MONSTER Milkshake Opens at Ayala Malls Vertis North

I have been here yesterday and a couple of weeks ago. Ayala Malls Vertis North is really making the shopping district in Quezon City a grand one because they're opening shops left and right, including brands that I really love. Now the last millkshake I really loved was back when McDonalds had one on their menu but that has been a LOOOOONG time ago. So if a specialty shop from Porac, Pampanga opened a branch in Ayala Malls Vertis North, I was super excited to see what they had to offer. They are called MONSTER Milkshake and we found out why they're called such because of their monstrous servings. We caught a lot of people lining up for their products that afternoon.

The process is easy, you just have to line up and tell them the size of milkshake you want to have. They already have a variety of MONSTER Milkshakes available and all you have to do is tell them, then they'll prepare it as you order. 

What I'm mostly surprised about is the price. They have monstrous milkshakes but didn't make it too pricey unlike those imported brands that came in Manila. They also have Monster Ice Cream sold in scoops, prices differ for Classic Flavors and Premium Ice Cream Flavors.

We interviewed the owner and this is what he has to say about this new branch in Ayala Malls Vertis North

The Mango Graham Surprise was one of the best sellers, I loved it too!

They also have frequent customer cards, save those stamps and get a product again for FREE!

This is the Hazelnut Fudge. It's got creamy ice cream, dark chocolate, Nutela and wafers on top.

This is their Bubble Gum Pop. It's one of my favorites too. It's not too common to have Bubblegum flavors on treats these days and this one was a welcome thing. It's got fruit loops, marshmallows, strawberry pretzels on top. It's so colorful, kids would love this!

The Speculoos Extreme is just about your cookie dough butter lovers dream. Topped with lady fingers, chocolate cookie crumbs, it's sweet and lovely!

For Matcha lovers, this is their Gotcha Matcha Crunch. It's healthy, not too sweet, full of that matcha goodness you find in the tea drinks and cakes you often see in the market. It's a lot more fancy than that one you get from Starbucks, you really get a lot for the money you spend so go!

My personal favorite is the Strawberry Cheesecake. It's a whole cup of Strawberry Ice Cream, Cream Cheese, Graham Crackers, topped with Strawberry Wafers, Strawberry Syrup and a Strawberry Cookie. How can you not love this?

So if you're looking for something to cool down the weather, something comforting, something sweet, please don't hesitate to go to the third floor of Ayala Malls Vertis North... almost at the end of the mall, same level as the Cinema. Their store has seating outside, probably can sit around 16 people in one go. You'll love their milkshakes, they have some healthy options (especially the matcha) and it's okay to have sweets every now and then. You don't have to go all the way to Porac, Pampanga now that they've set up shop in Quezon City. Visit them today please!

Time for Fun at Timezone AyaLa Malls Vertis North

My kind of gaming spans years of spending it in arcades. My highschool accomplishments include a little byline of championing two of my favorite games Samurai Showdown and Darkstalkers. Although most kids nowadays prefer battling it out on a console, my idea of a battle is totally different and involves fighting in arenas with total strangers thay come from different parts of the city and make them try to beat me. Most often than not, they go home losers but the thrill of actually fighting on screen is an experience I got addicted to, because the whole experience is different. It was something I always wanted to feel, the nervousness of actually punching and knocking out opponents in a game is surreal and can't be duplicated. So this is why up until this day, I still go to arcades like Timezone. Because in the age of console gaming, we still want to experience being in a room full of machines and getting into fights across the screen that couldn't be replicated at home. So when they opened a new branch in Ayala Malls Vertis North, all I could say is "I'm there!".

Timezone has been my go to place to play arcade games nowadays and there are several machines in this place that are very new but spit out tickets so you can get the equivalent points exchanged with some fun toys and knick knacks they have on the play area. Let me show you around.

This one is Pac Man Battle Royale. You can drop coins (or swipe your Powercard in this case) and play with 3 other opponents to finish all the stages and try not to get eaten by the ghosts running around pac land.

Timezone is for family entertainment so they built three whole lanes of play bowling so your kids and not so kids at heart would be able to play games bu swiping a few hundred pesos per line. It's pretty cool they were able to fit this in the game area and according to the executives I interviewed later that day, they have something in the pipeline that is not even half of what they put in on this new branch. There will be an even BIGGER one? Are you kidding me? And that's what we should also find out very soon. 

I played on this machine and got several hundred tickeys in one go. I thought I was already good at it but my blogger friend Myke Soon (of mykesoon.net) got even more rolls of tickets than me, no joke!

They have been also holding several events including this one for Tekken 7 which they got the machine in advanced (ahead of any Philippine based entertainment centers) then got them be played by legit arcade enthusiasts like me. Although I'm not quite an expert in Tekken I can put up a fight LOL. 

For race car fans, you don't wanna miss playing on this one that takes photos of your face and includes them in game! Now you can bump the off the course, get ahead of the pack and recognize them while you're running around the track. Isn't that nice? :) 

If you wanna test your eye hand coordination, try this machine for gift certificates, tons of toys, and rolls upon rolls of tickets. This is difficult haha.

For those who want to try their luck, you should always choose your briefcases wisely. The old Deal or No Deal game is a fun way to play with your friends and family. But be sure to back out if you're already being offered a high amount of tickets by the banker. You don't wanna lose all those precious points you know.

They have more interactive games with realy water spitting out of the tubes and hitting monsters on the machines. It would be pretty great for kids.

I know a lot of my friends spent a lot of hours in these cubicles. It's got Laraoke machines in them and each song is cheap, so swipe away and get involved with your inner diva and belt those song numbers like nobody is watching. 

For movie buffs, you can play Transformers. Beat them Decepticons and save the world from powerful evil beings who want them for their own.

Oh and if you can still see this tower at Timezone, take a selfie with it and enter their contest because you'll get a chance to win prizes like MORE load for your Powercards which means more Time for Fun.

I played the Bowling game and got pretty descent scores. It's like Duckpin with digital scoring systems and even kids could play this game because the balls are so light.

For guys who want to play, be in comfy clothes. You may shop next door haha. Again, it was a treat for gamers like me to go back and enjoy Timezone. I went back to this place for 3 straight days because I had so much fun, not to mention the tons of scores and stuffed toys I had, I got to take them all home for my Mom and sister too. :)

They have machines that really clamp on toys, none of those cheating ones you often see in the other arcades. I got to take home tons of dogs and pigs in the process. 

The dance machines were phenomenal. There were tons of dancers waiting for their turn on this 2017 edition of this game and they did it with ease. I couldn't even see the arrows anymore and they were professionals I think. Some of them were probably also talents of Timezon/ might have worked with them as their shirts had all their logos on it. I was at awe!

Congratulations to the men and women who worked hard to put this TIMEZONE Ayala Malls Vertis North branch up at the third floor. I'll be playing here during my free time and will come back to redeem my toys as soon as I get the needed points for that huge stuffed toy I want from your shelves. I promise you I'll get it.

Here's the short interview we had with them, please enjoy and stay tuned for more fun family entertainment centers they are planning to put up in the future! They promised me it's alreade in the pipeline. I can't wait to see that all come true! Please make sure my mid rethro games are included please! Thanks TIMEZONE!

What's Good at Pancake House Ayala Malls Vertis North?

I remember the times I've been in Pancake House because for a big boy like me it was a bit sinful to eat in a place like this because I usually order the Lemon Tower which is consisted of 5-8 layers of pancakes drizzled with lemon sauce, lemon custard, sprinkled lemon rind, and tons of whipped cream. It was a dream and in my books it was the best concoction I could ever find in the Eastwood City branch's menu, but I didn't regret every single morsel I had to lick off the plate because it was really good. A few days ago, I was invited to the opening of their newest branch at the Ayala Malls Vertis North (situated right beside TriNoMa and aside from the festivities, I was actually looking forward to experience my Lemon Tower all over again, but aghast I was told they have already phased out this lovely thing from their menu. I didn't carry a sad face because honestly I was more relieved that there's a new Pancake House branch now near my home as I've been away from Eastwood for 3 whole years now. The moment I sat down with my  blogger friends, I felt right at home. 

Peach Iced Tea - Tangy, Fruity and a little sweet, this Peach Iced Tea would get your thirst quenched fast. This is one of the new things they offer in this store, perhaps you wouldn't see this anywhere else.

Blueberry Iced Tea - Your favorite cheesecake flavor in all it's fruit glory personified in a drink. The Blueberry Iced Tea is tangy but not gritty, you would love to have this with waffles with blueberry compote while in this joint.

Classic Cheese Burger - If you need to have a belly buster and something to make your hunger go away, their Classic Cheese Burger would fit that role. Two patties and layers of cheese, how can you go wrong with that?

Then the pancakes came. This one is the Salted Egg Pancake. It reminds me a whole lot of the Filipino Bibingka or rice cake which is a staple of every snack during the Christmas Season. Although it's July, they make sure you have your fix of salted egg goodness in every slice. They don't hold back in ingredients so you'll definitely love this if you want salted eggs on everything LOL.

We went out of the store and saw the Pancake House Executives whip out their golden scissors to cut the ribbon and finally open their newest branch.

In every branch, they do a small ceremony that calls for the "slicing of the pancakes". The star of the show are these lovely, fluffy and creamy pancakes! I could smell the batter and maple syrup from a mile away! So good!

Just look at this humongous pancake that they served just for this day. I remember my Lemon Tower looking like this except for the fact that it's got tons of lemon curd on it. Ah the memories!

We went back to our table and saw additional things we ordered for dinner. I love the pastas!

Pesto Pasta - My favorite pesto sauce got mixed with spaghetti. Their version was a little more on the safe side so it wasn't seasoned that much but I guess that's where you can ask for salt, pepper, and the additional parmesan cheese which you can ask from the nice people of Pancake House. They'll serve it right away.

Steak A La Pobre - The meaning of "A la Pobre" may be demeaning for some people but if you think about it, it's just how to cook a tough piece of meat even if they had limited means in the past. Their Steak A La Pobre was well seasoned, seared medium well, and enveloped with a rich thick garlicky gravy. Who in the right mind would not love that?

For those who love pasta like me, this is their Aglio Olio Pasta. It's not too oily, has just got enough garlic and bits of chili on it. If you favor things that are spicy, this might be your best bet because even if it's not covered in sauce, the oil based gravy is enough to get you that needed flavor to enjoy this bowl of pasta.

The Purple Yam Pancake takes use of the proven Filipino profile of combining purple yam (we call ube) and Macapuno (meaty coconut variety). I called it Ube Macapuno a couple of times because of the ingredients but I guess they prefer the popular new ube flavor to be the star of the show. I can't blame them though.

This is their Moringa Cucumber Cooler. Moringa is being mixed to bread, food items and drinks lately as it is known for it's nutritious content. I had this one and you know what? I thought I wouldn't like it. It turns out it's very refreshing, and all you gotta do is try it. Then we had our favorites!

This is their Classic Pan Chicken. I got the version of having it with Waffles instead of rice. Those waffles are CRISPY good and the chicken had been a long time favorite of mine too. It brings back memories of those meetings I had when I still had a day job LOL. I think they probably have pre cooked and marinated this with buttermilk if I'm not mistaken. Those Southern Fried Chicken recipes must have had become handy. They're super good.

This is their House Specials Set. For those who couldn't make up their mind because they want everything on the menu, this one is composed of a Taco, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, a Pan Chicken served with garlic bread and iced tea. You'll get everything nice rather than purchasing them individually, will save you a buck or two. 

Pancake House is now near my house, I couldn't be more happy now that there would be more opportunities for me, my family and friends to make more memories here. Even though I've lost one of the items on the menu, I would still love to get those moments spent with them over MORE crispy Pan Chickens and layers upon layers of fluffy pancakes that only Pancake House can do. 

I've been eating there for 3 days straight and I've never gotten tired of their food. Those Pan Chicken pieces are the culprit, and if I were you, I'd try it too!

Pancake House is located at the Ayala Malls Vertis North Ground Floor. They are near the back entrance fronting Seda Hotel Vertis North and right across Bench, you wouldn't miss it. Just follow the scent of maple syrup and it will lead you there!

For more information about their artists: