Food Trip: Thai Me Up Restaurant

Residents of Cagayan de Oro were introduced to the delectable Thai culinary culture upon the opening of Thai Me Up restaurant late last year. Since then, it has been  a must-visit dining hub among friends, families and those on a vacation in CDO. The small function room is where some business meetings, social gatherings and lectures are held.

During one of my visits, I took pictures and made some observations. The marketing strategies of the establishment are undoubtedly good, but is it worth all the hype?

Strong Points:

Parking Space

Being located in a 2,000 square meters lot, they took efforts to provide a spacious and secure parking area. I appreciate restaurants that keep the comfort of their customers in mind. Their location is in a busy street where jeepneys rush by and then stop abruptly in the middle of the street. It's a good thing to dine without worrying what's happening to your vehicle outside.

[caption id="attachment_2443" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Pork Spare Ribs Php170"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2445" align="aligncenter" width="235" caption="Bagoong Fried Rice Php 150"][/caption]

No Brownouts and Free Wifi

Outside the restaurant is a sign that says "Brownout-free."  For local residents who know how it is to suffer from power interruptions for 5 straight hours daily, this definitely is a plus point for Thai Me Up. Online workers like me who are affected with the crisis can always run to their place and enjoy their free wifi zone.

[caption id="attachment_2446" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Spicy Pork Salad Php 150"][/caption]

Cozy Ambiance

The superb interior design and Thai fixtures everywhere will virtually transport you to Thailand during your meal. Our favorite spot is a kiosk where we could comfortably sit on the floor, just right for the low-level tables  typical of Asian dining set-ups. Those with arthritis can always choose a regular table.

Affordable Yummy Food

What else could be  a more important factor for any restaurant than its food? Thai Me Up earns my thumbs up for its flavorful array of dishes that  gets me hungry just by looking at the pictures I took.  Thai cuisine is known to be spicy, sweet, salty and sour. Thai Me Up strikes a balance  capturing these elements into their dishes, to the delight of our taste buds.  It doesn't hurt the wallet too, because the prices are made affordable. Among my favorites are the Tom Yang Goong (Hot and Sour Prawn Soup) (Php 185), Pepper Squid (Php 145), Spicy Pork Salad (Php150), Beef in Basil Sauce (Php 160)  and Thai Me Up Noddles (Pancit Canton) (Php 130).


[caption id="attachment_2448" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Thai Me Up Noodles Php 130"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2449" align="aligncenter" width="299" caption="Thai Me Up Cooler Php 150"][/caption]

Weak Points

Small Servings

With affordability comes its trade-offs . Each serving is good for about 2-3 persons only so don't expect to be satisfyingly stuffed when you come out after a meal with the family. On the bright side, the price allows you to order a variety of dishes just so you can try a little of everything.

Service

I would have been all rave for Thai Me Up except for some inconsistencies in their services. It's nice that the guard courteously escorts us to a suitable parking space and  the crew welcomes us warmly, but that's about it. Towards the middle of our meal, no one was nearby the  Kiosk to attend to our needs. We wanted our second pitcher of Thai Me Up Cooler to be served and water for our glasses but our necks were sticking out looking for a waiter to serve us. All our food were about to be consumed  when we finally got somebody to follow up our order.  It took around 30 minutes to be served along with the water to save us from choking. When it was time for dessert , it was another long wait that had to take 5 times to remind different waiters to serve it already. I didn't know they had to travel to Davao to get our Durian Cheesecake.

It's also disheartening to point out that at another time, my parents went to the restaurant and waited for around 10 minutes on their table to be attended to. When a Caucasian couple sat nearby, the crew immediately rushed to take their orders while my parents were still unattended. They fled and looked for another dining place.

Overall Assessment

I'd still recommend the place, if only they train their people more because their food makes me want to keep coming back. The  good points clearly outnumber the weak points but in the end, the gravity of quality service remain a strong determining factor in keeping the loyalty of customers.

Thai Me Up is located at corner of Capistrano and Mabini streets in Cagayan de Oro City. For reservations, you may call them up at 738424 or 310.8424.

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Potato As Acne Remedy

This starchy root crop has been advised to be eaten in moderation for diabetics and those on a diet because of its high carbohydrate content that transforms into sugar quite quickly. Generally though, it cannot be branded as a bad veggie, as it has loads of health benefits too. One of its more interesting properties is its ability to tame acne.

The uncooked potato when applied topically, has been noted to clear skin blemishes due to its potassium, sulfur, phosphorus and chloride contents. It also contains antioxidants to help nourish skin cells and enzymes that act as antiseptics. Some people even vouch that it helps lessen the appearance of acne scars due to its astringent actions, by exfoliating dead skin cells that give rise to fresher layer of skin, thereby lightening the dark post-acne pigmentations and decreasing the depth of scars.

Instructions:

Get a small portion of an uncooked potato, grate it and slather both the pulp and juice on to your skin. Leave it for about 30 mins then rinse. If you want to skip the grating part, just slice a potato, apply the moist side to your skin and leave it for 30 minutes before rinsing.

Caution:

When acne is beyond control, please see your dermatologist at once. Mr. potato can only do so much.

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Lady Gaga and Beyonce- The Pinoy Parody

I could give you a thousand reasons why I haven't been blogging lately but let's skip that and proceed to the fun part. Here is a video which I'm sure will leave you laughing your guts out.

Lady Gaga has been known for her iconic looks and fashion sense that every budding makeup artist dreams of replicating a Gaga peg- which explains the sprouting of youtube makeup tutorials each time she comes out with a new single.  The avant garde makeup may be relatively easy and fun but the flamboyant costumes and fierce attitude needed to pull off a Lady Gaga act by the model may be the challenging part, especially when doing a video.

Apparently, that is not the case for these youtube kids who breezed through the process of doing Lady Gaga and Beyonce's  "Telephone" parody. Unlike the original video which was done grandiosely- from the costumes, to the makeups, and to the overall production, this local version is nothing sophisticated (watch the hollow blocks and nipa hut). They made use of ubiquitous materials with  flairs of ingenuity and sense of humor. Despite the impoverished setting, the creativity and editing skills are overflowing. If Gaga made use of Coke cans for curlers, these guys used empty mineral water and C2 (green tea beverage) bottles.   I don't wanna spoil the fun, just check it out yourself and see what else they used for costumes and props. These teenagers, are from Bunawan, Davao. They call themselves Lady Gagita and Haronce. Their video is spreading like mad on facebook and increasing views on youtube.

In case you haven't watched the original "Telephone" video, here's a link. And of course, below is the parody by vinzonleojay2009. Sometimes, all we need is a good laugh. Enjoy!



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Reasons For Failure When Attaching False Eyelashes

Wearing false eyelashes renders a dramatic impact to our looks.  But it can also be one of the most challenging parts in completing a makeup routine. I've had difficulties with this myself and through experience, I gathered some of the reasons why it becomes a burden instead of an exciting step:

1. Faulty Adhesive

Some are just inferior in quality while others diminish in efficiency after a while. No matter how amazing a  glue works from the first few months of purchasing it, it does get old and when this happens, it won't work as well as it used to. Remember the date when you bought it  and check if it hasn't changed in odor, consistency and appearance- it shouldn't sting when applied. Always close the cap after use to prevent it from drying up.

Putting on too much glue is an error we frequently commit. It will dry up bulky and will stick the falsies to your natural lashes.  Apply only a thin layer, use Q-tip or toothpick to prevent squeezing out too much of the product directly from the tube towards the lashes.

2. Lack of Arch

When you buy a pair of lashes, it's  usually stuck to  a curved plastic, mimicking the curve of the lash line when you're looking downwards. That's how the false lashes should be shaped just before applying it on your eyes.  Problem comes in when you pull the lashes briskly out of its container, losing its shape. Or it could be that the next time you use the pair, it  haven't been positioned properly back into its case and back to its arch.

Make sure you roll out your thumb gently when  pulling out the product. Trim the lashes on its outer ends to fit into the length of your eyes. Hold each lash from side to side and bend it to form an arch.

3. Wrong Timing

After spreading  a thin layer of glue to the lashes, wait til it becomes tacky before attaching it to your lash line. That's roughly around 20 seconds, depending on the characteristics of your glue. While attaching it too early may cause the procedure to fail, letting it dry for a longer time will not attach the lashes to your skin at all. Reminder: please don't blow into the glue to shorten the waiting period especially when doing makeup on your client. Just wave it back and forth into the air.

4. Poor Technique

You can either use a tweezer or your bare hands to apply it to your lash line, whichever  is more comfortable for you.  Locate the center point of your eye and stick to that part first. Attach the lashes as close to the lash line as possible, following the natural curve. Press the rest of the parts in the inner and outer corners using tweezers or your hand.   Wait for a few seconds before blinking.

5.  Oil Around the Area

Ensure that the skin where the falsies will be attached is dry and clean. The glue will not stick to an  oily and rough surface. Get rid of oils coming from makeup removers or from the skin itself.  Wipe it off with a clean  Q-tip.

Below is a  video showing a technique from Emmy Award-winning make up artist, Eve Pearl on how to attach false eyelashes: