GIVEAWAY: Nestle Ice Cream 500Php Gift Certificate Giveaway

Nestle Ice Cream Gift Certificate Giveaway

I was blessed to have a taste of France, Italy, and Belgium through Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World. You can find more about this here: Nestle Temptations: Flavors of the World

They say "share your blessings" and so I am sharing some Gift of Happiness through a giveaway.

Nestle Temptations is Nestle Ice Cream's range of new and irresistible premium ice cream that would leave you saying "Yes!". As Nestle Ice Cream re-launch their premium brand this year, today is the best time to experience their new and improved look and flavor.

Creamier, Smoother, and More Flavorful

Backed up by extensive consumer research on ice cream, Nestle Temptations now has the right balance of taste & texture, delivering a complete indulgent experience.

More Attractive and Enticing Packaging

The new look of Nestle Temptations evokes premium-ness through classy, stylized packaging with the use of curvy lines and dark powerful colors.

Supreme Range (235Php/1.3L; 420Php/2.6L; except for DURIAN Delirium at 275Php/1.3L)

Classic Range (210Php/1.3L; except for An Affair with STRAWBERRY at 235Php/1.3L)

Tempting, right? Let's talk about the prize. We'll have one (1) raffle winner of 

2 x 250Php worth of Nestle Ice Cream Gift Certificate

*This gift certificate is redeemable at any Mercury Drug outlet selling Nestle Ice Cream
*This gift certificate is good for 500Php worth of Nestle Ice Cream products

*This gift certificate is valid until redeemed

*For inquiries, contact Nestle Consumer Services at 898-0061

Mechanics: 

Nestle Ice Cream Gift Certificate Giveaway

Raffle Period: May 08, 2013 to May 22, 2013
A winner will be picked on May 22, 2013

• This giveaway is open to all residents in the Philippines but Metro Manila is preferred


• There will be one (1) winner of 500Php Nestle Ice Cream Gift Certificate


• The winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter so the more entries you have, the more chances of winning


• A winner is considered VALID if he/she has performed the 5 MANDATORY steps shown in the Rafflecopter (Like Patches of Life, Like Nestle Ice Cream, Follow @jessaacosta, Share via FB, Tweet via Twitter)

• The winner will be contacted via Email/Twitter/Facebook and he/she has two (2) days to reply


• Failure to respond within the given period means another winner will be chosen


• Gift Certificate will be sent via courier (eg. Xend)


• Gift Certificate is not convertible to cash

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Sutra Restaurant and Bar: Pirate Bay

Sutra Restaurant and Bar

25 months of being in a relationship, Labor Day, and no stressful work. Obviously, this day is not an ordinary one. Unlike our previous monthsaries, this is more of an unplanned celebration and a go-with-the-flow stroll. 

After some impulsive shopping at Market-Market, we headed to Bonifacio High Street to look for a dining place. The basic criteria is, somewhere we haven't tried before. As we continue walking and checking out the menus, I realized that it's easy to find a place that we haven't dined in yet, but it's hard to spot an affordable one. Most are at 400Php++ per dish. 

Before our feet gave up, we decided to have our dinner at Sutra Restaurant and Bar. Their selections were also off the budget but we thought of having one of their platters.  

Sutra Restaurant and Bar ambiance

The moment we entered the restaurant, we knew that ambiance is part of what we're paying. It didn't look cheap at all. We were seated in a table for 4 on a tall red couch facing the wide bar counter. It was spacious, like we're eating one seat apart. The seat was comfortable and the place is well air-conditioned, a bit cold actually. The asymmetric glasses and plates, as well as the wall decorations, are minute details that are worth observing. 

Sutra Restaurant and Bar tables and seats

Pirate Bay (990Php)

BBQ tuna belly, grilled dory, calamares, black mussel marinier, jasmine rice, tomato-mango salsa, garlic sauce

Sutra Restaurant and Bar Pirate Bay

The waiter says it's good for 3-4 persons. Hmm, maybe 3-4 petite teenagers who are on a strict diet, but not us who are extremely hungry and tired. I must say the serving is just enough (won't make you feel too full or bloated) for two.

