The Cutest Thing I Ever Ate: Panda Sushi ♥

Behold the cutest thing I ate this month ever! :D

I usually won't go anywhere far just for fancy or novel food, since we already have a whole lot of those in Quezon City (Hello, Banawe and Maginhawa Streets!). But when two of our friends messaged me and my Panda about a restaurant in Pasig which serves Panda Sushi...by all means, we went that weekend ASAP!

Takashi Japanese Cuisine is located in Pioneer Center in Pasig. It's owned by a young Japanese chef named Takashi, and not only does his restaurant serve authentic Japanese food, they also have a knack at presenting their dishes in a very creative way.

The set-up is simple, pleasant, and non-intimidating.

Panda Sushi (P280)*

salmon, tuna, kani

Say hello to these panda babies! They're sooo cute that even the lady who sat on the table beside us asked permission if she could take photos! In front, the pandas look cuddly, and at the back they're carrying their sashimi backpacks. OH MY! It was so difficult to start eating them, so we saved them for last. Haha!

My Panda and his pandas! :3

We both loved that the "backpacks" were thick and tasted fresh. We were expecting the rice to be plain, but it had flavor, even on its own. Price might seem steep considering it's just three pieces, but really, it's not everyday you see sushi as cute as this one so it's well worth it.

Karaage Curry (P220)*

My Panda ordered this dish since it looked really cute in the menu, but when our order arrived it had a weird mouth. XD It's supposed to look something like this:

As for the taste, the sauce was good, but we found the serving size of the meat a bit small.

Panda Sushi and Karaage Curry are part of their October specials.

Beef Yakisoba (P270)

with sizzling sauted noodles

Good for sharing. They didn't skimp on meat with this one, and my Panda loved the egg (from Japan!).

Salmon Teriyaki Maki Sushi (P240)

Fresh salmon drizzled with teriyaki sauce

This one's probably the most unique sushi we've tried so far. It had semi-cooked fatty salmon (love) on top, and raw salmon plus cream cheese inside (!!!). Unexpected combo, but it works!

If it were not for their October specials, we wouldn't have trekked all the way to Pasig just to eat. In the end, we're glad we did since we've discovered a new place to eat. There are a lot of affordable choices and this proves that you don't have to spend a lot to get authentic Japanese food. Next time we're around the area, we'd definitely revisit!

Takashi Japanese Cuisine

Pioneer Centre, Pioneer St. Brgy. Kapitolyo, 1600 Pasig, Philippines

Store hours: Monday-Sunday, 11:30-22:00

Phone: +63 905 510 9554

Email: takashirestaurant@gmail.com

FB: Takashi Japanese Restaurant

Love,

Helen

Underarm Revlite Laser at Skin House Mayon

One of the splurges I don't regret is having diode laser done to my underarms last year. It had made my life easier without the need to pluck, shave, or wax. I can wear sleeveless tops anytime, too! It's recommended that I get a touch up session done once a year to ensure hair reduction, but since underarm hair is no longer my top concern, so I decided to look into Revlite laser treatment instead - which aims to lighten my skin while zapping fine hairs altogether.

It was quite timely since Skin House Beauty and Laser Clinic invited me to try out their services earlier this month. Prior to having any treatment done, I always do my research and make sure that I'm going to a reputable clinic and that the procedure is safe. Skin House offers a wide array of non-invasive cosmetic procedures targeting the improvement of the face and body with quick and natural-looking results. They have two branches as of the moment: Quezon City and Pioneer. I'm happy that their Quezon City branch is located in Mayon, which is just a quick 15-minute drive from my house.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by their warm and friendly staff. Honestly, I never knew that such a posh clinic existed in Mayon, but I'm happy! As you can see, the room is bright, clean, and tidy.

Prior to having my Revlite laser done, I was asked if I were using any whitening product on my underarms. (I wasn't.) If I did, I would have to stop using the said product (whitening deodorant/cream) for 3 days and return to the clinic to resume treatment. Skin House prioritizes their client's safety over anything else, which I find commendable.

Revlite is a Q-Switched Nd:Yag laser with 1064 nm or 532 nm wavelength that uses non-invasive light energy to gently stimulate skin’s natural collagen.

Benefits of Revlite laser:

• Stimulates collagen production
• Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
• Lessens or improves pore size
• Evens out skin tone
• Removes skin pigmentation
• Regenerates the skin
• Improve acne scarring and skin texture

Ready for my Revlite laser!

My skin was prepped with a quick shave, and the nurse drew X and Y axis lines on the shadows of my armpits to serve as markers on where she'll focus the Revlite laser. She explained to me the process, and my eyes were covered during the entire procedure. The nurses had to wear protective glasses for their eyes as well.

