child rearing. There are days when I thank her silently for letting me take care of my sisters because it taught me a lot and there are days when I feel like a bad mother because I cannot be more like her.

* I love Reese more than life itself but there are days when I say crazy things to him..(cge ka, itatapon na kita sa ilog...gusto mo ba mabigay sa Intsik????) and he continues crying nonetheless.There are days when I rush home after a trip to the supermarket, because being away from him for more than two hours makes me anxious but there are days when I'd feel bad because of all the hiking trips I've missed during and after pregnancy.

 4. Motherhood is all that mushy crap and more.
You might have heard a lot of mushy crap from people and whatever it was, it's true. Loving Reese is like puppy love on a whole new level. I cant seem to talk about anything else except him. Every little thing he does fascinates me in ways I do not understand. I lose my appetite when he's ill in the same way that I feel so good when he's okay. I've seen other boys but to me, he'll always be more handsome.

It's been 9months since I first saw him as a tiny speck in my uterus. He's been out for eight weeks and I've had more than eight weeks of sleep-deprived, poop-laiden, hiking-free days but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

a chubby boy named Reese Franco is gonna be 2mos old next  week!

Thanks.. till next time!

Food Review: Moshi Moshi Katipunan

I got a voucher for this place from deal grocer way way back ( March, I think) and pleaded for husband for us to use it before it expires next week. Luckily, he was planning to buy something and after we came from Ortigas yesterday, we headed to Katipunan.

Moshi Moshi is in Regis, Center in Katipunan and if you're like me whose not very good with names and remembers landmarks instead, it's the glass building across Ateneo, the one with Fully Booked and CBTL in the ground floor and BonChon and Mom and Tina's on the second floor.

I called to reserve and said that we'll be there 4 or 5ish but since we finished early, hubby and I were already there by 3. The place was pretty much deserted at that time and so we were able to get couch seats to ourselves.

Look, they have Green Tea Kitkat!

The cashier is up front and the menu is behind her, just like in a regular fast food. I ordered Mayodon and hubby had Katsudon for our main entries, plus California Maki and Crepe.

Moi while the cashier explains their menu

I sure hope this is a "thing" in Japan that they copied..because I found it weird. Reminds you of stuff sold in school supply stores that lure kids in. :)

The Maki, Mayodon and Katsudon came in less than 15 minutes and since hubby and I hadnt had lunch, we munched away immediately.

Maki(79 4 pieces)
It arrived quicker than expected, which I was thankful for since I was already hungry. Nothing much to say, it was good- not too bad for me to regret ordering it, not too exceptional as well for me to remember every detail :)

uma-art sa shot just because our new lens makes it easy :)

MAYODON(165 level up size)

My Mayodon was "level up" or upsized but truth be told, I wasnt sure if it was. My bowl was the same size as hubby's and since we got different kinds, I had nothing to compare to if mine was really upsized. It got its name from the mayo drizzled on top of the chicken .The chicken in the Mayodon were crunchy, crispy and juicy bite size pieces and under it were shreds of white cabbage ala coleslaw

KATSUDON(135)

Theirs is rare (or medium rare?) compared to other versions I've had but I'm not complaining...It made the meat juicier and less oily. The seasoning was also less salty than the Mayodon, which was good.

CREPE ALA MODE(90)
They have three kinds of crepe- "crepe" which was the crepe with mango slices, "crepe ala mode" which was crepe+ice cream and "Moshi-Moshi Special Crepe" which was crepe with cheesecake, more like a dessert sampler. I wanted to try the last one but at 145, it was a bit expensive for something I'm skeptical about so we just ordered ala mode, which was fine though the mango slices were a bit sour, I guess because they were off season.

decent enough

Final verdict:

If you've read my entry about Crazy Katsu, I said their food was a tad too sweet. For this one, since 2/3 dishes we ordered were salty, I'd say their food is a tad too salty but since I seem to have blander taste than these two Jap restos' cooks, what do I know, I might be weird all along. Hehehe...