Sutra Restaurant and Bar Calamares

I started with Calamares as my appetizer. It has a thin and crisp breading and the squid isn't rubbery, plus point! The garlic sauce dip is a bit different though. It's less viscous, a bit bland, yet still managed to complement the calamares. 

Sutra Restaurant and Bar Tuna Belly

Tuna Belly with Tomato-Mango Salsa gave that local grilled-fish-with-ensalada feeling. It's a mishmash of sweetness, sourness, and spice in a dish. I would have enjoyed this more if not for that strong onion taste that somehow spoils the fun in eating it.

Sutra Restaurant and Bar Mussels

Black Mussel Marinier provided an unfamiliar way of preparing mussels that turned out successful. I'm not good in identifying the ingredients but I'm guessing coconut milk and bits of squash? Creamy goodness!

Sutra Restaurant and Bar Dory

My favorite among the 4 dishes would be the Dory with Hickory sauce. Now I'm confused as the description says "BBQ tuna belly, grilled dory,.." but this dory looks barbequed, and the tuna above looks grilled. Was there a mistake? Nevertheless, this is the dish I enjoyed the most with or without rice. Dory fillet itself seemed boring, but adding hickory or barbeque sauce on it leveled it up to eating baby back ribs -- fish version. 



Overall dining experience at Sutra was great taking into consideration the ambiance, the service, and the food. 990Php for 4 dishes is more or less worth the money. 





Sutra Restaurant and Bar
Upper Ground Floor, Bonifacio High Street Central 
Along 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
+632 621 2553; +632 925 3565; +63917 862 0603

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The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel: Vanessa

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel

This is still in line with my "Macaron Series". No, it wasn't planned. Our meetup was a destiny! Allen and I were strolling at Bonifacio High Street for our 25th monthsary, aka Labor Date, when boom -- I saw The Cake Club. This is the dessert place I've been raving about the past few days since I saw in Facebook its burger-sized thick-filled macarons. There were still 3 macaron "cakes" left: 1 Vanessa and 2 Ispahan. I was eyeing for Vanessa but we still have to eat dinner before having the dessert. So we left the place, had dinner at Sutra, then went back to The Cake Club and saw Vanessa waiting and smiling at me. 

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel ambiance

The Cake Club has a pretty cool and neat ambiance. It also never loses that hotel atmosphere with their setup, waiters, and menu. The couch are even made comfortable with the mini pillows. The dessert display that can be seen through the glass front walls and door is an instant invitation to forget your diet and enjoy a sweet moment. 

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel tables and seats

Vanessa (250Php nett)

Our GM's favorite! Made of pistachio macaroons and fresh strawberries

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel - Vanessa - top

I can never get more excited on our unexpected meetup. Vanessa, finally! And the taste did not disappoint. 

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel - Vanessa

A bit more than 3inches in diameter and 2inches in height, pistachio macarons, strawberries and cream -- up til now, I'm still dreaming of having it again. 

Here you can find the anatomy from bottom to top: pistachio macaron, white cream, pistachio cream, sliced caramelized strawberries, strawberry cream, white cream, pistachio macaron, a droplet of cream topped with caramelized strawberry.

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel - Vanessa - anatomy

The pistachio macarons were not that soft and fragile yet maintained the chewy texture. Its pistachio flavor was enhanced by the pistachio cream hiding at the inner center of the masterpiece. Strawberries and cream was never a failure to me especially that the strawberries have that balanced sweetness and sourness. The strawberry cream filling did its part in this great collaboration. I took time in having each bite, enjoying every goodness and sweetness. It's a dessert that I don't get to see everyday. It's also something that made me feel like a carefree child and forget about my stress. I didn't mind spending 250Php for it; macarons are really expensive anyway. 


A fruit-and-nut experience in a macaron. Vanessa meets Vanessa. I now dub this dessert as the "Mother of Macarons". Goal achieved! Now I wonder what will be my next macaron experience. 

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel - Vanessa meets Vanessa!

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel
7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Monday to Thursday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Friday to Sunday 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

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Nestle Temptations: Flavors of the World

Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World

Who wouldn't be tempted by a European musical show and FREE Nestle ice cream right at the center of Bonifacio High Street? If you missed the experience, don't worry as [1] you can find Nestle Ice Cream's latest TV commercial below in which the musical show was inspired by; [2] you can now have Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World in your favorite stores; and [3] you can still catch the mall shows and FREE Nestle ice cream by checking the upcoming schedules at Nestle Ice Cream's Facebook Page. 

With the heat of summer, it's impossible to resist even a scoop of cold, rich, and creamy ice cream. What more if it's Nestle Temptations' premium ice cream featuring the Flavors of the World, launched in time for summer for that instant "Yes!". 


French Salted Caramel (199Php/800mL)

Savor the Parisian sensuality of French Salted Caramel ice cream with ribbons of caramel ripple.

Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World French Salted Caramel

French Salted Caramel is smooth and creamy. Salt and caramel combination is becoming a popular choice among ice creams, gelatos, and even cupcakes. Now this complementing taste can be found in Nestle Temptations and is really worth a try!

Italian Coffee Affogato (199Php/800mL)

Reminisce the taste of Italy and experience NESTLÉ TEMPTATIONS’ version of affogato in ice cream flavor – a swirl of espresso-flavored ice cream and vanilla-flavored ice cream, blended with cashew nuts and chocolate chips.

Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World Italian Coffee Affogato

Coffee lovers shouldn't miss this new Nestle Temptations flavor -- Italian Coffee Affogato. It never gets boring with the kick of espresso flavor, and bits of cashew and chocolate bits. 

Belgian Chocolate Praline (199Php/800mL)

Find yourself transported to a chocolate shop and experience NESTLÉ TEMPTATIONS’ version of Chocolate Praline made with ice cream.

Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World Belgian Chocolate Praline

Last, but definitely not the least and actually my favorite among the selections, is Belgian Chocolate Praline. There's a lot going on in this ice cream that it gave me an experience even with just a scoop. There's crunch, there's toffee, there's something to bite and chew. And yes, the Belgian chocolate is a huge factor! 

I know the ads says "Flavors of the World" yet there were only European flavors. Will Nestle be releasing more flavors as part of Flavors of the World? I don't know yet. But for sure, Nestle will continue to provide more surprises and improved products.


Am I feeling generous? I guess I am. So watch out for my Nestle Ice Cream Gift Certificate Giveaway. :) 

Give in and say Yes! 

Nestle Ice Cream Facebook Page

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MaRuCoRo: Sand Cookies

MaRuCoRo Sand Cookies

While Allen was enjoying his stay in Japan as part of his family's yearly out-of-country extravagance, I was patiently waiting and wondering what my imported present would be. Last year was about nougat, kangaroo, and koala from Australia. This year, how about some round colorful individually-wrapped sand cookies - MaRuCoRo. 

MaRuCoRo pack

When I've read the word MaRuCoRo, my initial thought was that they are macarons! Sounds like? Looks like! At first look, I really thought they are macarons, or maybe Japan's version of macarons. 

MaRuCoRo flavors

A box contains 9 pieces with 3 different flavors. I would like to believe that the flavors are written on the box. But since I cannot read Japanese writings, I just trusted my senses in identifying the flavors. My guesses are: pink was strawberry, brown was chocolate, and yellow (the most challenging) was cheese. 

MaRuCoRo Sand Cookie Strawberry

The size is around 4.5cm in diameter, about the size of a macaron. It also has a filling, for this case, a thin cream feeling which I think is the same for all three flavors. The star design at the center was attractive that I wish macarons have designs too. The main difference it would have compared to a French macaron would be the main ingredient as it makes use of butter-flour-sugar, and not meringue. The texture is similar to Danish butter cookies, if you have tried it. The flavor lies on the cookies, not the filling, and is not so strong to identify at first bite the flavor of the cookie. I even thought initially that they just have different colors but the same taste. But after focusing on the scent and the taste, I managed to make my intellectual guesses on what flavors they may be.



Nevertheless, macarons or cookies, these little delights are interesting finds that I don't want to be addicted with; simply because I cannot easily have them whenever I want!

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