Foodie Goodie | Samuel's Plate Gastropub.

A few weeks back, I blogged about how Mum celebrated her birthday (in advance) with the kids of St. Martin de Porres Kids' Home, a charitable institution that houses abandoned/street children. Mum chose to do a bit of charity work instead of throwing a party or a beach trip, and my siblings and I were more than willing to join her in her cause.

Of course, my siblings and I wouldn't let her birthday pass without a get-together. And so, on her actual birthday, we took Mum out for dinner at Samuel's Plate Gastropub, one of the fancier dining places here in San Pablo City.

The birthday girl and the grandkids at Samuel's Plate Gastropub.

Established in 2016, Samuel's Plate is the first of its kind not just in San Pablo City, but in the entire province of Laguna. The gastropub is located at Brgy. San Roque - a three-storey brick building with a rustic design and a country-style vibe. The ground floor is the pub where you can sit down and have a snack while sipping on some cocktails, while the second floor is the main restaurant, ideal for dining with a large group. The third floor, on the other hand, serves as a function hall for parties, weddings, and the like.

Samuel's Place Package Deals.

Samuel's Plate has a menu so diverse and interesting that makes you want to try everything. Thankfully, they offer Package Deals that make this task of choosing what to order and what to eat simpler and less complicated. Each package has a combination of Filipino and Western dishes, with drinks and dessert to boot. We ordered package C and E, because we wanted to try as many dishes in one sitting, haha!

Here's a closer look at the dishes included in the two package deals, plus the Mushroom Soup that Mum had as her appetizer:

Mozarella Croquettes - potato croquettes stuffed with cheese and comes with three different dips.
Love this appetizer! Crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside!

Cream of Mushroom Soup - creamy and flavored just right. Does not taste like the instant/canned kind.

Smoked Ribs - fall-off-the-bone goodness, smoked and seasoned to perfection.
Definitely the best ribs in town! 

Crispy Kare-kare - another must-try dish!
The savory sauce and crispy lechon kawali is a perfect combination.

Alfredo - Yue loved this so much, he pretty much ate everything.

Bicol Express Curry - not as spicy as I would have wanted my Bicol Express to be,
but yummy nonetheless. 

Chicken Sisig - Mum's not a fan of sisig, but surprisingly she loved this one A LOT!

Sinigang na Salmon - sour, and I like it like that. ;)

Ube Stuffed Suman - I'm not fond of plain ol' suman,
but stuffed with ube inside and drizzled with latik, well that's a totally different story.

Chocolate cake - moist and chocolatey, but not overly sweet. 

Oh, and they even gave Mum another slice of cake, on the house, because it's her birthday. They also serve coffee, which tastes better than overpriced ones from branded coffee shops. No kidding!

Mum's birthday cake courtesy of Samuel's Plate.
They even sang a birthday song for her! :)

Cappucinno to cap the night.

Dining at Samuel's Plate was truly a gastronomic experience. Their food doesn't come cheap, I must admit, but you definitely get your money's worth in terms of taste, ambiance, and service.

Happy 57th birthday, Mum! :)

We're certainly coming back to this restaurant to celebrate the next family occasion. Yue's graduation, perhaps? Hopefully, this COVID-19 situation gets better so that the graduation ceremonies will push through and Mum can come home again to celebrate with us.

Foodie Goodie | Sarang Mart Korean Grocery.

If there's one thing I truly, madly, deeply, miss about Korea (aside from my husband, the temperate climate, and the super fast internet speed), it's the food. I usually order Korean food stuff online, but today, in this hot and humid weather, I suddenly craved for Korean ice cream. Of course, I can't order that online. Good thing there's a newly-opened Korean grocery smack dab in the middle of the city, located five minutes away from where we live.

Annyeong, Sarang! :)

Sarang Mart Korean Grocery recently opened their second branch in San Pablo City, right across the Human Heart Nature Concept Store in Barleta Street. Their first branch has been operational since 2016, but not many people know of this gem since it's located in the outskirts of San Pablo City.
This new branch is a lot more accessible, and if you'll be visiting for the first time, the location is very easy to find as it's near the San Pablo City Cathedral.

 If you're a fan of Korean snacks, love stocking up on Korean condiments, or simply in the mood for some Korean ice cream, Sarang Mart is the place to be. They pretty much have everything in stock - ramyeon of all brands and varieties, ice cream of all kinds, dipping sauces in different sizes, and Pepero and Binggrae Milk in different flavors.

Jin Ramen on sale. 

Samyang and Chapaguri, as seen on the Oscar winning movie, Parasite.

Yue's all-time favorite Nongshim ramyeon.

Gochujang, Doenjang, Ssamjang.

Cledor goodies.

My all-time favorite Bungeoppang ice cream.

Classic Melona.

Pepero flavors (OMG the Nude Cream Cheese is the bomb)!

They also have frozen food products like eomuk (fish cake) and mandu (dumplings), and fermented food products like kimchi and danmuji (pickled radish). They even have enoki mushrooms, which are quite difficult to come by in supermarkets here in San Pablo, as well as king oyster mushrooms.

Eomuk - perfect for cold, blustery days.

Photo credit; Sarang Mart Facebook page.

Photo credit: Sarang Mart Facebook page.

In the mood for samgyup? Sarang Mart has authentic Pork Samgyupsal and Beef Bulgogi which you can grill in the comforts of your home. If you don't have your own grill pan yet, Sarang Mart has you covered as well! They have grill pans for sale, as well as the ramyeon cooking pots (you know, the gold tin ones) that you see in Kdramas.

Beef Bulgogi and Pork Samgyupsal.

I hope they'll have Oreo O's in stock next time I visit. Yue has been asking for his favorite cereal for God knows how long, but I don't have the time to go all the way to S&R just for that. Also, this COVID-19 scare is deterring me from traveling outside the city and making me want to stay home most of the time.