As for the value for money, I'd say it's so-so - Our total bill was 495 and since we had a voucher, it wasnt so expensive ( A food joint falls under the expensive category if the breakdown is more than 300/person for  a meal consisting a main dish + 1-2 other stuff)

As for my desire to go back, I'd love to try their other dishes but I wont have a hankering to drive all the way to Katipunan from Novaliches to go back, I'll probably do it once I'm in the area again or it's on the way

I'll give it a 4/5 with 5 as the highest.

P.S.
I bought this bottled water for 28 pesos so you'd know right away I didnt get it to quench my thirst but as a souvenir.hehehe.

too lazy to take a full shot- its appearance is a cross between a  perfume bottle and a toy rocketship

Whoa..I'm really an impulsive blogger.Didnt blog for weeks and now I've finished two posts in a row.

Til next time!

Baptism/Binyag Supplier's Rating: Airam's kleyworkz- Polymer Clay Souvenir keychains

Rating: 4.5/5

Peso Power: 65 per keychain(based on number of orders) + 75 shipping fee + 100 remittance charge

website: https://www.facebook.com/airamkleyworkz

Side Kwento: I was thinking of something personalized for the sponsors souvenirs and I originally intended on making personalized hankerchiefs. Kaya lang, when I realized I'd be doing it for 16 people, natakot ako kasi baka pumalpak ung iba, nakakahiya naman sa Ninongs and Ninangs, so I just looked for something else. Hours of searching on sulit + facebook led me to polymer clay thingies...hence, this supplier

Pros:

1. Freebies!

-I didnt know that there will be freebies so when I ordered, sinama ko sa bilang si Reese. However, Regina asked me our baby's name for the freebie so I said that he's already included kaya nagbigay nalang ako ng ibang name that will serve as the freebie. Kaya lang parang home tv shopping.."but wait, there's more!" moment when I opened the package, may freebie pa ulit na ref magnet! I was just happy..Nobody can say no to a freebie this cutie:

cutie patootie!

2.The items are much cuter in person

I already liked them when Sis Regina showed me the proofing prior to shipping but they look much much better in person. I would have shouted "it's so fluffy I'm gonna die!" ala Agnes in Despicable Me since I imagined them to be hard- like acrylic plastic but the material is actually soft like rubber or if you still cant imagine it, like hardened gum ala bazooka. 

3. It's so nice to deal with the maker, Sis Regina

She promptly responds to questions within the day, minsan nga within minutes lang kapag online din sya. She can also make the items in a jiffy, based on her schedule. I finalized the details only last week and I got the items yesterday, about a week lang. She said she needs two weeks, tops, if she's busy. I also love how much effort and detail she puts to her craft.

*When I sent her the layout I wanted for the boys and girls, she sent me a sample using my name(which I wouldnt upload just yet kasi baka makita ng Ninongs and Ninangs namin, spoiler alert! hehe). She used a font which was different from the one I sent and said it was a new font mold she acquired, baka daw magustuhan ko and I did. :)

*The packaging was nice, ready for gift giving na. I expected to get the keychains as is pero they were packed together with a logo/promotion card and sealed in a plastic meant for packaging these kinds of things talaga.

*She said that I can send her individual pegs/pictures for the hairstyle of each person in the keychain but lazy me didnt want to do her part of the work so I just asked her to use the same hairstyle for all girls and all boys. We ordered 25 keychains and honestly, I was too lazy to choose 25 hairstyles..Haha..So for Reese, she took it upon herself to make his chain stand out..pang baby talaga and it's to die for :)

 May pacifier pa!

Cons:

The items are so good and the seller is easy to deal with, and if it was just a matter of customer satisfaction, I am over the moon about the items but there's just one small concern- additional costs. At the moment, she only accepts payments via lbc and western union payments. Although I appreciate the fact that I didnt have to line up for a bank transaction( BDO or BPI= nightmare if you just squeezed doing it during your office lunch break), it would have been nice to do the remittance for free.

Final Verdict:

All in all I am very happy with the items and I am now excited to pack and arrange the set of items for the Ninongs and Ninangs. Other than ref magnets, she also has personalized pen holders, and accessories. She also has numerous designs for her keychains so do check them out. I'm already thinking about getting these chains for our mountaineering group's xmas climb. Spell excited=ATATCHIBA. hahaha

Tah-Tuh!

