boudin

When in San Francisco, don't miss out on the New England style Clam Chowder. That's their specialty. If you go there and skip the chowder, don't even tell people you went to San Francisco. LOL! Kidding!

If you're looking for the original and classic Clam Chowder, go to Boudin Bakery. They have the finest Clam Chowder and your money won't go to waste. :)

Ugh, ohmygosh, just looking at the picture makes me want to go back to San Francisco. *cries* 

The sourdough bread is perfect and I like it cause the serving is big.. Which can satisfy my tummy! 

The soup itself won't fool you. There's lots of clams! Unlike the Chowders they serve here in Manila, which is full of cheap potatoes. 

Pier 39, Space 5-Q, 

San Francisco, CA

View more branches here.

{Mikaela}

mama's

When we went back to San Francisco and stayed there for a few more days, my cousin suggested to have breakfast at Mama's. You have to wait in line before you can go inside the restaurant and start ordering. Oh and, while you're in line, near the door, there'll be a menu on your right, so you better start choosing what to order.

I ordered hot cocoa (which was deliriously sweet and good), classic Eggs Benedict and fresh fruits. 

The Eggs Benedict was perfection. You can see the yolk oozing and the grilled potatoes were pretty good too. :) 

1701, Stockton Street, 

San Francisco, CA

United States

{Mikaela}

new found discovery ; roy roger's

While on our way back to New Jersey, we stopped over at Cumberland for lunch. I actually liked that service plaza compared to the others in the Pennsylvania Turnpike. 

Image source; http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/srvcplaza/cumberland.aspx

It's modern and VERY clean. There's Roy Rogers, Starbucks, Auntie Anne's, Hershey's Ice Cream, a convenience store and a gas station beside it. 

This is what I got. And since my appetite is like the Americans', I finished everything. 

The fried chicken is the best of the best. Soo tender and the skin isn't oily. Unlike the chicken here in Manila. The fries was perfect. Soft with a hint of crispiness. The sandwich there is actually a fish sandwich. My dad didn't like it, but I did. So he ordered another 8 pieces so we can share with my aunts and uncles. I WAS IN HEAVEN WITH THE CHICKEN. :) 

{Mikaela}

pittsburgh, pennsylvania

We arrived Pittsburgh at 2 in the afternoon, sunday. We checked in Holiday Inn Select which is inside the  University of Pittsburgh campus. I must say Pittsburgh is a city with character. Although I found it a bit too confusing cause there were old houses and modern buildings there... So, I didn't really know if they want their city to be called as modern or old-fashioned (in a good way).

This is the skyline of Pittsburgh. I took this before our water boat tour around the river. It's amazing how Pittsburgh itself has 446 bridges! Ohmy!

{Mikaela}

a day in hershey's chocolate world, pa

We drove out to Pennsylvania last May 18. Mainly cause we wanted to attend my aunt Abby's graduation at University of Pittsburgh, PA. And mainly because, we wanted to go to the Hershey Chocolate World at Hershey, PA!

Our itinerary was from New Jersey, we headed to Lancaster Country to take a tour at the Amish Farm. It was nice, well, I liked their one-room school anyway. Had a simple lunch at Applebee's, then headed to Hershey. (it will just take you 45 mins. to an hour from Lancaster to Hershey) We checked in our hotel first then off to chocolate land!

The coolest thing about my trip to Hershey Chocolate World was I WAS ABLE TO MAKE MY OWN HERSHEY BAR AND DESIGN IT!!!!! COOL YEAH? 

This is the Hershey Bakeshoppe. I wanted to buy one of each of everything but since I didn't live in the US, it was hard cause if I left, no one will eat them. Disadvantages of not living there. :( 

For dinner at the Hershey food court, everyone got the plain old drinks while I wanted mine with a twist! I ordered the Frozen Cocoa! It was heavenly! Not to sweet as I expected it to be, lovely indeed! 

251 Park Boulevard, 

Hershey, PA

United States

{Mikaela}

m&m world

Ever since I was 10, I fell in love with the M&M World in Times Square. From clothes, to slippers, to figurines, they have everything M&M there! Well, duh, you're in M&M World but... Yeah! Talk about happiness!