On that note, I wish you're all safe and sickness-free wherever you are. Stay healthy, and always keep your hands clean! :)

Sarang Mart Korean Grocery
Barleta Street. cor. Gen. Malvar Street,
San Pablo City

Spotlight | Human Heart Nature Sunflower Eye Cream.

I have one rule when it comes to eye creams - It's okay to splurge, as long as the product works.

Well, I almost always end up splurging since I gravitate towards Korean brands (think Innisfree Eco Science Eye Cream and Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask), and on very rare occasions, Western brands like Estee Lauder (Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream).

Recently, however, I've discovered an eye cream that works but costs only a fraction of what I usually spend on the aforementioned products. And the best thing about it? It comes from my favorite local skincare brand, Human Nature.

Human Heart Nature Sunflower Eye Cream.

Launched on the last week of January, the Human Heart Nature Sunflower Eye Cream is the latest addition to the brand's ever-popular sunflower line. I had the chance to get first dibs on this eye cream the day it was launched, and I've been loving this product ever since!

The Human Heart Nature Sunflower Eye Cream is an all-natural eye cream made with jasmine and hawthorn essences that help smoothen and de-puff tired eyes. It also contains rosehip seed oil that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines around the eyes, and cocoa seed butter that treats and fades dark circles under the eye. Last but not the least, this eye cream is infused with Human Heart Nature's bestseller and miracle worker Sunflower Seed Oil that helps nourish the skin and protects it from anti-oxidants.

Product swatch.

Just a little goes a long way!

I've been using this eye cream for almost five weeks now, and I love how it makes my eyes look less tired and puffy even after pulling an all-nighter on my Korean dramas (lol). No dark undereyes, even for the sleep-derived!

What dark undereyes? 

The Human Heart Nature Sunflower Eye Cream comes in a 15 mL squeeze tube and retails for Php 295. You can purchase this product online at the Human Heart Nature website or at Human Heart Nature branches near you. 

The Human Heart Nature sunflower line!

Korea vs. COVID-19.

We currently have no travel plans to South Korea, and rightly so, with the coronavirus aka COVID-19 outbreak and all. New cases of infections are being reported everyday, and as of this writing, South Korea now has 977 confirmed cases - the most outside of China. Eleven deaths have also been reported, with a Mongolian patent being the latest COVID-19 casualty in South Korea.

Royal Guard at Gyeongbukgong wearing a face mask amidst the snow and virus scare.
Photo credit: Ahn Young Joon

What is a coronavirus?
Coronaviruses, as defined by the World Health Organization, "are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)".

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, which means they can be transmitted between animals and people. Previous studies showed that SARS-CoV (identified in 2003) was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV (first identified in 2012) from dromedary camels to humans.

What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the official name for the new corona virus that has not previously been seen in humans. This new disease was first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now spreading from person-to-person through close contact or via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

What are the symptoms of the new coronavirus?
Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of this disease.
Initial findings revealed that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. However, further studies have confirmed that a person can carry and transmit the disease without even showing any symptoms (asymptomatic).

How can we avoid this disease?
They say prevention is better than cure - especially when there's no actual cure for this disease. At present, there is no vaccine that can prevent COVID-19, and it would be best to avoid being exposed to it.

The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued the following guidelines to prevent the spread of this disease:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Follow CDC's recommendation for using face masks - only wear them if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above. People who are well and healthy do not need to wear masks. 

Ambulances in Daegu, South Korea.
Photo credit: Kim Hyun Tae.

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, South Korea is now on the highest alert level which means authorities can order the temporary closure of schools and reduce the operation of public transportation and flights to and from the country. Nearly 500 schools have delayed the start of classes, while visa-free entry to Jeju Island has been temporarily suspended to all foreign nationals.

The following entry restrictions have also been issued by the Korean Ministry of Justice:

• Travelers with passports issued in Hubei, China
• Korean visas to travelers who were issued in Hubei Province, China will be cancelled 
• All foreign nationals who visited Hubei Province, China in the past 14 days will be restricted entry
• Visa-free entry to Chinese nationals and foreign nationals who are traveling from China will be suspended.

Royal Guards at Deoksugung Palace.
Photo credit: Jeon Heon Kyun.

Museums and parks in Seoul are also temporarily closed, and the four royal palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung), the royal tombs, and Jongmyo Shrine have stopped their guided tour services indefinitely. Several festivals such as the Nonsan Strawberry Festival, Snow Crab Festival, and Busan International Buddhism Expo have been cancelled, while the Comic World festivals in Seoul and Busan have been postponed.

The Philippines has not issued any travel ban to South Korea just yet; however, the Department of Foreign Affairs strongly advises Filipinos to forego travel plans amidst the virus scare.

Edit, 26 Feb 2020: The Philippines has imposed a travel ban on Filipino tourists going to South Korea. However, OFWs, Filipinos leaving for study, and permanent residents of South Korea are exempted from the travel ban. In addition, travelers coming from North Gyeongsang Province, where Daegu is located, shall not be permitted entry to the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Korean government is working hard to contain further infection and is constantly providing reports and updates of suspected and infected cases of COVID-19. Press releases are published twice daily at 9am and 4pm at the Korea CDC website.

Foodie Goodie | Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant.

Sundays, as customary, are for dining together with the family. And for this particular Sunday after our visit to St. Martin de Porres' Kids Home, Mum chose to have our family dinner at Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant.

Travel back in time at Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant.

Located in Brgy. Del Remedio, San Pablo City, Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant gives its visitors a glimpse of the past as it reimagines the Filipino cultural heritage through its colonial era architectures and traditional Filipino cuisine.

The stairs leading to the restaurant.

Blast from the past! More of Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant after the jump!