Mozu Cafe

Mozu is a cafe/restobar located in Pearl Drive, Ortigas center right behind University of Asia and the Pacific. Since Ortigas center is mostly composed of buildings occupied by workplaces, it is frequented by working people and students from UA&P. It is reminiscent of Filipino food from Dencio's and Gerry's Grill but offers a more modern and formal ambiance. The difference is mainly that Mozu offers a variety of coffee and pastries.

Cheesesticks

The cheesesticks tasted normal and were only made from mere Quickmelt cheese. There was nothing new that was added to this dish.

Lechon Laing

The most known dish from Mozu is their Lechon Laing, a combination of two distinct Filipino flavors that are lechon kawali and laing.
Laing is a dish originating from the Bicol region and is made up of taro and gabi leaves. It is simmered and reduced in coconut milk with a kick of chili.
The dish itself was filling and spicy, which is a good combination. The lechon kawali was delicious because of how crispy it turned out. It's no wonder why this is a favorite among Mozu customers.

Baby Back Ribs

The baby back ribs was relatively normal and cooked well because the meat wasn't tough. The letdown was the sauce which we expected it to be smoky bbq but instead, it was a sweet gravy sauce.

Crispy Pork Binagoongan

This dish was yummy because of how crispy the pork truly was. You can actually hear the crackle of the pork in your mouth once you eat it. The bagoong used was sweet which really complimented the pork. The eggplant that came along with the dish was overcooked which resulted to a mushy texture.

Calamares

This was a normal, boring dish just like any other calamares you would taste from other restos.

Mozu is a good place to get cheap food, with dishes ranging from Php100-200 that comes with rice and vegetables. It is an affordable restobar where you can dine with your barkada while enjoying a good drink.

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4.) Our Awesome Planet

Have you ever wondered how beautiful this country is? OAP founder, Anton Diaz is in search for the best places you can find here in the Philippines. Getting approximately a million hits every month, Our Awesome Planet catches the attention of every reader by not only promoting the local tourism, but the awesome food finds that come along with it!

3.)The Uniform Project

A Little Black Dress is one of a girl’s fashion staples. It’s one that will never go out of style and will always look classy. But what if you had to wear that LBD for 365 days straight, do you think you can pull it off? The Uniform Project is a great way to show that fashion isn’t all about designer clothes, and expensive jewelry. Sheena Matheiken is the founder of the Uniform Project and used this as a fundraising project to help less-fortunate children in India.

2.)The Selby

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1.)Bride and Beyond

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DIY Burger

Here's an easy way of making your own burger at home! If you always frequent burger joints, then we suggest you try something new by making your own burgers according to your liking. The best thing about making your own burger is that you can customize it just the way you want it to taste like! Here's how:

We introduce to you Tita Nette, Thirdy's mom

Ingredients you'll be needing:

Steps:

And then with a little bit of plating, voila! Your very own home-made burger:

Let us know how you did with your very own homemade burgers!


Happy reading!

Foodcamp Burgers & Sandwiches

Foodcamp Burgers and Sandwiches is located in Katipunan Avenue beside Banapple en route to White Plains. It is a burger and sandwich joint that mixes the ideas of both Brother’s Burger and Subway. The small place is decorated in line with a military theme, and the staff wears these cute camouflage bandanas.

CV Tip:It can only accommodate approximately 20 people so if you want to enjoy this with your barkada, it’s best to take it out or have it delivered!

Selection of different burgers

Selection of sandwiches, add on's, and sides

Foodcamp's staff & line cooks

Selection of Local & Imported beers

Jalapeno Cheese Sticks w/ Wasabi Mayo Dip

 The first dish we ordered was the jalapeno cheese sticks which, basically put, are cheese sticks that contain a julienne of jalapeno.

CV Tip: Julienne is a culinary term, which refers to a cut when food is sliced into even, thin strips.

It tasted like a normal cheesestick with a surprising kick of spicy-ness from the jalapeno. The sauce that goes alongside with it is their wasabi mayo dip which was relatively okay, nothing great.

Bravo Burger (Everything on it!)

We ordered 2 burgers. The first burger was the Bravo Everything On It! which was composed of double cheese and mushroom that is served with potato wedges. The beef itself was over-mixed which resulted to a soft, mushy and icky taste once you bite the patty.

CV Tip:To know the difference between good and bad quality of  burger patty, all you have to remember is this:

Soft, mushy or dry texture = bad patty

Once bitten, all the juicy chunks of beef that are usually clumped together oozes with flavor from the beef = good patty

Wagyu Steak Burger with 1/3 pound of Pure Australian Wagyu Beef

The second was the Wagyu Steak Burger with 1/3 pound of Pure Australian Wagyu Beef Patty.

CV Tip:The best kind of wagyu can be found in Japan, Australia and United States. Since the quality of this beef is better than most, purchasing Wagyu beef that come from these countries can be more price-y compared to other beef.

Since wagyu steak has an inherent flavor of juicy-ness in it, the grinding and kneading of forming it into a burger patty eventually strips the beef of all these amazing flavors. We personally prefer that the wagyu steak should be served and eaten as a whole instead of making it into a burger.

On a positive note, the burger bun topped with poppy seeds was freshly made! 

Overall, the food was normal and wasn’t really anything special. We think that there are many, other burger joints that taste better out there. We haven’t tried any of their sandwiches, though, so if you have let us know what they taste like. Now we are in search of the best burger joints in the greater Metro Manila area, so let us know your favorites!

Please don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @CultureVultureP 

Happy reading!

