Vikings Buffet Manila

I enjoy going to buffet restaurants just because I like having variety of choices when it comes to what I can eat rather than going to a sit-down restaurant and choosing only one entree. I had the privilege of accompanying my Mom and our family friends visiting all the way from New Jersey to Vikings buffet restaurant located right by SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Manila.

Vikings is a luxury-buffet restaurant that has gathered loyal customers since they opened their doors to public. From Filipino and Japanese cuisine, to Italian offerings of pastas and pizza that you have the option of making up to your liking. It can sit up to 600 guests and is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. You can imagine having all your favorite food in one place and still exceed your expectations because of the quality and quantity they deliver for every lunch or dinner service. They have a separate section for private parties as well. READ MORE OF MY REVIEW AFTER THE BREAK!

Meat lovers area

Seafood galore

We made reservations a few days before because we heard that it can get very crowded and the wait very long. When we arrived, our table was ready and we wasted no time going around to check out what's to fill our empty stomachs (I did not have breakfast for this!). I was looking forward to filling up at Vikings Buffet Manila.

Dumplings that Osc would have loved!

The buffet spread is on both ends of the place and two center spreads. One end has the meat section (bbq, beef, chicken, pork) and seafood (which will be cooked for you), by order specials, Italian choices of pizza and pasta which option to make your own, tempura corner. The other end offers Japanese and Chinese cuisine with hot pot option. In the middle, you will find a long salad bar back to back with bread and hors d'oeuvres. The other table consists of vegetable and rice servings, with a little bit of Singaporean specialties.

 

Miso Soup is served in these small ceramic tea pot with a small cup

Now, for those who know me, I'm not an adventurous person when it comes to food. I mostly eat 'safe' food like tempura, california rolls, beef, chicken, etc. So I'm sorry that I don't have actual photos of food on my plate because there weren't any great ones. ;)

My first plate but I came back for more roast beef!

I indulged on their roast beef cooked to medium rare (I told you I'm a bore!) and their dessert area! Before my third round, I was frantically looking for their dessert area. We had to finally ask one of the servers where it's located and it is by the back side of the place, facing Manila Bay. The choices were unbearable and I couldn't pick which ones to get. I was full by the time I got to dessert because I got another serving of broccoli soup and some bread thinking I would not find that darn buffet area.

Mother of Chocolate Fountains!

 Crepes made to your liking

Dessert shots

Chilled desserts

Below are the rates for adults, kids, senior citizens for weekday lunch and dinner as well as for weekends. Senior citizens can show their SC card to get 20% discount. They also have an on-going promo for birthday celebrants who gets to eat for FREE on the day of their birthday. You must show a valid ID.

They are indeed the best buffet in manila! I can't wait to go back. We might go for my brother's birthday or mine, but if we can't wait for those special occasion, we might be back sooner!

Vikings Buffet Restaurant is located at Building B, By The Bay, Seaside Blvd. SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, Manila. Check out their website here.

Edit: I had to edit some parts as there were typos!

Baby's First Trip: Newark to Detroit

I'm taking forever to finishing this trip report! Here we go!

Part 1 of 4: Manila to Los Angeles
Part 2 of 4: Los Angeles to Newark
Part 3 of 4: Newark to Detroit
Part 4 of 4: Detroit to Manila Part 1
Part 4 of 4: Detroit to Manila Part 2
Part 4 of 4: Detroit to Manila Part 3

Originally, we were to leave New Jersey on the 12th of January, but because Jacob suddenly got sick with the flu, we moved our flight to the 18th instead. We wanted to leave the weekend of January 14th but that would cost us additional fees. Read about it here. The night before our flight to Detroit, Jacob developed some hives. We didn't have time to bring him to the doctor because it showed up after dinner so we just made a call to his doctor there to ask what medication we can give them. So he had his first try of antihistamines for infants. READ MORE AFTER THE BREAK!

How Do I Look?

If you haven't noticed yet, OPEN YOUR EYES!

Mr. Jacob's Mom got a full make-over! I love how it turned out and I can't say anything else but great, great things about Ro from Mommy Blog Designs! Working with her was so easy! Easier than with a few designers that I tried to work with for the site.

