Flatter My Senses | Growing with Kimi

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Hi! I am Lav.

Welcome to my creative portfolio. I document here my learnings and experiences from my own parenting journey. Take your time to explore and hope you have a nice stay!

All in Food Notes

Body-Fueling FAT in Forbes Town Center

Jul 24

Jul 24 Body-Fueling FAT in Forbes Town Center

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. A breath of fresh air, FAT opened its doors last June 2015 adding to the burgeoning food destination that is Forbes Town Center located in Burgos Circle in BGC. Just when restaurants go for a more wholesome and lighter outlook, FAT evidently chose to head towards the other direction. Commendably does it remain true to its core and belief; that fat is anything but bad for anyone's health, especially if the fat was extracted from animals, and that it ought to be enjoyed and incorporated into foods making them both comforting and satisfying.

Crystal Jade Dining IN: Weekend Dimsum Buffet is Back!

Jun 22

Jun 22 Crystal Jade Dining IN: Weekend Dimsum Buffet is Back!

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. The loved Weekend Dimsum Buffet of Crystal Jade Dining IN is now back by popular demand! Running during the weekends from 2 PM to 5 PM, we arrived in the restaurant a little after 2 PM to fully maximize the already money-worthy buffet. Upon taking our seats, we were then presented with a menu and an order form. The menu served as a guide for us to know the main ingredients of the dishes and the form, on the other hand, proved to be helpful in setting the limitations. Not all the dim sum items found in their menu is included in the roster, however, this fact should not discourage you in trying out this buffet.

A Big, Humongous and Unexpected Dinner in Vienna

Jun 6

Jun 6 A Big, Humongous and Unexpected Dinner in Vienna

VIENNA, AUSTRIA. The 1.5-hour drive from Gyor to Vienna had been the fastest and easiest ride that we had during the tour. Upon our arrival in the city, we immediately headed on towards the Hilton Vienna Danube Waterfront, our hotel during our stay in the city, which has this spectacular view of the River Danube. Since it was still the peak of the afternoon when we arrived in Vienna, we still had time left in our hands to roam around and do what we please before heading downtown to have our dinner.

New Year's Eve Fun in Budapest

May 24

May 24 New Year's Eve Fun in Budapest

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY. This was my first time to spend the New Year's Eve outside of the Philippines. Coincidentally, we were in Budapest when the New Year arrived. I had no idea how the Hungarians celebrate the New Year but we had been promised by our tour director of a wonderful night full of fun, lively conversations and good food

Foods You Should Not Miss When You Are in Budapest

May 21

May 21 Foods You Should Not Miss When You Are in Budapest

RACHEL RAJ'S FLODNI - Taste Hungary's most famous Jewish cake, Flodni, made based in a family recipe of Rachel Raj, one of the queens of Budapest Jewish cooking, which includes ingredients like poppy seeds, apple, walnut and plum jam. A popular Chanuka cake of Eastern-European families before, this delight can now be tasted only in Budapest. It is already enough to get a slice as the cake has an interesting texture and explosive taste that can satiate your buds and tummy in an instant. Yum!

Italian Cuisine Loving in the Slovak Region

Apr 26

Apr 26 Italian Cuisine Loving in the Slovak Region

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA. I am an avid eater. Whenever I am in a particular country other than my own, I make sure to eat their local foods all the time. But you know how sometimes hunger gets the best of you and you just grab whatever that's near you, that's what happened to us when we were done walking around Bratislava. Instead of finding a restaurant that offers amazing Slovak cuisine, we ended up in an Italian restaurant that has a conservatory placed smack at the middle of the Rybarska brana.

Loved Foods During Our Walk on a December Afternoon in Prague

Apr 6

Apr 6 Loved Foods During Our Walk on a December Afternoon in Prague

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. When you are walking the whole afternoon, it is normal to eat a lot and that is because you try to compensate the energy lost through walking by eating more; well, aside from the fact that you just want to eat every little interesting food that you see along your path, of course. That always happens with us. Most of the time, we splurge the bulk of our money on food. Lots of food! Here are some items I deeply, deeply loved during our afternoon walk in Prague

Fishy Lunch in Prague

Apr 1

Apr 1 Fishy Lunch in Prague

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. Czech Republic is a haven for meat lovers but for those who prefer seafood, I am sorry to burst your bubble but it is a rarity to find fresh ones here. For one, the country is landlocked, which means you just could not get fresh off-the-boat catch on a whim unlike its neighbouring EU countries that reside on the west. The seafood had to be transported at a long distance before Czechs can even enjoy it.

Welcoming Prague in U Císařů

Mar 13

Mar 13 Welcoming Prague in U Císařů

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. Located along the so-called Royal Way near the Prague Castle, U Císařů, which literally means "The Emperors", invites you to a dining experience like no other. For one, the restaurant's interior is just absolutely stunning and evokes a feeling of a distant past. As you walk along the corridor right after the main door, every minute detail that you see along the way captures you. The dim lights help in setting the overall mood.

Drinking Sesh in One of Munich's Oldest Breweries and Beer Halls That is Hofbräuhaus

Feb 28

Feb 28 Drinking Sesh in One of Munich's Oldest Breweries and Beer Halls That is Hofbräuhaus

MUNICH, GERMANY. In Germany, beer is about the same price as water and day drinking is commonly more accepted here than in any other parts of the world. Because they are huge fans of beer, it is no surprise that they had been able to produce 1500 different brands and perhaps more. This fact makes it harder for people to pick just one to try out. With beer embedded not just in their culture but also in their veins, beer halls and beer gardens are normal things to see around Bavaria.

Uyghur Cuisine in Munich

Feb 22

Feb 22 Uyghur Cuisine in Munich

MUNICH, GERMANY. I have no idea what Uyghur cuisine was so when we found Taklamakan restaurant near the Hauptbahnhof and in the middle of the Bahnhofsviertel bearing a text above the store name referring to an unfamiliar cuisine, we got so curious we immediately barged inside the restaurant without thinking twice. Uyghur cuisine which is also called Xinjiang cuisine is found throughout China.

Vinzenzmurr: Answer to A Hefty Eater's Hunger After An Exhaustive Touring Around Dachau

Feb 21

Feb 21 Vinzenzmurr: Answer to A Hefty Eater's Hunger After An Exhaustive Touring Around Dachau

DACHAU, GERMANY. We immediately looked for something to eat after our visit in the Dachau Memorial site. Coming from the site, we went back to where we started (the bus station) but found no restaurant that we like near there so we walked furthermore along the Bahnhofstrasse. In we go and out we went immediately after we find nothing that we fancy from the restaurants along the street; well, until we arrived at the intersection and found a deli shop/restaurant at one of its corners.

Bratwurst Loving in Wurstkuchl

Feb 18

Feb 18 Bratwurst Loving in Wurstkuchl

REGENSBURG, GERMANY. If you find yourself hungry after roaming around the Old Town of Regensburg, I recommend for you to head on to this lovely, 500-year old tavern along the Danube called Wurstkuchl. Standing right next to the Old Stone Bridge, you can never miss the bright green restaurant facing towards the river.

Your Food Options in Munich's Hauptbahnhof

Feb 8

Feb 8 Your Food Options in Munich's Hauptbahnhof

MUNICH, GERMANY. The moment we stepped out of the train and into the large platform of the Hauptbahnhof, the first thing I thought about was FOOD. Not because I was hungry per se but because of the endless options of tummy delights they have there. So if you are thinking of putting off any food intake until you arrive at the Hauptbahnhof, these are just some of the choices you will find when you arrive there

Gelato Break in Eiscafe Paradiso

Jan 29

Jan 29 Gelato Break in Eiscafe Paradiso

OBERAMMERGAU, GERMANY. Whoever says gelato (ice cream) is a no-no when it is cold hasn't experienced yet the bliss of eating one during a cold, winter morning. Taking a break from our long walk along the snowy roads of the town of Oberammergau did we come across this dainty little cafe with Luftl paintings on its facade. We were already freezing outside and in dire need of a place where we could sit down to rest out restless and almost-numb feet while we sip a cup of hot cocoa or coffee and perhaps slurp some soup so we ran towards it the moment we saw it.

Dec 21
Dec 21 Blowing Smoke in The Iscreamist

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. The Iscreamist is an ice cream parlor unlike any other. Why? For one, it uses UV fluorescent as its light so it has this blue ambiance inside that makes it hard to take a good picture unless you use flash photography. Next would be the flash-freezing of their ice cream delights with the use of liquid nitrogen which is kind of cool specially if it is your first time to try it!

Dec 20
Dec 20 Big Meaty Dinner in Empire Steak

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. I am always on the lookout for that place within the metro where you can get a piece of steak that is not only cheap but also smackingly good and money-worthy. I think that habit stayed with me as I have come to love this steakhouse near our university that serves just that. I keep coming back to it even after I graduated as I became quite convinced that there is no more steakhouse out there other than it that serves some nice, delicious steak for a fraction of the cost of those that we do find in malls and fine-dining steakhouses.

Eating Healthy with Beni's Falafel

Dec 10

Dec 10 Eating Healthy with Beni's Falafel

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. In lieu with my current goal of staying fit and healthy (well, I try to be!), I dragged my whole family down last Sunday to this hole-in-the-wall restaurant beside A. Venue in the outskirts of Makati called Beni's Falafel. I usually try hard to resist doing so as my brothers are meat-loving persons and are not particularly into healthy options but when I read that they also offer chicken meals alongside their vegetarian bestsellers I instantly thought that this would be the perfect time to bring them to one.

Delighting in Some Cambodian Dishes in Romdeng

Dec 8

Dec 8 Delighting in Some Cambodian Dishes in Romdeng

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA. Set in a colonial building in which its furniture, lightings and wooden carvings were all made from Cambodia, Romdeng is part of TREE (Training Restaurants for Employment and Entrepreneurship) which is a global alliance of training restaurants based on a successful model of social business which not only helps their students to become skilled and happy young individuals but also provides, along the way, customer satisfaction and a continuous cycle of corporate sustainability.

Lovely Breakfast in Rustic Mornings

Nov 30

Nov 30 Lovely Breakfast in Rustic Mornings

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. Tucked along the narrow Isabelo Mendoza street in Marikina is this lovely place called Rustic Mornings. The place was established 5 years ago and was more known as Isabelo Place. Though it also functions as a restaurant, it was more famous as an event place back then. Reservations were a must if you want to dine there until two years ago when they converted it as a full-fledged restaurant where people can just walk in and enjoy the place and the food whenever they please.