The BF Homes Guide: Restaurants That Deliver During the Quarantine

Let's face it: the enhanced community quarantine has been hard on everyone. And while we are already aware that some people have it much harder than others, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't speak up about our own problems, no matter how shallow they may be compared to others.

One of the biggest hurdles that people in my village - BF Homes in Paranaque - has been facing during the ECQ is where to get food. If you live here, you'll know how accustomed people are to eating out since there are so many restaurants in the area. Truth is: work gets in the way and people are so busy that it has become the norm to order out to lessen the load at home.

What I've come to notice is that every time I post what I've ordered for the day on my social media accounts, people always ask where I got it from. So if you are in need of a list of restaurants that are delivering food in BF Homes, I've made a list. (I didn't include big places like McDonald's, KFC, Baliwag, Angel's Pizza, or Andok's - but they're open, too!)

Angus

09561580160

http://www.facebook.com/AngusManila

Photo from Angus' Facebook page.

My favorite pares place in BF delivers! This is actually the first restaurant I ordered food from when I got random cravings during the ECQ. Pares aside, they also have tapa, sisig, bagnet, and crispy bacon, to name a few. Their food here is sooooo good. Promise.

Azon's

09277326122

Photo from the BF Homes Facebook group.

Craving for lumpiang ubod or puto? Azon's has both and they're ALL delicious. I ordered these the other day and they didn't last very long. Lol. The Lumpiang Ubod (Php65) is super fresh and the Puto Pao with Salted Egg (Php150 for 8 pieces) tastes like siopao... but on puto. Basta. Sarap! Solid.

Bamba Bistro

09984659984

http://www.facebook.com/BambaBistro

Photo from Bamba Bistro's Facebook page.

Bamba Bistro has been around for the longest time and their longevity speaks volumes about their food. Order some Lechon Sliders during the quarantine. You deserve it.

Bicol's Best Toasted Siopao

Message Bemboi on Facebook for orders.

Photo from the BF Homes Facebook group.

If you're craving for toasted siopao (Box of 12: Php135, Box of 21: Php225, Box of 32: Php337), you can still get it delivered during the quarantine. Bicol's Best has even upped their game by adding other products to the delivery mix, including cheese donuts, pan de coco, monay (Php7 each), and pork siomai (3 for Php20).

Black Scoop Cafe

09166550636 / 09992991580

http://www.facebook.com/BSCBFHomesAguirre

Photo from Black Scoop Cafe's Facebook page.

I literally jumped for joy when I found out yesterday that Black Scoop Cafe delivers. If you have milk tea cravings, GET TO IT. My personal favorite is their Brown Sugar Latte.

Brunch

09064586791

http://www.facebook.com/Brunch.PH

Photo from Brunch's Facebook page.

Brunch is my go-to restaurant in BF for comfort food and if you haven't tried their food yet, now is the best time to fall in love with them. Believe me when I say that EVERYTHING on their menu is good. You won't go wrong with anything that you order. Tried and tested.

Dusadee Thai

09267263091

http://www.facebook.com/DusadeeThai

Photo from Dusadee Thai's Facebook page.

Although the taste of the food here is catered more to the Filipino palate, Dusadee Thai has good food made of authentic Thai ingredients. Their Bagoong Rice meals with pork, chicken, or fish (Php120) will fill you up nicely. Their Tomyum with noodles (Php150) isn't too spicy in case you don't like spiciness. They've got Thai Iced Tea (Php60) and Mango Sticky Rice (Php110), too.

Ianne's Kitchen

Message Ianne on Facebook for orders.

Photo from the BF Homes Facebook group.

Satisfy your lasagna cravings by ordering a pan from Ianne's Kitchen (Php420 - Php1,650). They have pans good for 2 people and pans good for 18 people, depending on your needs.

Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen

http://www.facebook.com/MamaLous

Photo from Mama Lou's Facebook page.

Mama Lou's needs no introduction. It is practically a household name. They're offering hot meals and frozen home-cooked meals for delivery during the quarantine. Check out their Facebook page for more details.

Mambo Chicken

09178816626

http://www.facebook.com/MamboChickenPH

Photo from Mambo Chicken's Facebook page.

I haven't tried their food yet and from what I've understood, they just opened recently? But they've got Korean fried chicken, tteokpokkji, and japchae, and that's good enough for me!