Donnie Darko

If you prefer films in a dark, satirical manner with a non-linear time structure that is wildly unpredictable, you will be extremely challenged by Richard Kelly’s 2001 film entitled Donnie Darko. The film centers on Donnie Darko himself, the character that portrays a teenager who has trouble with hallucinations thus forming his own alternate realities. Donnie makes good friends with Frank, an eerie rabbit, in his dream who tells him that the apocalypse is coming in exactly 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. Donnie is faced with psychological challenges throughout the film, forcing him to undergo time travel to try and save the world from coming to an end. Frank is the sole purveyor of unfortunate events, but is Frank just a fragment of Donnie’s mind or really a Messenger sent to save the world from apocalyptic demise? After 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds, do you think Donnie is able to save the world?

The film is unconventional in more ways than one and Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Donnie Darko in the most perfect way possible. It’s the kind of ending in a film that leaves the viewer with many questions left unanswered, and is forced to contemplate a little bit further on the plot of the story. The last scene is the most powerful one, wherein all the characters involved are shown to have felt the aftermath of a dream that felt so real. Then the film leaves you with a question that yearns to be answered, Is reality just a dream? Or is your dream your reality?

CV Tip: Due to the confusing timeline of the story, you should read up on the director’s commentary available on the internet. Without this information, you really won’t be able to understand the key parts of the film. There’s a huge cult following on the internet but the official website for Donnie Darko is a cryptic, puzzle-like maze just like the film.

Monsees Cafe

Interiors of Monsee's

Monsee's Cafe is a quaint, humble restaurant located in Katipunan Avenue near the White Plains village. Upon seeing the exterior, you will be enlightened with how homey the place feels like. Entering the resto, you will be greeted with a light ambiance and the smell of freshly baked breads and pastries.

Pasta Bolognese

We ordered two dishes, the first being the pasta bolognese. 


Bolognese (n.)- meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy


It is served with two slices of their own fresh loaf bread. It was very meaty, but the taste of the pasta itself was very bland. It would have been better if the pasta was able to balance the amount of meat and the tomato sauce they used, so the pasta wouldn't be dry. 

Four Cheese Panini served with Salad in honey mustard dressing

 The second one was the four cheese panini served with salad in honey mustard dressing. 


Panini (n.)- a sandwich made with bread roll, customarily from a roll or loaf of bread


The bread used for the panini was ciabatta and tasted freshly baked. The cheese, on the other hand, was salty because of its different flavors which overpowered each other. The flavor of the cheese was nakaka-umay to the point that we didn't even get to finish the whole plate. Another part of the dish was the salad in honey mustard dressing and we were delighted with the fact that the salad greens were fresh. The honey mustard dressing complemented the salad very well. 

Breadsticks

Muffins and Crinkles

Crinkles

Selections of sweet pastries

Breads

As you can see, the cafe also offers a wide variety of pastries and breads which they bake although we didn't get to try any. If you have, let us know how they taste like! Monsee's Cafe is a good place to hang with friends if you are looking for a quiet place with great ambiance!


Don't forget to follow us on twitter: @CultureVultureP and e-mail us for any comments or suggestions. Happy reading!


*Definitions were lifted from Wikipedia.com

Ark Avilon Zoo

If you fancy seeing different kinds of animals, but don’t want the hassle of having to travel all the way to Subic or Manila zoo to do so, the Ark Avilon Zoo is the place for you! It is situated in Pasig City and is located beside the kiddie place, Fun Ranch, Tiendesitas. The entrance fee is only P200 which makes it an attraction specially for young kids. 

Jaguar

Tiger

Pony

As you enter the zoo, you will be greeted with the most beautiful wildlife animals you can think of. There are jaguars, tigers,  and lions which can all be easily differentiated by the little signs that offers information about the history and scientific name of each animal. The first floor of the zoo is also where the different kinds of birds were like eagles, owls, and parrots. The Ark Avilon zookeepers were nice enough to offer us a chance to have a closer encounter with the animals.

Eagle

Also located on the first floor were the fish pond, crocodiles, ponies, and an extremely large tortoise. 

Sheepdog

The cutest sheepdog can also be found here, with its hair totally covering its whole body making him look like a huge grizzly bear!

Deer

Rabbits

Feeding the rabbit

The second floor was the smelliest part of the zoo, being home to the goats and all its decaying feces! (Yes, it really was THAT bad.) There is also a feeding station that sells sticks of carrots for P20 to be fed to the rabbits in the den. It seemed a little too cruel for us as there were a large number of rabbits that were left unfed the whole day to wait for customers like us to purchase their carrots.

CV Tip:If you plan on buying sticks of carrots, buy at least 5 so you can try feeding all the cute, little rabbits!

Orangutan named Jenny

The most memorable animal you’ll see is their orangutan named Jenny. Once introduced to this friendly animal, she’ll never let go of you literally! She holds your hand so tight that you’ll be forced to walk around the zoo at least one last time before leaving. Jenny is so adorable and acts like a human, and she is also dressed from head to toe!

CV Tip:Don’t leave the zoo without taking a picture with her!

All in all, although the zoo was entertaining from start to finish, it was rather a small place as compared to the other zoos present in the Philippines. The most notable factor was its cleanliness, urging staff and visitors alike to observe proper sanitation. If you want to simply enjoy seeing animals, then you should head on over to Ark Avilon Zoo.

Please don’t forget to follow us on twitter with the username, @CultureVultureP and email us at culturevultureproject@gmail.com if you have any comments or suggestions! We would love to hear from you!

Happy reading!