No Harm, No Foul Premieres on TV5

 It's been an inside joke to basketball players everywhere, with pun intended when you say No Harm No Foul. It goes to say that what it means is that if you're not into physical sports, then don't play at all. Some even go the mile and say No Blood No Foul but that's another story. TV5 on the other hand would like to play with tons of humor as they started this show just last Saturday and we were at home to watch it.

It's funny because right from the first episode, they introduced the relationships of the characters and from the looks of it, this actually looks quite promising especially for the sports stars included in the cast. Aside from the gigantic and good looking star Ogie Alcasid (who's name is Jawo in the show), he'll be with real deal basketball superstars like Gary David, Beau Belga, Willie Miller and Kiefer Ravena. I really felt there were huge screams at home because some of my friends were fans of Kiefer and from the looks of it, they fit right in on the show. Gary David and Beau Belga didn't hurt anyone during the filming but they look really funny since they play different roles aside from their basketball player duties in the show. Kuya Wil aka Willie Miller would test you with his Taglish anecdotes so listen carefully when he cracks jokes, a thing or two. Jawo played by Ogie had problems in the beginning because he couldn't pay rent anymore and Crispa (played by Tuesday Ledesma) asked him several times to pay for it since he's really behind 6 months on his payment. Her father aka Coach Tim Co played by Yoyong Martirez always sided with Jawo so he could always get away with it. Crispa even went the mile and put all his things outside the apartment but ended up only following her fathers wishes so Ogie just stayed at the end of that argument.

 Ritz Azul, Valeen Montenegro and Sophie Albert actually stay in one dance studio and are going to be the vixens of this show. I liked Sophie's character Kim because she'll be the love interest of Kiefer here, and she's also gorgeous, but a little slow. The funny antics would really be loved by many I'm sure, if only Sophie would have been single in real life, like Kiefer is. I'm still a SoVin fan though.

Randy Santiago isn't just the director of this show, he'll play the role of Lebron with his sidekick Wade played by Long Mejia. Their funny antics will grow on you especially Long, he executed and delivers lines like a genius, he's really funny but I hope he's going to work real hard with slapstick moments just like in the past. Now just imagine the cast I just mentioned and put them in one show, that ladies and gentlemen will be the start of something big as you'll get to watch them every week now on TV5! The July 5 episode was definitely funny and I hope they get more natural as the coming episodes show 8PM every Sunday on the happiest network!

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TV5 Manila

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 /* Photo credits to TV5 PR

Oh no! Magnum Manila Closes On July 26

Ice cream and comfort food lovers from this side of the globe will bid good bye to Magnum Manila as they close their doors to public this July 26, 2015. The well loved branch was supposed to only last  a few weeks since this is a concept popup store, but they extended until this month because Filipinos have adored them so much since they got here.

If it's been a while since you've been there, I guess the right thing to do is to pay them a visit. For those who haven't been there, they don't just serve the lovely magnum bar, they've got really bad @ss burgers, bacon smothered fries and chocolate infused pasta which I think you'll all adore. They're at the topmost floor of SM Aura , very near the line of restaurants there. Take your friends and family so you can say you're part of the few people who trooped all the way there to have dreamy comfort food and your own custom designed Magnum desserts. It's well worth the wait!

Remember, they're closing down on the 26th! Make sure you get there before they close their doors to the public!

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Magnum Manila

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Magnum Manila

A Tempura Lovers Mecca Called Tenya

If you haven't been here, you're missing a lot. This is Tenya, a Japanese Tempura brand that comes straight from Tokyo. In Japan, they're more into specialty shops that serves only one type of dish per restaurant and of course, Tenya boasts to be one of the best places to get your Tempura fix that uses real deal Tiger prawns on their menu. They've got hundreds of branches in Tokyo and nobody could beat them there. Their competitor though only has 5 stores so just imagine how the Japanese have adored this brand since ages ago. Now it's our turn to love them with each bowl as they churn out the best food cooked with the best ingredients from Japan.

We were there in the mid afternoon which is probably the best time to head there because there's less people. The place could probably sit around 50-60 and I'd recommend the seating on the right side of the restaurant as I feel it's a little cozy. They're interiors are neo Japanese, still classic, and not over the board type. They mainly use farm raised wood for the place so it looks clean from all sides and I like the layout. This isn't fine dining so acoustics isn't really a priority, understandable. The ambiance was perfect for fast turnout, they cook really good food and operate much like any fast food outlet. Tempura is the star though, not a burger.

 

For starters, we had the Isobe Cheese. Think of soft cheddar chunks wrapped around with seaweed then dipped in Japanese batter and fried to a crisp. Kids would love this, everyone around me too. I didn't order this but ended up eating a lot of it because it was good. Really good, and I can say very addicting.

This is Tenya's Japanese Style Potato Salad. It's got Kewpie mayo, near mashed potatoes, onions and chopped celery stalks. It's soft and crunchy, creamy too. Not your usual potato salad but it works, and it's very good.

This is their Agedashi Tofu. It's a staple in Japanese meals. This one has got Dashi sauce, shaved radish and ginger. It's not just fried tofu you make at home, theirs is lighter, I think it's the batter, and it matters that it rhymes. Hahaha.

 

This is one of their signature meals, the Asakusa Special Tendon. Tendon is a term they connote for Tempura Donburi or rice bowl. It's got 3 Black Tiger Prawns and crunchy green beans. They cook this fast once you order and it gets more savory with their Dontare sauce drizzled on top. It's good, I almost had a lot of it despite my allergy with seafood LOL.

This set is called the All Star Tempura Soba. You can order this with Udon (warm) or like cold Soba like me. It's also got Black Tiger Prawns, Squid slices, Salmon, Kani Stick, Small Kaikage (vegetable strips), green beans, and mushrooms cooked tempura style.  I am a fan of cold soba and theirs is really good. Though I'd love to have a little crushed ice on my soba before I dip it in the soy based sauce. This was dreamy.

To end the meal, they've got these different flavors of Fruity Juicy Pop. It's like our local ice drop (well we don't really have that anymore right?) but done quite nice with Orange Vanilla, Strawberry, Lite Citrus and Coconut Lychee. I must say, you should try them all and ask your friends to share instead of just having one. It's an experience waiting to happen! It's really refreshing for a dessert piece. 

If you love Tempura, you should go and visit Tenya at the 4th level of SM Megamall. It's their first branch and their planning to put up more very soon. Our love for Japanese food just got closer to home and it's worth the visit. Don't just stare at my food shots, try it!

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An Inspiring Birthday Celebration with Chef Boy Logro

We went all the way to GMA Cavite at CLICKS (Chef Logro Institute of Culinary and Kitchen Services) to visit the main man himself Chef Boy Logro. It was his birthday, and in order to celebrate it, GMA Artist Center arranged a full blown dessert contest designed to use one of Chef Boy Logro's sponsors Angel Kremdensada.

We've seen the school too and for starters, I felt like the institute would be something that all HRM or food technology professionals could well benefit from because they teach practical cooking, to ultimately be an all around chef like Chef Boy. It's also tasked to teach NCII by the government office of TESDA. In a nutshell, I even wanted to enroll in this school. Chef Boy Logro has this one in GMA Cavite but he's also a larger one in Davao in which he's planning to put up a university to cater to that, farming and hospitality training. The property is around 50 hectares and it's already operating... plus he's got big plans for it soon.