Mandarin Palace

09452830647

http://www.facebook.com/MandarinPalace.PH

Our go-to family get-together restaurant delivers now, too - perfect for my upcoming birthday celebration, if you ask me. :p I almost fainted when I heard the news. And my dad got so excited, we're ordering for lunch tomorrow. If you love Chinese food, this is the place to get it from. The entire family will love it - guaranteed!

Picada Tapeo Ristorante

09568053676

http://www.facebook.com/PicadaTapeo

Photo from Picada Tapeo Ristorante's Facebook page.

If you're craving for Spanish food, their food is reeeeeally good. I highly recommend their Gambas (Php332), Salpicao (Php352), Patatas Bravas (Php252), and Paella. If you have wine at home despite the current liquor ban, their food will go perfectly well with it.

Ritchie's Diner

09218623249 / 09751788161

http://www.facebook.com/RitchiesDinerPhilippines

Photo from Ritchie's Diner's Facebook page.

Craving for diner style fare? Ritchie's has also been around for a while and although I love their ambiance, we'll have to do with eating their delicious food at home for now. My personal favorite is their Steak and Eggs, but they've also got a bunch of other comfort food like mac 'n' cheese and milkshakes.

Rock's Deli

Message Juan on Facebook for orders.

Photo from Rock Deli's Facebook page.

Longganisa, hot dog, corned beef, luncheon meat, bacon, ham, nuggets, patties, tapa, tocino, sausage - they've got it.

Romanos Kitchen

Message Trish on Facebook for orders.

Photo from the BF Homes Facebook group.

Want actual home-cooked meals that vary day by day? Romano's Kitchen offers daily meals good for 3 to 5 people.

Sensei

09162191412

http://www.facebook.com/SenseiPH

Photo from Sensei's Facebook page.

Bruce Ricketts' masterpiece and a crowd favorite, Sensei delivers their Japanese food now, too! Take note that they only accept payment through BDO bank deposit or PayPal, though. Fortunately, I have the latter. :D

Shabunoki

09159342379 / 09173219476

http://www.facebook.com/SHABUNOKI

Photo from Shabunoki's Facebook page.

If you're craving for samgyup or shabu shabu, YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. Yes, Shabunoki delivers, guys. Believe it.

Shima Japanese Restaurant

83174103

http://www.facebook.com/ShimaRestaurantPH

Photo from Shima's Facebook page.

If you're craving for Japanese food, one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the area delivers! Again: can't go wrong with anything on their menu. And if you're already a Japanese food lover, then I really don't need to make any recommendations. You probably already know what you want.

Syudad by Barrio Fiesta

09271385901

Photo from the BF Homes Facebook group.

Want quick ready-to-eat meals? Check out Syudad by Barrio Fiesta. Just heat and serve!

Tav Express

77527410

http://www.facebook.com/TavExpress

Photo from Tav Express' Facebook page.

Although I practically live in Tavern Asia, I don't really frequent Tav Express; but if you're looking for breakfast staples and pulutan staples. Perfect for the lucky few who still have a stock of beer at home.

VMJ Meatshop

09165509962

Photo from the BF Homes Facebook group.

You can get Crispy Fried Chicken, Crispy Pata, Crispy Ulo, Lechon Kawali, Crispy Tenga, and Crispy Batok Slice delivered to your doorstep as needed!

Won Chicken

09567660466

http://www.facebook.com/WonChicken

Photo from Won Chicken's Facebook page.

A new Korean discovery for me near our place, Won Chicken is located next to Baliwag in the street in front of Pitong Daan. It may be hard to find, but you can get their food delivered to you now for the utmost convenience. Their chicken aside, they also have ssamgyeop (Php400), Korean ramen (Php250), and kimchi pancakes (Php350). Their mandu is good, too.

Stay safe and stay at home, guys. Get your food delivered instead if you need to. Let me know if I missed any, so I can add them to the list! :)

14 Relationship Lessons I Learned from 'Terrace House: Boys and Girls in the City'

I'm a bit late to the party; but now that I've started watching 'Terrace House', I can't stop. There have been two people in my life who kept pushing me to watch it, but I never did... until someone talked about it so passionately one night that I finally gave in. Lo and behold! I finished watching 'Boys and Girls in the City' in just two days... and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

It's actually really interesting because despite having grown up all around the world, I never really noticed how differently different cultures approach dating, friendships, and relationships. This only became evident to me after watching this season of 'Terrace House' and seeing a different culture deal with it from an outsider's perspective.

