Do the cusps of your tongue ache for something new? A recent visit to the reclamation area led me to one of the latest food destination which will delight anybody's hunger. What started as a dream of a young Cebuana, Jackie Yu-Lua recently turned her childhood dream into a reality.

With the blessing of the universe, Jackie married her husband Shane, who worked as a chef in a 5-Star resort hotel.  Powered by their love for food and cooking, the couple started a small catering gig serving packed lunch for groups, where they got a lot of positive feedback from clients and friends which encourage then to put their own restaurant.

Slate District got its name from a type of rock. Slate is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock.  It is a flat-type of rock and the owners thought that they could use it as a plate for their delicious dishes.  For them, having a black hard slate as a plate has a certain elegance and uniqueness to it. That is how they came up with the name of their first ever stand-alone restaurant.

Sure Sarap

Slate District serves a lot of mouth-watering specialties at super affordable prices.  First among their specialties is their Pork Sisig Sarap which will soon grace their dining area next week. The family owns a chain of food carts that serves this Pinoy favorite and they are bringing it in their new restaurant. Having tried some of their featured offerings, I believe that their Sisig must be good as well.

Here are some of my favorites from their menu:

Look at that saucy goodness! That's their JackSlate Chicken which is is a buffalo wings dish that is served as a hanging chicken. It comes in three variations. The spicy one is by far my favorite and I must say that it is best eaten using our bare hands because, it's just too good not to be savored!

They also serve flavorful pork specialties like Grilled Baby Ribs Grilled Herb Pork Steak, and Tonkatsu. Pictured above is their grilled baby ribs which is not only friendly to one's pocket, but also great for everyone's taste. That is by far my favorite dish on their menu. The meat is tender, it has this bursting flavor which is one-of-a kind. And if you are wondering will it suffice its price, it's a big yes! Their baby ribs maybe called baby, but it is served in a big portion. It's definitely a dish worth sharing.

Another pork dish worth trying is their Grilled Herb Pork Steak. I don't know about you guys, but anything with pesto and butter for me is bliss. I love how the herbs used by Slate enhances the flavor of the pork whilst complementing the juxtaposition of goodness created by the butter and the pesto.

Our pescatarian friends can enjoy their Orlando Fish Burrito that has been inspired by a similar dish that they tasted when the couple traveled to Orlando, Florida, USA. But if fish is not your cup of tea, worry not as well because they also serve Quesadillas which won't leave you any hungry.

The aim of the owners is to make Slate District a go-to place for people who seeks the ultimate comfort food. They choose the best quality of ingredients while maintaining a price point that can be affordable to students and young professionals. The food is presented to be pleasing to the Instagram generation.  In line with that, the restaurant interiors were designed to attract the trendy crowd.

To celebrate the opening of this new restaurant, Slate District is offering an All-You-Can-Eat Grilled Herb Pork Steak for only 299 pesos.  This includes unlimited servings of rice and one round of their house blend iced tea. It's something that you wouldn't want to miss and fyi, their house blend tea is very refreshing. It has apples and calamansi in it making it a healthy pair for your chosen dishes.

Slate District is located at Ground Floor Alfresco Area of Parkmall, Mandaue City. Be at par of their exclusive promotions and latest offerings by visiting their official Facebook and Instagram account.

Tag them on your social media posts using the hashtag #slatedistrict for you to get featured.

love lots,

Tin

     A visit in Kevlo won't be complete without trying their services so I tried their signature facial treatment. The treatment which costs 400php gave me a rejuvenating and a relaxing experience. Included in the treatment is a facial scrub, moisturizer, massage, cleansing and whitening. Though I still find some whiteheads on my nose area right after the treatment, it didn't disappoint me because the overall experience was more than enough. A good addition to their service are their friendly and very accommodating therapists who actually gave me a free massage. That was something that I haven't expected in receiving a facial treatment. The experience definitely did put a smile on my face.

      I was also curious about how their products work so I bought myself an eye contour serum from their abundant line of skin care products. So far, I'm not mad with the product. I apply it every night before I visit the dreamland and I notice that my eyes aren't that puffy and tired-looking in the morning. I still have to check on it though since I have been using it for three days as of today. 

The month of May promises exciting times worthy of calendar bookmarks. From the local music festivals in our tropical islands, to the Cinco de Mayo of Mexico, the fifth month of the year won't thwart anybody's sense of excitement.

Should you want to get that Mexican vibes, there's no need for you to fly all the way to the mystical land of Mexico because Pueblo Mexicano, a casual dining restaurant, will serve it right on your palate. 

There is a healthy market for Mexican foods in Cebu replete with the constant rise of Mexican diners. However, Pueblo Mexicano is not your typical Mexican restaurant. Mention Mexican food to Cebuanos and you’ll get hard-shell tacos, bursting burritos and quesadillas dripping with cheese as their musings. Howbeit, what rolls out in Pueblo is a fiesta of foods prepared in novel ways such as the Tamales and fish Veracruzana.

 Pollo a la Brasa

 Peruvian-style roasted chicken half, cilantro cream sauce

 Smoked Pork Tenderloin Medallions

bacon-wrapped smoked pork medallions, guava-mango chipotle glaze, mashed potato, green beans, fresh corn

 Fish Vercruzana

pan-grilled tasik fish, tomato wedges, olives, capers, cilantro-lime rice

 Gambas Pasta

linguini, sauteed shrimp and garlic, chipotle marinara, grilled bollilo slice

 Pueblo's Nacho Grande

Pueblo's signature nachos, corn tortilla chips, lechon carnitas, cheese, refried beans, jalapenos, chopped onion, sour cream, pico de gallo, chicharrones

 Garlic Cream Scallops

scallops, garlic butter, cheese, bechamel, fresh epazote

Chalupas Poblanas

four canape-sized corn tortillas, pan-fried, topped with chilorio pork, pico de gallo

 Tarta de Natilla

a rich custard cake, topped with strawberry campote

Mango Margarita

From their vibrant walls, to their wooden furniture, Pueblo reflects the charm and artistic heritage of Mexico. In its 4^th year anniversary this Cinco de Mayo, relive those vivid Mexican dreams present in the paintings of Frida Kahlo by visiting Pueblo Mexicano at Banilad Town Center in Cebu City.

Earlier today, I came across an adage which states that culture is best served on a platter. I couldn’t agree more with it upon thinking of Pueblo Mexicano.

love lots,

Tin

A new makeup store is set to pump up the beauty world in Cebu. Set to be a new playground for makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts, Perfect Secret's grand opening took place last week. The cosmetics store which showcases makeup and perfumes opened its door at the Upper Ground floor (between Mango and Forever21) of SM Seaside Cebu.

With the city's fast-paced development in so many areas, it's not surprising why Perfect Secret which has branches around the world chose to launch their first Philippine branch in Cebu. Along with its good array of products, the store aims to cater to their Cebuano clients and soon open another branch in Manila.

Unlike any other beauty stores, Perfect Secret mainly sells beauty products from W7 Makeup, a UK-based cosmetics company and  Delia Cosmetics which hails from Poland. If you are into makeup and haven't tried using any of those products, you no longer have to worry about buying them online. Instead, you just have to visit Perfect Secret.

Perfect Secret sells three variants of mascaras from Delia Cosmetics which were created to suit the different wants and needs of people when it comes to eyelashes. I got the one in red which is intended to curl-up the lashes, but I also feel that I need the lash lengthening one as well. 

Some W7 products sold in Perfect Secret are different types of palettes which are great for makeup artists. For instance, they do have the Lip Explosion Lip COlour Palette which has lippies from satin to shimmer finish. The last color on the rights side of the palette (as seen on the photo above) actually reminds me of Kylie Jenner's lip color. On the other hand, the Big Bold Blushers palette has corals and pink colored blushes. 

Here's a product from the W7 Cosmetics which made me curious. I find it controversial because it's not every day that you see a Selfie powder right? lol I mean, I don't even know what it does at first, but then by asking questions to the Perfect Secret staff, I found out that the powder, which by the way is in pale blue color, is a mattifying and oil-control powder.

By the looks and swatches of W7 Cosmetics products, some of them can be a very good dupe for high-end makeup products like MAC. Just look at that eye shadow palette above!

Media personnel from Cebu and Ms. Gabriele Raine Baljak who is Miss Cebu 2016, graced the opening of Perfect Secret. Raine is super fun to have a conversation with. We talked about what's our favorite drugstore and high-end beauty products including her favorite makeup brand which is Maybelline. 

My curiosity led me to ask the friendly and soft-spoken beauty queen if she plans to join bigger beauty pageants in the near future. She gave me with a positive response, but she also disclosed that she is not in a hurry. I really hope she wins Binibining Pilipinas and beauty pageants outside the Philippines because I believe that Raine embodies the heart of a true Cebuana. :)

A live makeup show took place during the store's grand opening wherein Cebu-based makeup artist Ms. Denise Bassler showed us how to create a light and a more dramatic makeup look using the products offered in the Perfect Secret. Denise also shared some of her most-prized techniques on how to achieve a flawless makeup look.

The price range of their makeup products is not less than 500php and not more than 1,500php, If you want to experiment on your fragrances, you can also check out some of their perfumes. Perfect Secret is a place not just for MUAs, but also for beauty junkies who want to fill their makeup collection. It's a place full of wonder that shouldn't be a secret. :)

Don't forget to drop by and shop their store in SM Seaside Cebu and follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Have you guys tried any of the beauty products shown above? What do you think of them? Let me know on the comment section below!

love lots,

Tin