Review: Crazy Katsu in Maginhawa

Came from Manila yesterday afternoon and at 4pm I was helluva hungry pregnant woman who was quite a warfreak when her husband offered donuts.(Sorry Tatay..I love you! <3)

I initially asked husband if he wanted to eat in Little Quiapo but then I realized I was more in the mood for burgers than palabok and halu-halo plus he mentioned Sbarro so I thought we could go neutral and go for something totally different. My brother mentioned Good burger in Maginhawa after I mentioned that I was in the mood for burgers but then he mentioned that Crazy Katsu's service was faster, and it was air-conditioned, so the helluva-crazy-pregnant-woman genes kicked in..Crazy Katsu it is!

First thing I loved about them was that they don't greet you in Japanese. HAHAHAHA. Truth be told, I hate those fast food/s(Let's not name names, shall we?) where they greet in you Japanese to give that authentic vibe that doesn't work because they serve less than authentic Japanese food adapted to the Pinoy taste. Okay, back to Crazy Katsu. They have these unpretentious menu boards printed on one side. Each main dish comes with a serving of rice. I had Katsudon, hubby had pork ginger and bro had Chicken Katsu. We also ordered Chicken Katsu salad and Fish and Veggie Tempura with rice..

Off with the salad:

credits to karasantiago.wordpress.com

The salad had a nice dressing with vinegar and a few other things I'm not sure of. Anyway, the salad lived up to its name, the serving was generous and so was the chicken on top. The three of us quite had a trouble finishing it(considering the other items we had) and I had to do a bit of cajoling to convince the hubby and the bro(talk about a bully pregnant woman) to finish it up.hehehe

Next, we each ate our own meals.

True to what bro said, the chicken in the salad and in the main dish were the same, except for the difference in the veggie garnish. The chicken was very tender, crunchy and juicy...perfect!  It was quite spicy, though, so watch it out if you dont want something spicy.

from their facebook page

Next, my katsudon. It was quite good, really, since the meat was also very tender, the sauce was just right-just enough to seep in the rice but not get it completely drenched in sauce. It just created a not so good illusion that I had less food because it was served in a bowl and not in a big plate like hubby and bro's dish

still from their page

Next, let's have hubby's pork ginger. Not much to say about it because pregnancy quirks kicked in. The minute I put it in my mouth, I just knew it was a wrong move, somehow it didnt do well with me. Somehow, I imagined it would taste good- being very tender, sweet marinated pork with a strong taste of ginger, but like I said, pregnancy quirks kicked in and it didnt go well with me :(

still from their page. the actual serving was actually more generous. Hubby only ate half of the meat but it was  enough for his rice.

Last is the fish and veggie tempura. I actually ordered this one to serve as a second/ extra viand for us since I was afraid that we might not enjoy the dishes we ordered or that the serving would not be enough or that it'll be nice to have an extra dish- but I was wrong on all three accounts so after I took one bite and ze boys didnt want to eat anymore, we ended up taking out these babies. The breading was consistent with other tempuras I had but it was also much thicker than any other tempura I had so that could either go well with you or not. There were about 3 pieces of fish tempura and the rest were veggies-one eggplant, one squash and two others which looked very suspiciously like okra (I HATE OKRA!) so I didnt dare touch it.

I actually ate a fish and eggplant tempura prior to writing this blog, about 12 hours from the time they were made. Heat 'em up in the microwave and though they were far from crunchy at that point, I was thankful that they werent as soggy as I expected ^^

I forgot to note the exact prices of the foodies we ordered, but I was sure that nothing cost over 150 and the ice tea was 30, so expect 200-250 damage per person per meal. In case you still have room for extra carbs, their extra rice is cheap at 10pesos per cup, another great bonus!

Overall note: The food was great, the setting was unpretentious and they offer great value for money. A side note though: we "felt" like they adapted the dishes to the Filipino taste a tad too much- everything had a hint of sweetness. It was fine with us, but if you hate that hint of sweetness, then watch out.

Tah-tuh!