Read about this very 'Terrace House'-like resort here.

To be honest, there is a lot to be taken away from 'Terrace House', but here are some of key takeaways everyone should consider:

14 Relationship Lessons I Learned from 'Terrace House: Boys and Girls in the City'

It's okay to date multiple people at the same time as long as you're open about it.

In Episode 5, Uchi asks out all of the girls in the house on dates and none of the girls get offended by it. Let's face it: if that had happened here in the Philippines, he would have automatically been labeled as a fuckboy. In the show, although they may have thought it was weird, everyone understood that he wanted to get to know all of the girls better - and what better way to do that than by going on a date with each of them?

This made so much sense to me and I never understood why people are usually painted in a bad light for dating several people at the same time (hey, Archie Andrews!) Honestly, it's only a problem if you hide the fact that you are; but if you're open about your dating situation, then there really shouldn't be any problem.

Some plans won't push through, and that's okay.

Uchi planned to take Yuriko to an aquarium for their date, but it was closed. And you know what he did? Although he was bummed about it, he didn't mope or complain or bitch about it all night. Instead, he took her out someplace else and they had a good time anyway. Take notes, guys. Take notes.

If it is beyond your control and you did everything in your power to make it happen but it still didn't, that is completely okay. Stop beating yourself up about it and don't ruin the rest of the night. Move on (quickly!) and make the most of what you can.

Don't talk about your friends behind your back.

I'm looking at you, Makoto. When a friend tells you something in confidence, keep that shit to yourself. I can't even count how many times Makoto told someone something that someone else told him in confidence. This is why people have trust issues, man. They might not spell it out for you every time, but that sort of thing should really be a given.

In fact, unless it's your best friend or your sole confidante, don't meddle in other people's business, no matter what you see, hear, or read. If you absolutely feel the need to meddle, talk to the actual person involved. Basics.

When you realize you don't like someone, tell them straight up.

A lot of people that I know beat around the bush when they realize they don't like a person in that way. They still reply to them. They still entertain them. They still accept their gifts. Sometimes, they do this because they like the attention. Other times, they do it because they don't know how to end it. Sometimes, they're just bored and want to keep someone interested until someone better comes along. This leaves the other party holding out hope for absolutely nothing. And that is completely unfair.

If you realize that you don't like someone, whether that's even before you go on a first date or if it's on the fifth date or even on the tenth date; man up and tell them straight up. Don't waste their time. And don't waste yours. Minori told Makoto she was no longer interested after she realized that he still liked her (he gave her running shoes). If you don't have any intentions of seeing it through, be fair to other people. And man, don't be a lil pussy bitch and ghost them. Grow some balls.

Exes are exes for a reason.

Do. Not. Try. To. Get. Back. Together. With. Them. I am looking at you, Yuriko.

There's nothing wrong with admitting how you feel early on.

This happens a lot in 'Terrace House'. A lot of the members decide that they like someone early on - and they tell them early on, as well. After all, why shouldn't they? Life's too short to beat around the bush. And when they admit their feelings and the other person doesn't feel the same way, it's completely fine. At least they know and they can move on. Simple.

On the other hand, if the other person ends up being interested,  too, then at least they know they're on the same wavelength and can decide where to go from there. Just because you both like each other doesn't necessarily mean you'll be dating exclusively right away. But at least you'll know where you stand and you'll know that there are intentions there. That there's potential. And when you're ready to take things further, don't be afraid to drop loud hints - via omurice or other ways. No fucking mind games.

Don't lead people on.

On that note, don't lead people on. As mentioned earlier, tell people how you feel straight up. Don't keep going on dates with them, especially if you already know that they're interested in you. And for God's sake, don't hold their hand and hug them and prepare lunch for them and basically give them false signals. ARMAN DESERVED BETTER THAN THAT, ARISA.

Always talk about your problems.

And this pertains to both friendships and romantic relationships. One of the things I absolutely love about 'Terrace House' is how they don't just whisper behind each other's backs and leave issues to rot. They really put their issues out there and confront them head-on.