You can make your own M&M mix by choosing from those. And no, they're only about 1/4 of what you are going to see when you're there! 

I got my own M&M mixes. (From L-R) My own M&M mix, the coconut flavored M&M's (which is not available in the Philippines) and then the NYC special Spring mix! Colorful lovelies.. 

1600 Broadway, 

New York City, NY

United States 

{Mikaela}

mcdonald's

I know this is just the plain old McD but I like the Mcdonald's in the US waaay more than the one here in Manila. They have more choices, more kinds of Mcflurry, most importantly. :)

See that?! Mmm! 

They still have the M&M Mcflurry and white meat chicken nuggets! Let me tell you, the white meat chicken nuggets is even softer than the normal chicken nuggets. And the M&M Mcflurry... They used to have that here in the Philippines and now, it's nowhere to be found here. What happened?! 

{Mikaela}

magnolia bakery

I can finally cross something off my bucket list! And that is... "Eat cupcakes and cakes from Magnolia Bakery"! Happy girl I am! Enough talking, I can't wait to show you guys the cupcakes!

We bought the red velvet cupcake, red velvet cheesecake cupcake, vanilla buttercream and chocolate cupcake. 

Believe it or not, I tried and ate almost everything. LOL! The red velvet cupcake was just perfect. I am speechless. The vanilla buttercream was a bit too sweet and the chocolate cupcake was also perfect! It wasn't too sweet, the frosting wasn't too sweet either! 

1240 6th Avenue, 

New York, NY 

{Mikaela}

shake shack

We spent two days in New York City. For our lunch in day 1, we had it at.... SHAKE SHACK! 
Ohmyword! I can live inside Shake Shack! Here's what I got in my tray...

I got the Cheese Fries, Cheeseburger and Sprite for drinks. I can actually live inside Shack Shack! 

Ohmy, everything was perfect! The only thing missing in my tray was the frozen custard. I regret not trying the coconut cake frozen custard. The only reason why I didn't get that was because the flavor sounded awkward. :( 

691 8th Avenue, 

Southwest corner of 8th Avenue & 44th Street 

New York City, NY 

{Mikaela}

nyc

I have to be honest with you, I don't like the lifestyle in New York. I don't like how people there are always in a hurry, I don't like how the NYPD's and NYFD's sirens are always blaring when all you want is just a peaceful afternoon in the Central Park. But let's not talk about the negative stuff anymore, let's talk about the good things in NYC cause who knows, maybe there are LOTS of good things that I haven't discovered yet. :)

This is the St. Patrick's Cathedral. I think I want to go to church here. It looks so gothic and old! I'm happy that the church is for Roman Catholics because the nice churches in the United States are for the Presbyterians and Episcopal. :( One more reason why I like the church is because it is just in 5th Avenue. Talk about convenience! 

Abercrombie and Fitch is also one of the main reasons why I love New York. The flagship store is in the 5th Avenue! Ohgosh, just a block away from St. Patrick's Cathedral! 

Sadly, I can't help but talk about something that made my head explode.. The Subway stations. 

So confusing! So many signs, so many words. I wish they could just keep it simple. :( 

{Mikaela}

conquering the east coast

Last May 11, my mom and I met up with my dad at the SFO domestic airport to fly out to JFK (read: New York City). We took the red eye flight, which i hate the most cause if you don't sleep in the plane, you won't survive the whole day in the place you're going to. Especially if you'll be seating in the economy seats of Virgin America, how will YOU be able to sleep? Anyhow, we arrived New York at 7:10 am and my godfather was already waiting for us. We headed straight to New Jersey, had breakfast at IHOP, went home and took a quick bath. For lunch, we had it at Mitsuwa, a Japanese market/food court in Edgewater, NJ. I ordered their jumbo shrimp tempura and had a soft served ice cream afterwards. :) 

I didn't get to take any pictures cause the table was crowded and I was hungry. So, please forgive me for that. LOL! 

After lunch, my godfather drove further in the town of Edgewater and Weehawken to take pictures of the NY skyline. The sky was so blue which made the skyline beyond beautiful.. 

See what I'm talking about? Oh gosh, I miss New York even though I endlessly told my parents how I hated the noise and fast-paced lifestyle the state has. 

At night, this is how the skyline looks like... 