For a while now, I have been thinking on splurging on a make-over for this baby. I wanted to have my own unique look, none of that default templates for me! I finally took that big step and here we are right where I want us to be!

From the first concepts that she gave, I was not one bit disappointed! When I received that first set of concepts on my e-mail, it was early in the morning and I was still pretty much asleep. But when I saw her designs, I literally squealed in delight! I fell in love instantly and I know from then on it wouldn't be too long until we finish the site.

I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND RO for all your designing needs. This woman is amazing. I'm so glad I went with my gut feel that she will be 'The One' who will make Mr. Jacob's Mom just as I want it to be.

Ro,
Thank you so much for being you! God has given you this amazing talent and you are just so great for sharing it with everyone. Working with you was such a blast! I wouldn't have had it any other way or with any other designer. I will definitely come back when I finally transfer to WordPress (it'll be a while before I convince myself that WordPress is good for me!). More power to Mommy Blog Designs and I pray for you to have more projects to come!

You're part of our family now!

Love, hugs, and kisses,

Roxi & Jacob

Wordless Wednesday: 6/20/12

How I found my two boys the other night... #jealous

Watch Out! We're Relaunching!

Hi everyone! We are very close to relaunching the site and my awesome designer, Ro from Mommy Blog Designs is currently working very hard on making this happen really really soon! So if you are browsing around in the next couple of hours, you might see things move around a bit as the site will still be live while we do some fixes. I am soooo excited for this! I have waited for so long Mr. Jacob's Mom to have its own identity and look online. Will update ya'll again soon! Love, Mommy Roxi

Do's and Don'ts During Pregnancy

Today we welcome Katie Moore to post about the importance of prenatal care. I wanted to really post this early on especially during pregnancy awareness month but I got so busy! Read on Moms! Very important information here. Shared a few of my photos during pregnancy as well.

I came in for check-up and ultrasound as early as 4 weeks! I knew he was in me. :D

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience that many women are fortunate enough to experience at least once during life. Few days are morememorable or thrilling as the day a woman realizes she is expecting a baby - and the subsequent 40 weeks are filled with excitement and overwhelming emotions. When a woman is considering becoming pregnant or is already pregnant, she knows that there are many things she should and should not do during the course of her pregnancy. 

My big bump! I never missed my monthly appointments!

The first thing a woman should when she learns she’s expecting is call her OBGYN and make an appointment. Regular visits to the doctor are required for pregnant women and her doctor will provide her with a list of the different appointments she will have throughout the course of her pregnancy. It‘s imperative that expectant mothers attend all of their scheduled doctor appointments throughout their pregnancy. Pregnant women should adhere to a healthy diet that includes extra calories to keep her and her child nourished. She should also take prenatal vitamins, get moderate exercise and get a flu shot if it’s the season. READ MORE AFTER THE BREAK!

Wordless Wednesday: 6/13/2012

   And now he's walking. :)

Wordless Wednesday 06-06-12

 

Love these kind of moments. :)

And the winner is...

Results are in for my Mother's Day Giveaway from Mr. Jacob's Mom + Novica!

How the winner was picked out:
- I counted all the entries from each 'contestant'
- The person with the most entries submitted is the winner

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

ELOESITA VALDERAMA (144 total entries)

You will be receiving an e-mail from me!

Thanks to everyone who joined my first ever giveaway!

Special thanks to Potluck Giveaways for co-hosting the giveaway with me.

And of course, Novica for making this all possible.

Wait for my next giveaway ladies! :D

To My One Year Old

Dear Jacob,

I can't believe that you're already one! One! How time flies. I'm so scared that I might miss an amazing moment or milestone when I am asleep after a night long of work when you are up during the day.

I hope you're pretty much happy and content with the life we have for you right now. It may not be as glamorous as others, but we try to provide you with nothing but the best. That's why Mom is working those night hours!

You're such a happy baby except those times when you're being Mr. Cranky Pants like when you are teething or having 'growth spurts'.