When Minori and Uchi were having problems communicating, they talked about it and figured things out. When there were issues between Minori and Nacchan, there was a whole house meeting to discuss it. And let's not forget the whole meat issue! LOL. Communication, kids. It's important. Understanding and forgiveness, too.

Effort goes a long way.

Another thing that I love about 'Terrace House' is how much effort people put into things to show others that they care. Be it a birthday party, where everyone is present; or making special Valentine's cookies; or making farewell gifts; or cooking and preparing lunch for a date out; it's admirable how they put effort into making people feel loved and thought about. They even take time off to help each other out at work.

Age is just a number.

People here in the Philippines seem to care about age a lot. I know a lot of people who judge other people by their age because they seem to think that a person's age reflects their level of maturity. This is definitely not the case as seen in 'Terrace House'.

Despite only being 18 when this season came out, Hikaru proved that he is much more mature than his age, listening to people's advice and apologizing when he needs to.

Respect your relationships.

I have come to find that a lot of my guy friends here in Manila use the excuse "wala naman siya dito" to flirt with other women. The 'Terrace House' people aren't like that. In fact, Han-san even cancelled a fishing trip just because he had once told his girlfriend that he would take her fishing. He took her feelings into consideration despite her not being there and also made sure that he wouldn't be leading any girls on in the process.

Stay true to yourself.

How many times have you pretended to be someone you're not just to impress someone you liked? That seems to be an ongoing trend with some people that I know. The things is: how can you find the perfect person for you if you keep changing your personality to make others happy?

Don't have the same relationship views as someone you're dating? Don't force yourself onto someone who doesn't have the same values as you. It's better to find things out and tell them early on than to keep dating them and wasting both of your time.

Give people a chance sometimes.

LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING. Even if you might not be attracted to how a person looks, it wouldn't hurt to go out with them and test the waters to see if there is something beneath the surface. If Martha hadn't gone out with Arman despite being more attracted to Hayato, they never wouldn't have ended up in a relationship together. (They were in a long distance relationship for quite a while even after the show aired.)

And lastly.....

Don't try to lie or hide things from your friends.

They. Will. Always. Find. Out. :p

Are you a 'Terrace House' fan, too? Who's your favorite house member so far and which season is your favorite? Let's geek out together!!!

The New Generation

We live in a generation where people can comment on everything that they see you do, where people will have an opinion on everything that they encounter, and where people tend to judge other people based on the things that they hear. Nobody cares about the other side of the story anymore. No one gives a fuck about the truth. They live on gossip, on hearsay, and on 'tea'.

We meet so many new people everyday: at work, in school, at events, on social media; and so many people know so much more about us than they should just by stalking and scrolling. Gone are the days when you sit down with someone to find out their life story. Gone is the generation when you'd have to make legit plans with someone to find out what they've been up to lately.

Because of this, we've become so focused on other people, as well - on what they're doing, on how we compare with them, and on what they think. We seek validation. We seek opinions. We sometimes forget to think for ourselves.

When we post something, it's to show people sides of ourselves that we want them to see. We post things to make parinig. We post things to make people laugh. But what we forget is that there are so many other layers behind what you see online.

As impressive as people might be on the web or as notorious as people might sound through the mouths of other people, you need to remember that other people's opinions of you (or their opinions on other people close to you) shouldn't matter.

This is why I always give people a chance, no matter what other people might say about them. I like to form opinions on people I meet based on my own personal experiences with them as opposed to the experiences of other people with them. If I hadn't done this, I never would have met my current best friend.

It also isn't healthy to judge people based on their past because people change and people grow... well, some of them, anyway. I can attest to the fact that I am definitely not the same person that I was 10 years ago, 5 years ago, or even last year.

Give people the chance to show you that they are kind, caring, loving, and pure. Give them the chance to show that they're sincere. Give them the chance to prove that they aren't what other people say they are. Sure, there will be some bad apples in the bunch who really are as rotten to the core as people claim; but there are also those who actually have a good heart.

Everyone has a deeper side that they only show to special people. You could be that special person to them and you could discover something out of this world that you would have missed out on if you had listened to what others say.

Get to know people yourself. Make your own impressions. Judge them on how they treat you. Let's face it: we never treat people equally. We build up walls for the world that special people can break down. We choose the people we share intimate stories with. We only tell the truth to those who deserve it. So never judge people based on what you hear or read. Get to know them yourself and let your own mind and heart decide what kind of person they are.