Supplier's Rating: Tanghalang Pasigueño

Out of all the excitement after our wedding and as I browse the list of past posts that I've published, it is only now that I realize that I havent made a supplier's rating of our beloved wedding venue! Kaloka, this post is 11 months too late :P But as they say, better late than never so here goes:

Peso Power: 15,000 4 hour use of the hallway, airconditioned, weekend 2012 rate

The Kwento:

As a fruit of hours and hours of googling, I came upon this venue and I was really in awe. Ang ganda ganda nia!!! Hubby and I first went there together in June 2011 and parang ayoko na umalis at that time..I wanted to daydream the whole day. The facade was really something beautiful and at that time, I could just imagine our guests being in awe as well as they enter the venue. When we entered, I was more captivated because the chandeliers were really beautiful and knowing how expensive drapes are, it was a big bonus for us that we didnt need drapes because the chandeliers were already outstanding. We werent decided the first time kasi nga ang layo but to cut the story short, dito kami natuloy and the rest,as they say, is history

The Pros:

1. Very Cheap!

We came across venues that were cheaper than Tanghalan but none of them were airconditioned. It was a must for us to get an airconditioned venue since our church was already an open air one and given that our wedding was on a hot and humid summer day, we really made it a point to get an airconditioned venue. Also, some venues either asked extra depending on the number of pax, caterer's fee, electrical fee and so on, but the only increase in price that we experienced with them was that iba ang rate kapag weekend.

notice all the wires? Our videographer had a lot of electrical equipment but they didnt charge us extra...

2. They follow a one-event per day per venue and they're not rigid with time

Most venues charge extra if you exceed the blocked time pero with Tangahalan, they dont have extra charges even if you exceed the blocked sched for as long as you dont go over midnight.. I was also very thankful that they dont accept 2 events per venue kasi kung hindi, ngarag talaga ang caterers..Our reception was set to start at 5pm pero our caterer was able to start set-up at 10am

3. The venue "delivered"
I was anxious that the venue might be too crowded on the day itself pero awa ng Diyos kinaya naman ang 250 guests namin, though a bit cramped na sa bandang likod. I was also thankful that they provided the tiffany chairs without much hassle, isang sabi lang namin nag-agree agad sila. I was also skeptical about the airconditioning kasi when we had an occular in December 2011, bukas na ung aircon at wala pang tao pero ung temp, you'd think the venue was already full. On our wedding day, I had a chance to pass by the rear part(andun kasi ung room na ginamit namin for the retouch) and the temp there was okay, hindi mainit kahit medyo sulok na sya

Ang "mahiwagang pagtakbo" namin ni Hubby papasok sa venue

This table was at the farther end pero ok pa rin naman :)

The Cons:

1. Parking
Ang laki ng parking sa harap ng venue but the Pasig City buses are there permanently. I say permanently kasi sa 4 na beses na pagpunta namin dun ni Hubby-the first was in June 2011 to do an occular, July 2011 for the initial deposit, December 2011 for the food tasting and March 2012 for the final payment, the buses were always there. Medyo nakakahinayang lang kasi anlaki sana ng parking space-good for about 20 cars but since the buses were there, I had no idea where our guests parked that night. I think a few cars were able to park inside but the rest just "tuck" themselves in the nooks of the city hall complex

The facade obscured by the buses. I cant remember exactly, but I think there were four of them that day.

2. Minor concerns with the Staff
There's one lady who consistently assisted us everytime we went back but she was a bit lutang. Yung tipong  tatanungin nia ung katabi nia kung asan na ung ganitong file, kung ano na nga ba ang gagawin, and so on. She was kind nonetheless and she was very prompt in assisting us but it would have been better if she had a doze of confidence in what she did.

Another concern that we had , which wasnt entirely fault on their end was the guards on duty that day. 3 beses nagpicture sila Kuya sa photobooth namin. I know that the supplier could have refused him politely kasi at the end of the day- hindi naman namin sila bisita. Also, we had a limited number of printouts kasi mura lang naman sya and nabawasan pa lalo because of Kuya's shots. I hope the admin could prevent such incidents in the future para naman hindi tainted ang memories of those who book the venue.

not 1, not 2 but 3!!!!!!!!ansakit sa bangs!!!!!

The final verdict:

I know some people who are apprehensive in dealing with government employees and in getting their services kasi minsan inefficient talaga at hindi maganda. Despite the minor concerns we had with them, we still recommend Tanghalang Pasigueno. They were very straight forward with the rates, accommodating and the place is well maintained. Kung hindi lang to malayo samin I would prefer to hold all our future events here since the rates are very reasonable. Thanks Tanghalan!