I love it how you smile and giggle when you see yourself on a video. Even though you haven't exactly called me 'Mom/Mommy/Mama', I feel you calling for me when you say 'Dada' or 'Daddy'. I'm sure you want to say 'Mama' and 'Mommy' it's just a bit hard for you right now.

You've been wanting Mom next to you when you sleep lately. Thanks for making me feel that you love me so much! I can't ask for any other better feeling in the world. I pray that we continue to have a close relationship as you grow older.

I promise to teach you to be kind, patient, respectful, loving, loyal, compassionate, and most of all be God fearing and loving. I pray that I will be able to raise you in an environment where our family is closely-knit, where we are able to be honest and open.

Read our C-Section Birth Story here.

I hope that we can give you lots of siblings but Mom had a C-Section so that might be a little tough! But don't worry, Mom and Dad are here to be one of your bestest friends. Don't be afraid to come to us and ask questions.

We love you, Jacob!

Though we may not be the greatest example on being the best, we have learned through our years living that we have a lot of things to teach you about life, God, and how you can be the best that you can be.

I love you so much Jacob! You're the sweetest little boy in the world. Thanks for giving me lots of kisses! We have yet to practice hugs, but you're learning everyday.

I thank God every day that you were given to us. I thank Him that you are smart and a fast learner. For your age, you are already amazing everyone that knows you. I pray that you continue to be like that as you grow up and start school. We will guide you every step of the way.

Mom and Dad can't wait to make a lot more memories with you. Now if only I can get Dad to be vigilant about documenting every single one so we have more videos and pictures to show you!

Love you son! So so so much! Happy first year of life! :)

Always by your side,

Mom

Thrifty Mom in Me

One of the things I love doing while I visit my family in the US is of course, shopping! I find buying good to great quality clothes there cheaper than here in Manila. The bargains are endless. I know we have bazaars here or more known as 'tiangge'. But the quality seems to downgrade together with the price. But when I shop on vacation, I can get an amazing top for like $2!
Yes, I am not ashamed to say it. I shop at bargain stores. The more I can get out of my money, the better. I don't care if it's from Walmart or Macy*s or whatever brand at the mall. I'm a bit of a frugal shopper believe it or not. If it goes beyond $30, it better be so darn beautiful and that I can wear it no matter the weather.

It's not only for clothes that I try to spend wisely. Same goes for groceries or restaurants. My sister and I love looking for promo codes or coupons to save us some bucks. Actually, if I lived in NJ, I would have probably started a couponers club together with my BIL and sister.

I actually found a site that I will give you promo codes for any store that you can possibly think of. From Target to my favorite Kate Spade NY, they have it! PromotionCode.org is your go-to place. They publish the most up to date promo codes and coupons online so you don't miss out on any deal. The great thing about them is that you can subscribe to their daily mail letters so that if there are new deals that you might be interested in, you will be notified by e-mail instead of having to go back to the site to look for them.

I really wish we'd have something like this here in the Philippines so that people can actually save some money. The only thing that comes close to this are groupons and other sorts of coupons that are only for specific items/services/deals.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Do you use coupons? Where do you get them aside from your weekly mail? Share your thoughts below!

Renting vs. Owning a Home

Years before settling down, I've rented quite a few places that allows me to be either closer to school or closer to my then office. You see, we live very far. Not in a province as my friends would say it. But right smack at the border of Manila and the province of Bulacan. That being said, I would have to travel 1.5 to 2 hours every day just to get to school or work. This all depending with traffic which can get horrific with no warning.

Our condominium. We repainted it light blue.

So I had to rent out a condominium unit right by my school during college and then soon after graduating, rented out an apartment 5 minutes away from my first job.

Looking back, those were a lot of money spent on just having a roof over my head. But considering the rising gas prices and travel time, it seemed like the best option. After having to leave my first job due to health reasons, I moved in to our studio unit condominium in a well-known area in San Juan so that I didn't have to pay rent. Instead there were association dues and utility bills. READ MORE AFTER THE BREAK!

Mother's Day Novica Giveaway: Contest is Over!

Thanks to everyone who joined and religiously submitted their entries! I will announce the lucky winner tomorrow afternoon so stay tuned!

Also want to give my thanks to Potluck Giveaways for co-hosting and of course, Novica!