If things go to shit - and yes, a lot of people will let you down - at least you can chalk it up to experience; but you'll never reach the stars if you don't take that leap first.

What It Is to Burn

A few weeks ago, I wrote about cherophobia and how every time I feel happy, things come crashing down soon thereafter. (Read the blog post here.) Well, that time has come.

Like fucking clockwork, everything has come crashing down. Things at home have been incredibly stressful. I have been needing to drink more meds than usual. My productivity at work has been at an all-time low. I feel like I spend more time on hospital beds than my own. I have cut ties with friends I really thought were for keeps. I found out that the guy that I was seeing and was over-the-top in-like with actually has a girlfriend - plus other side chicks. And to top it all off, I discovered a lump that is currently being monitored.

But we'll get to the lump another time. Right now, I'd like to talk about the douchebag who broke my heart. Because yes, boost your ego if you must: you broke it.

I think the biggest reason why this fallout is hitting me so hard is because I never actually used to open up to guys. At all. Or even to people, in general. Even in long-term relationships and friendships, I have trouble talking about my problems - problems at home, problems at work, problems with friends, and most especially problems with mental health. But you made opening up feel so easy. And you gave the best advice.

As such, losing you makes me feel like I lost my therapist, my best friend, my lover, and my happy pill all at once. Honestly, no one has made me laugh as hard as you have - so hard that I'd find tears in my eyes and sometimes even clutch my stomach in mini-pain.

I still can't grasp how you do what you do - juggling several girls at once. Call me old-fashioned; but even when I'm not in a proper relationship and just in the landian stage, I can't bring myself to juggle several guys at once. And it's not even just about the morals. I mean, where do you find the time to do that?

How do you find the time to spend your days with someone, say good night to them, and then spend your late nights and early mornings on the phone with me? Because we'd talk for hours... until 4AM or 5AM, even. I was so tired (but happy) and always felt assured that you didn't have time for anyone else because of it.

And the effort that you put in? I haven't even had long-term boyfriends put in as much effort into our relationship as you have. Commuting for hours and really finding some sort of way to see me. Cancelling curfews, putting off family time, skipping work, ditching friends, waiting for me to get home from a night out before going to bed... Your consistent messages everyday from morning til night and the phone calls and video calls every single night...

You've met my freaking daughter, damn you! You've met my friends. And I've met yours. I've even talked to your workmates over the phone. Were they all in on it? Are they all horrible people? Will I forever have to semi-hate them the way I semi-hate you? Will I forever distrust people now? Because honestly, you seemed so sincere and kind and like one of the good guys. But they're right. You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I don't even know how to judge people anymore because of you.

You even told me you love me - several times! - and I thank God I never said it back. But still... how can you just throw around words like that as if they mean nothing? How can you play with women's feelings the way that you do? And I know for a fact that I wasn't your only side chick, either. I feel sorry for your girlfriend. I feel sorry for all of the other girls you're stringing along. And I feel sorry for you.

And as the spoiled cherry on top of an already fucked up sundae, you even asked me to stay despite finding out I was just one of your side chicks. As if all of our conversations about my morals and values meant absolutely nothing. As if you hadn't learn anything at all about what kind of person I now am (I say 'now' because I do admit to having made mistakes back in the day). As if everything I've ever said never fucking mattered.

Maybe you're still a child, after all. Despite all of our conversations about maturity, you've gone and proven to be everything I've hated in a person, and I hate myself for not having seen that sooner.

You got me good, I have to admit. You fooled me well. Just as you're fooling all of the other women that are still in your life. And I'm surprised that I didn't lash out on you or scream at you or at least slap you once across the face. I'm surprised that I feel less than I should be feeling. And I'm surprised that I'm bouncing back faster than I expected.

Maybe it's the fact that my heart is slowly turning to stone or maybe it's the fact that I'm realizing that the conversations aside, we really had nothing in common... and you were definitely lacking in one particular aspect that I usually hold to the highest regard.

While I admittedly had one night of weakness in which I tried to call you and another night of weakness riddled in things I thought I would never touch again; I am okay. I will be okay. And I will learn to trust someone again when the time comes. But for now, I will have to hate Red Horse, staycations, and Magic Mike for a while.