Restaurateur and chef-in-the-making, Karen De Mesa is no stranger to experimental cooking. Her restaurant, Yohel's Bagnet Station which she co-owns with husband Joel, is her laboratory for bagnet-oriented dishes that foodies in Metro Manila have not heard of. She constantly takes quick trips to the North for inspiration where bagnet is known to be an Ilocano delicacy. The kitchen in Marikina City is what she shares with her doting mother whom she looks up to for home-styled cooking that she infuses with her crazy culinary ideas.
The latest dish to be introduced at Yohel's Bagnet Station is her mom's home-styled bagnet paksiw which interestingly packs an adobo-flavored punch. This is exactly what one on a daily fast food diet needs to order -- a delightfully fresh dish.
Patrons can't get over the appetizing Sinigang Na Bagnet which is served in a big bowl for sharing by 3 or more people. More favorites like the Kare-kareng Bagnet and Bagnet Curry are still in the menu.
The restaurant is more than a year old and I became friends with the owners the moment I had my first dining experience there because both carry a cheerful disposition in life, something that's imbibed by their business' service. I was glad to learn that the idea of a second branch is in the offing. Plans are being made, including the location where it will be opened.
Bagnet With A Twist In A Mag!
The restaurant was recently featured in a magazine targeted at Marikina City residents.
Yohel's Bagnet Station
Location: No. 59-A Katipunan St. Concepcion Uno, 1807 Marikina City
Phone: 0918 472 4585
Viands at Yohel's Bagnet Station are best paired with Bagoong Rice.
First there was a reunion. And then came another one. Next thing I knew, I was going out again. I was having a good time doing so not on my own anymore. I was loving moments with other people once again. After a long hiatus from socializing with friends, I was at Tao Yuan, a Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Greenbelt and ready to make conversations with real people and not via email or Facebook.
Interestingly, me and my friend decided to veer from anything that had fish in the selection. We tried to surprise ourselves that night. He was fed up with a common friend of ours who was being unreachable. I was fed up with being unreachable myself. We ordered from the meat selection instead. A big plate of Hainanese Chicken and Pork Liempo looked like a savory therapy for dinner.
Choice of sauces: soy, chilli or ginger
For more than a year, I stayed away from some favorite food of mine like the Hainanese Chicken. It seemed to be the right decision at that time because nothing was tasting flavorful no matter how pricey the meal became. A year ago, I remember to be all stressed out about myself, my career, and a lot of other small stuff.
Fast-forward to that night at the restaurant, I was no longer anticipating the worst in life. I've faced it or some representations of it I believe. I came close to death due to a case of chronic sinusitis which almost needed surgery. That night, I was not even trying to catch up on life matters. I was merely "present." I'd like to think that I was sincerely enjoying the sumptuous dinner and the company of a friend. I was simply giddy over the ginger sauce and that was the highlight of my meal.
When I recently got hospitalized for frontal sinusitis, a chronic condition that almost needed surgery, it was the girlfriend of my brother, Macy, who performed on me some leg and feet massages on a weekly basis. The massages were necessary because I was taking a lot of prescribed medicines that affected my lower limbs, making them lumpy. For those pampering moments, I'm thankful.
Recently, when I got the chance to return the favor, I went all out by letting her experience the relaxing feeling of being pampered. And the venue I had in mind one afternoon was the Quezon City-based Klinec Nail & Body Spa.
I made sure that the staff of Klinec Nail & Body Spa took care of Macy as she took care of my legs and feet when they needed to be cared for with so much attention. The same kind of attention is always present at Klinec as I know its co-owner and budding entrepreneur, Jichelle Chua, to be passionate about wellness. She's managing the one-year old business with an older relative and the feedback about their services have been good so far. I've been told that a lot of celebrities drop by the nail and body spa. Since it's just along Kamuning Road, it makes sense that two giant television networks (GMA-7 and ABS-CBN 2) are nearby for their resident stars to try Klinec.
Macy came home with a relaxed face, something that probably comes when the rest of one's body is also relaxed. In her case, since she had a relaxing foot spa with Jelly Soak (wherein her feet were soaked in a jelly and salt solution to make the skin surface soft prior to being massaged), her countenance was all but miserable. She was the exact opposite of school girls and young professionals who came home that night bewildered about the heavy traffic in EDSA. She also got her fingernails some manicure time which probably boosted her positive vibe that night after coming home from Quezon City.
Klinec's 2nd floor houses the body massage rooms and other body-oriented treatments
Clean, sassy, and fancy!
She was not able to try Klinec Nail & Body Spa's other treatments (as there are plenty) because she had to rush back home for some errands. If I had the chance to be there, I would have tried the hand and feet paraffin wax treatments which are advisable for people who abuse hands and feet over a period of time like in hiking, trekking or any hand-related activities. I will probably make a personal visit soon for a full-body massage that comes with a free ventosa cupping therapy. Their back massage treatment seems interesting, too, as there are options for a short 30-minute period and a longer one that takes an hour to finish.
Patrons and new clients can also try getting the spa's loyalty cards for more discounts. Just inquire at 412-8101 or 0935-5455717 for more information.
Macy (extreme left) with other bloggers and co-owner Jichelle Chua in the middle
Kamuning Road's Relaxing Secret
Jelly Soak With Foot Spa Treatment
The required Jelly Soak with salt solution to soften the skin surface
The necessary skin scrub
Moments to relax the feet after application of skin cream
The highlight of the foot spa is the massage
Jichelle Chua of Klinec Nail & Body Spa
Klinec Nail & Body Spa
Location: 24-D Kamuning road Q.C.
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00am - 10:00pm
A movement called greenovate is ongoing worldwide and it entails meeting the needs of mankind without hurting the environment.
A greenovation that New Self recently attended is the unveiling at a showroom cum office of ECOLEADERS INC.'s FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Philippines-approved, AquaLab Center-tested, and DOST (Department of Science & Technology)-certified Atmospheric Water Generator called EcoloBlue in Quezon City. The technology is recognized in the United States by its Environmental Protection Agency and the company is a member of the Water Quality Association. What it does is more than provide fresh, cold water for human consumption in this age of fears of impending fresh water shortage (by 2025, according to the United Nations, the world may end up lacking in such source if the rate and way of consumption continues) and proliferated plastic bottled drinks.
The touch screen Eco30 model for residential spaces
Green Process of The Atmospheric Water Generator
The process by which it obtains water is green in that the technology does not leave anybody the obligation of recycling plastic bottles. It does not need any nearby seawater to transform or any body of water for that matter to happen. What does it mean to not have those then? It means no construction or cost for any filtration system and the system by which the technology runs does not have the frailty of being corroded by seawater. The machine that runs on that technology, therefore, can perform its task of providing fresh water for more than 14 years unlike conventional fresh water generators that need seawater for processing, making its use up to 5 to 10 years only. Then its users need to replace the product which is another cost on the part of the consumer.
What is the source of fresh water then?
Converting Humidity From Air Into Fresh Water
The answer lies in the Atmospheric Water Generator's water-from-air solution. Complicated? Not at all if you happen to know that you sweat when it's humid. When that happens, it means that there is relative humidity in the air. That is a natural phenomenon and so is air having water. An environment's relative humidity just needs to be at least 30% or more for the solution to happen and isn't our country situated in the tropical zone near the earth's equator where instances of humidity is high?
Effective and Essential Fresh Water Technology
Some spaces for the Atmospheric Water Generator to be effective in performance include a home or a facility's kitchen area, near an open window or areas near the bathroom or any spacious room. Because the machine works by converting humidity in the air to water, this unit also acts as an essential humidifier. And because the technology is comprised of a 12-filtration process inside the machine, the resulting fresh water is naturally nutritious for removing acidic waste products and toxins in the body, for keeping the body hydrated especially in periods of heat waves, for antiodixant purposes, for helping the body keep a balance pH (cancer and major illnesses cannot survive nor thrive in an oxygenated and alkaline environment) and lastly for enhancing one's immune system. Essential minerals are placed back for the body to benefit from because the technology has a post-filter system for such use.
The Only Distributor of The Latest American Technology
ECOLEADERS INC. is the sole distributor of the EcoloBlue Atmospheric Water Generator technology and machines in the Philippines. It is available as Eco30 for small, residential spaces and as AWG Eco100, Eco1000, and Eco10,000 for commercial and industrial spaces such as restaurants, hotels, resorts and wellness facilities, including clinics and hospitals. It's also effective for use at organic farms where ground water can't be processed for harmful pesticides used. Real estate developments like condominiums and townhouses are also facilities where EcoloBlue can be of best use.
For inquiries, contact New Self or email newselfinc@yahoo (dot) com. You can also text 0915-773-9681.
Want To Know More? Scroll down below for more information about the Atmospheric Water Generator technology (or view the video further below):
Who's Using The Water-From-Air Technology of EcoloBlue?
Organic farms in Bulacan and other provinces
Restaurants
Hotels
The Atmospheric Water Generator is also effective in places where there is no source for fresh water. In Albay alone, there are several barangays that have such a problem. The technology is useful also during calamities where finding sources for fresh water is usually a challenge.
ECOLEADERS INC. is the sole distributor of the latest American technology called Atmospheric Water Generatorin the Philippines. For inquiries, contact New Self or email newselfinc@yahoo (dot) com. You can also text 0915-773-9681.
The Unveiling of the ECOLEADERS INC. Office and Showroom
I recently tested using Ayala Land Inc.'s event token for me, a fancy-looking electronic gift card. The firs thing I had to do before rushing to any mall in Metro Manila to use it was find out how and where I could use it. The customer service numbers at the back of the card were helpful as I found out, based on those, that the card can be used at any Ayala Mall. A call to one of the phone numbers led me to talking to a mall concierge who politely answered all my inquiries. I found out that the Ayala EGC could be used for shopping products at any participating stores based inside any Ayala Mall. It can also be used for supermarket purchases, movie-viewing, and dining at restaurants. I asked further what participating establishments are going to honor the card and I was advised to just personally chat with the concierge at the mall where I intend to visit. After using it the first time for two 3D cinema tickets to the recently shown Maleficent at Greenbelt, I proceeded to use it days after at Max's restaurant in Trinoma Mall for lunch. In both instances, I was given a receipt and was made to sign a copy of it for the establishment to keep. For fear of neglecting the current amount that's charged in the card, I simply called a Bank of The Philippines (BPI) hotline (89-100) and confirmed the amount left in the EGC for my use. This is because Ayala Mall is a merchant of BPI for this customized payment tool. The bank customer service machine was able to inform me over the phone the remaining amount in my card after I relayed the card number (set of digits indicated on the card). TIP: SM Supermarket-Makati, although not part of an Ayala Mall, honors the Ayala EGC as I was told by the concierge in Glorietta Mall.