The things that I love and hate about pregnancy

Don't get me wrong, being blessed with a child has been the best gift that God has given us. However, I do admit that there are times when it has been hard and so I'd like to share some of the best and worst encounters I've had as a pregnant woman

The things I love

1. I love it each time our little angel moves.

- Our baby has been moving constantly at particular intervals within the day and it has been happening for the past few weeks but I still feel overwhelmed every time he moves. Sorry for the comparison but it's like having a really playful fish inside my belly. I specifically love it when he responds to specific sounds such as pop music, barking dogs or my husband's voice. He even responds when I rub my big round belly, he'd kick extra hard just to lemme know that he felt it ^_^. There are also cute moments when he's respond to the sound of barking dogs from the tv :D

Since he's "like a fish", I've put a rudimentary fish figure as part of my personal touch on his frog suit :)

2. I love shopping for baby stuff!

-My sister literally shouted when she put one of the mittens on the palm of her hand- "Oh my God! My hands once fitted in these!" and I couldnt blame her. It is a humbling experience holding and touching baby stuff to know that we were once that small as our parents took care of us. I also can't help but gush everytime I see cute prints, socks and everything baby stuff related on the Internet- technology makes it so much more fun!

A world of blue! Statement bibs, cloth diapers(that I have modified) and onesies with cutie designs and matching bibs :)

3. I love it that I have an excuse to eat.

I have never been slim and the most I can say was that I once had average weight and so I was always so sensitive every time somebody noticed that I ate too much. Nowadays, people just find it funny or cute every time they see me munching on something and it's a nice change from all the judgment and scolding I used to get ^_^.

4. I love courtesy lanes

There were times in the past when I'd pass off as pregnant in train stations and everywhere else...when I wasn't pregnant yet. It hurt to some extent but quite understandable- as I said, I was never slim for my height. Now, however, I'm lovin it that I am really qualified to be in courtesy lanes especially in government agencies.

5. I love it that our parents are really excited about this baby!

Our angel is the first born grandchild on both sides - hence I have long accepted(sigh) that this baby will be spoiled  very very spoiled. The first time that my father in law found out I was pregnant, he immediately asked me if the baby was a boy or a girl. My Dad, on the other hand, joked(quite convincingly) that he would steal our baby. (",)

The things I hate about pregnancy

1. I hate that so many things have changed in my body.
The body changes..where do I even begin?? My neck and underarms are as dark as the night, my nose is like a big ripe tomato, and my feet seem  have grown to double their size since I became pregnant. From a size 8, I now wear size 9 everything and my brassiere size has been 2 sizes 1 cup bigger and to think that I have always been busty..even for my body type.

2. I hate the aches, icks and pains that I feel from time to time
I'm constantly doing research on the Internet just to check that everythin' I'm feeling is normal, and sadly(or gladly), they're all normal, and actually within the lower limit of the world of body pain :(
-Until now, I still gag after eating breakfast, especially if I've had too much to drink
-This is the worst since I get leg cramps at night, which they say is due to lack of fluids. So each night, I'd have to choose if I'd rather have leg cramps or gag for half an hour or so
-I get heartburn if I'm full and I get stomach ache if I go hungry for more than 30 minutes...Finding the perfect balance on how much to eat has been a real problem, especially since pregnancy has been accompanied by weird, unpredictable and sometimes hard to appease food cravings

3. I cant do things that were once normal and not a big deal
-I've had regular salon treatments for my frizzy curly hair but I cant have my hair done just to be sure since the chemicals might affect my baby.
-I often get headaches from lack thereof or too much sleep and nowadays I just have to bear with it naturally
-I dunno how I look "down there" since I havent seen the lower part of my body since I was 16 weeks pregnant...I'm literally shaving blindly :p

I've grown more affection and love for the people who contributed to having this baby come into being- My mother, my mother in law, grandparents and once in a while, I'd smile at a pregnant stranger with the unspoken words "I really do know how you feel".... Pregnancy is about giving life but it's also tough..so do bear that in mind next time you see a pregnant lady, eh?