To differentiate Revlite from diode laser, diode laser is used for hair reduction - particularly coarse hair, and it works best for those with light skin and dark hair.

On the other hand, Revlite laser is mainly used for skin rejuvenation and reduction of fine hair. It does not "see", which makes it work for all skin tones since it just passes safely through the upper layers to stimulate collagen beneath the skin without affecting the upper layers of the skin.

That was comforting to know, since the Revlite laser sounded as if it was burning my skin even if it really wasn't doing so. I felt the rubber band snapping sensation on my skin, but it was very tolerable. Since it was my first session, my skin was still delicate, hence she just did 2 passes before it began to show signs of redness. The number of passes increase during your next sessions, as your skin's tolerance for the laser becomes higher.

Hydrocortisone cream was applied to soothe my skin post-treatment. The mild redness is a normal reaction to the laser treatment which goes away in a short while. No/minimal downtime and definitely no irritations, based on my experience.

And now, for my unedited shameless kilikili selfies:

Before & After

Right underarm

Before & After

Left underarm

The before shots aren't bad, but they could use some improvement especially on the unsightly shadows. I was told that the underarm hairs would turn white and fall off within a week, but since I already had diode laser done, regrowth was extremely slow. The single visible (stubborn) hair strand on my right armpit indeed turned white fell off after 3 weeks, and the rest of the fine hairs also turned white and are barely noticeable. My skin felt a lot softer and smoother, too. Goodbye, chicken skin!

5 to 10 treatments of Revlite Laser are normally recommended for maximum results with intervals of 2-4 weeks between treatments. I'll be back for my second session in November, and will update you guys how it goes!

Skin House Beauty and Laser Clinic
2/F 170 Mayon St. Quezon City
09178987546 or (02)2543987

2/F 8006 Pioneer St. cor. United St. Kapitolyo, Pasig
09178290990 or (02)5424106

Clinic Hours:

Monday, Wednesday to Friday: 11AMto 8PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10AM to 7PM

Like Skin House Beauty and Laser Clinic on Facebook for more information.

Love,

Helen

Belle de Jour 2016 Power Planner + ALL Coupons Inside!

Getting my hands on the newest edition of the Belle de Jour Power Planner has been a yearly tradition for me. I've been a paying customer of theirs since 2009; that makes 8 years in a row! While this year's Starbucks planner enticed me so (it's Moleskine!), my love for BDJ always wins me over.

Check out my reviews for the previous BDJ editions:

Belle de Jour 2015 Power Planner
Belle de Jour 2014 Power Planner
Belle de Jour 2013 Power Planner

Belle de Jour 2012 Power Planner

 

I ordered online just last Tuesday night, and received my planner last Friday. TGIF! :D Just as last year, I started buying the one with the leather cover. First reason, I always wrap my previous spiral and smythe BDJ planners with plastic. Second, I feel that this design looks classier! I'm in love with the message this year: Be brave. Love deeply. Shine brighter. Since it's BDJ's 10th anniversary, I'm thrilled that they made the design metallic gold. Love love love. :3

As usual, I'll be sharing with you the inside pages! 

Your light is the strength that comes from your heart. Your thought begins it, your emotion amplifies it, and your action increases the momentum,

Promise, I will finally fill out my Dream Board this year! I'm excited to tick the items off my 2016 checklist already. And I'm loving the next big idea page as well.

Each month comes with a short but very useful article, together with a monthly view, and a weekly view.

This year's edition comes with a cute magnetic bookmark and a set of stickers to mark special dates.

Of course, I'll also share with you what's inside the separate Perks of a Bella coupon booklet that comes with the planner.

It comes with a Lifestyle Card which gives you additional perks from BDJ's brand partners, plus it's your access pass to their events throughout the year - my favorite being the BDJ Rendezvous!

So here are ALL the coupons inside (worth over P40,000!), so you can judge on whether the planner is worth it.

Coupons I think are good deals are from Ace Water Spa (buy 1 take 1 on a 4-hour hydrotherapy massage), Subic Grand Seas Resort, CBTL (as always!), Lenovo (10% off on desktops, laptops, or tablets!) which made me kind of sad since I bought a new Lenovo laptop just this year, Merrell (P500 off on any ladies footwear) for my next hike, The Face Shop, Jamba Juice, Food Panda (30% off on your order), Ace Sky Garden Steak House (buy 1 take 1 on USDA Choice Rib Eye), and Plana Forma (free 2 classes). The rest I don't really care much about, so if there's any coupon you're eyeing, I can share them with you!

Price: P680
Available online at ilovebdj.com
*On sale at P600 until October 25

Like Belle de Jour Power Planner on Facebook for more information.

Will you be also getting next year's BDJ planner? :D

Love,
Helen