          Gorgeous. 

{Mikaela}

denny's

When in California, you better eat breakfast at Denny's. Believe me, waking up early for Denny's is very very worth it. :) Me, my mom, uncles, aunt and cousins ate there for breakfast. We all came out with big, happy tummies!

They serve goldfish crackers so that you can munch on something while doing the hardest thing in your life... Choosing what to order. 

For drinks, i get their Orange juice. It fared pretty well, it was sweet! 

And now, let's talk about the real deal. I got the... 

Strawberries and Creme! 

I swear to God, they have the BEST pancakes ever! It had white chocolate chips mixed in and it was soooo fluffy! And, topped with fresh strawberries and whipped creme?! PERFECT. :) 

The sides included were... 

Two sunny-side ups, hash brown (it looks different but it's the best. not too greasy!) and two sausages. 

Can you believe it? I FINISHED EVERYTHING! I finished every single thing that was on both plates. Ohmy, I will start jogging and working out this June. 

4823, Lone Tree Way, 

Antioch, CA 

United States 

{Mikaela}

korea house

On our second day, we had our late lunch at Korea House. And I must warn you, this restaurant has THE BEST Korean food! Since it was a Saturday, we were offered the lunch meal. You have lots and lots to choose from, but I stick with the traditional... Kal bi!

Mmm! Kal bi is Korean for barbecued rib, by the way. :) 

Smokin' yummy! 

Like I said earlier, it was a lunch set so here's what the Kal Bi came with... 

Jasmin rice, vegetable tempura, salad and noodles! I only touched the rice though... 

1835, Willow Pass Road, 

Concord, CA

United States 

{Mikaela}

reasons why I love san francisco: pleasant hill

Pleasant Hill is also located in the East Bay, just right before Walnut Creek. I must say the community there is very.. Well, pleasant and quiet. I'm not here to talk about the place, I just want to talk about cupcakes and frozen yogurt. :)

After our lunch in Korea House (i'll be blogging about that after this), in Concord, we headed straight to a cupcake shop in Pleasant Hill.

Sinful Bliss cupcakes. See those?! They have a wide array of cupcakes to choose from! But we all know that we can't buy everything, can we? 

So here's the bunch that we got... 

We got two tie-dye cupcakes, two red velvet cupcakes, one chocolate chip cupcake and a chocolate chocolate cupcake! Want to know how they fare?

• Red Velvet - The cupcake itself was a bit too crumbly but the cream cheese frosting was heaven! The frosting has small crystal sugars in it! Yum! 
• Tie Dye - Now this is my favorite. From the frosting to the cupcake itself, PERFECT! 
• Chocolate Chocolate - I love chocolate, but the cupcake was just too sweet. :( 
• Chocolate Chip - This one tastes pretty good though. Just like cookie dough! 

35D, Crescent Drive, 

Pleasant Hill, CA

United States 

Since we wanted to save the cupcakes and try them until we get home, I saw a yogurt shop next door. And since I looove yogurt, I just HAD to try it!  

Coco Swirl is probably my second favorite, next to Pinkberry of course. 

Their plain yogurt is not too sour, which I really like cause some of the frozen yogurts here in Manila are such rip offs. Since I love sprinkles, I just had to put both kinds! The rainbow and the chocolate. 

Therefore, I AM IN HEAVEN, kiddos! 

35E, Crescent Drive, 

Pleasant Hill, CA

United States 

{Mikaela}

panera bread

So my aunt has been talking about this bakery for quite a time now and every time we visit the US, we tend to forget to eat there. :( But this time, since my aunt and my cousins were there the same time as us, we had snacks there and I love it! I will redeem my privilege card later in their website, by the way. LOL!

Here's why I fell in love with Panera Bread... 

SEE THOSE BIG COOKIES ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT PICTURE? *drools then dies* LOL! 

But since I can't eat all of those... Here's what I got...

Candy cookie (read: M&M's!) and mini Orange juice. Delish! 

Thank you Panera Bread, for making my afternoon. 

5897 Lone Tree Way,

Antioch, CA 

United States 

{Mikaela}

an afternoon in uc berkeley

My first time to visit UC Berkeley(read: UC means University of California) was the year 2010 and I quickly fell in love with the campus. It's very open, full of trees that are really green and lush, and needless to say, the environment makes it very conducive to study. :)

I was so proud of my older cousins who live in the US and got accepted in UC's! One is studying in UC Davis(located in Sacramento and the largest UC campus) and the other one got accepted in UC Berkeley!

Anyhow, I would like you to see the famous Campanile(Sather Tower) inside the campus where when you're at the top, you'll see the wonderful panoramic view of the town of Berkeley and a part of Oakland!

The picture on the left, that's the Campanile! And those three pictures on the right, 

that's the view from the tower. Beautiful, isn't it??

{Mikaela}

reasons why I love san francisco: berkeley

I love Berkeley from the bottom of my heart. That town has so much trees, character, and I don't know, I just actually feel good about that place. Although I hate how Oakland and Berkeley are so close to each other I don't even know how to distinguish if I'm already in another town. Anyhow, last eleventh of May, we decided to eat lunch at Fenton's (the ice cream parlor from Up). So we picked my cousin up from his dorm, then headed straight to Piedmont Avenue!

I ordered their Shimp Po-Boy and the Oreo sundae since I love Oreo. :) 

The sandwich fared just fine but what I really loved was the sundae since Fenton's is actually known for it's lots of different kinds of ice cream. Yummy ice cream, I'm telling you! 

Across the restaurant, you'll see their souvenir shop. It's actually very nostalgic inside and bad news, I didn't take a picture cause I was too busy swooning over everything inside. It's like a time capsule there! 

4226 Piedmont Avenue, 

Oakland CA

{Mikaela}

ferry building

Now let's take a closer look to what really is inside the Ferry Building!

So here's what I got for lunch, and my godmother and I chose Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick. 

I love it! Their menu is so cheesy! And by cheesy, I mean REALLY full of cheese! LOL 

I ordered their Mac&Cheese and I was quite glad that they used Penne instead of the usual you can see in a Kraft box. I ordered their Raspberry Spritzer(read: Italian Soda) and it was really good! I love everything with -berry in the end! 

And of course, I can't leave the Ferry Building without eating anything sweet! So here's what I got. 

Cookie dough gelato from Ciao Bella.. It was really good! I liked it cause it was sweeeeet! There are so many flavors to choose from, which will give you a headache though. Don't say I didn't warn you... :) 

{Mikaela}

reasons why I love san francisco

Hi everyone! So, i just came back awhile ago from my nearly-one-month vacation in the United States. If you're wondering where in the world I have been, right now would be the perfect time. So i flew out to San Francisco last May 3, then I flew to New York last May 11, then my family drove to Pennsylvania from New Jersey! Get that? Hahaha, okay anyways, I'm here to talk about why i just simply LOVE San Francisco.

I've been going there since I was 2 years old. And since the year 2000, I fell in love with that precious city by the bay. I love how cold San Francisco is all year round, I love how charming the city is, I love how it's full of character.

Here are some pictures I would like to share with all of you!

(taken via Instagram) 

That's the view from Lombard Street(the most crooked street in the world, as they say). 

If you're a photographer and looking for a wonderful photo spot, the top of Lombard Street will do! 

Although I do suggest that someone should drive you down the street. It's worth the experience! 

(taken via Instagram) 

Now this is the Japanese Tea Garden, located inside the Golden Gate Park. It's amazing how they were

able to put a peaceful garden amidst in a very busy city. 

If you can see the picture on the bottom right, that's the bridge that makes the Tea Garden famous. 

Mind you, I climbed that very veeeery steep bridge wearing a dress. :| Imagine how hard that was for me but it was worth the try! 

(taken via Instagram) 

Now this is the Ferry Building/Embarcadero/Port of San Francisco. This is my favorite place in San Fran! Inside the building, there are lots and lots of food stalls to choose from. You can eat inside the building or if you're outdoorsy, you can choose to stay outside and just feel the fresh air!

(taken via Instagram) 

This is the Oakland Bay Bridge which connects the San Francisco area to the Bay Area(read: Berkeley, Oakland, etc) I honestly like this bridge better than the ever-famous Golden Gate Bridge because this bridge leads to Antioch, where my godmother stays and where we "live" every time we take a visit. I love everything about the Bay Area! 

{Mikaela}