BARRIO FIESTA SM NORTH= TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE

My mom had an unused voucher for Barrio Fiesta and since the sissies and I went xmas clothes shopping in Trinoma, Mom gave it to us so we don't need to shell out for dinner... The whole experience was terrible!!!! Where do I even begin???? Lemme see...

To be fair, there were a few good points:

1. The chicken was well done. 

Hubby kept commenting that the chicken in Savory was much better(he's such a savory fan) but for me, they weren't comparable since the taste was different. I liked that it was cooked well but not dry and the skin was so crispy.. We're suckers for crispy chicken and though Mom can cook chicken ala-Max's, this was still good.

2. The lumpia wasn't drowning in sauce and the ubod was cooked thoroughly.

Some lumpiang ubod (fresh spring roll) in other restos or most especially in fast food chains are drowning in sauce as if to make the sauce comprise half of the taste test. This, however, just had the right amount of sauce and some might not like it that way (since they're looking for the crunchy feel), but I did enjoy that the ubod was thoroughly cooked.

3. The seafood toppings rice este Paella rice had a lot of sea food.

Some establishments put 2 kinds of seafood and call it seafood ____(seafood chowder, seafood rice, seafood kare-kare-kare), but this was really seafood galore. There was a crab, two big shrimps, squid and a good number of mussels.

3. They were prompt with the bill

Not much explaining left ^_^

As for the bad points, ugh...

1. It took them forever to bring out our order. OUR ORDER SPECIFICALLY.

Why ours specifically? Because the food at the table next to ours came 15 minutes earlier. It would have been okay if I knew that they came before us or that our food was much longer to prepare but for some reason, we had to follow up twice before our order was out. Mind you, we only had Paella rice(more on this later) and Chicken while they had Patatim, Kare-kare, and pancit bihon. Was it the fact that we had a voucher??

2. The Paella rice wasn't Paella rice, it was "not mixed-well-Java rice with seafood toppings."

This was a major major fail on many levels. First, for crying out loud, don't call something as Paella rice if it was something else! For starters, Paella rice should have the nice reddish color because of the tomato sauce and not the plainly yellow color from margarine. Second, the seafood should actually be sauteed with the rice or at least give the impression that they had the same base ingredients and not merely placed on top after being blanched and salted. Third, have the decency to mix the rice well if it's going to be called _____ rice because it's not plain rice. This last thing really, really pissed me off. As we chowed the rice, the bottom layer had chunks as big as a macaroon of white, unmixed, slightly hard rice. I do understand that the rice might not be evenly mixed and that the rice might be harder than plain rice(since it has to be cool for them to mix it well) but seriously, have the decency to at least crush or break out the bigger chunks. It was supposed to be Paella rice in the first place and the least you can do was to mix the rice well.

3. Have the decency to tell us early if our order was out of stock.

We ordered halo-halo and I thought they didn't serve it immediately because it was dessert. So when we were about to finish with the main meal, I asked a waiter to serve it. She nodded but after ten minutes, the halo-halo never came. Surprise, surprise, we had to follow up a second time and this time, the 2nd waiter came back after 5 minutes to tell us that it wasn't available. Wow. I was okay with the fact that it wasn't  available but what really ticked me off was that the waiter who was asked to follow up our halo-halo never came back to tell us it was out. This is dessert and if we didn't wait a total of an extra 15 freakin' minutes to know it was unavailable, we could have left earlier.

The final verdict: I dunno if it was just a series of unfortunate events but I'm guessing this had something to do with our voucher. If it did, then don't freakin participate in discounted deals! The main point of offering vouchers is to attract people towards your establishment or encourage them to try out less popular products and this experience made me think of the opposite! I only had two prior Barrio Fiesta experiences before this because both were terrible and after this, I am never, ever coming back if I can help it.

If it didn't have anything to do with our discounted voucher, then make sure your service and products are consistent.

I indulge in food and I would have been willing to pay the full amount for them to make our food okay. Sana siningil na lang kami ng original price kung ganyan rin lang na hindi aayusin. It was so disappointing since eating out is supposed to be a pleasurable experience but the bad points of this visit outweighed the good ones.

Disclaimer: Again, I repeat that this was in SM North Branch..It might not be the same in all branches.