halfwhiteboy

The Manila Pavilion Hotel is giving us reasons to celebrate with them, with back-to-back offers for Valentine's and Chinese New Year . Celebrate V-Day by treating your special someone to a romantic dinner buffet with an acoustic live serenade and a special giveaway for the ladies for only Php 1,200 per person. You might also want to gift her with this month's featured cake, Strawberry L'Opera , available at Patisserie .

If you're looking for a nice Valentine dinner with your special someone but don't want to break the bank, might I suggest the Manila Pavilion Hotel for you? I mean, it's not dirt-cheap but it's very reasonable if you want to impress. With The Taste of Romance: A Valentine's Dinner Buffet at Seasons Restaurant , you and your partner are sure to get your fill of good food (including this month's featured offer, Tri-Color Ravioli stuffed with truffle cream cheese and quail eggs ), with live entertainment from Willy and Maely Ann San Juan--all in a classy hotel setting. Ladies also get a sweet gift and a glass of sparkling wine to cap off the evening. All these for only Php 1,200 nett.

Magnificent view of the Taal Volcano and Lake from The Lake Hotel Tagaytay. So it's Valentine's Day yet again this weekend and you still have no plans. How about spending the night in Tagaytay with your special someone? The cold weather there, especially at this time of year, makes it perfect for a quick romantic getaway. Here are a few ideas on where to stay, all from personal experience. Hopefully they're not fully booked yet, though. But at any rate, you can always celebrate post-Valentine's. Or on any other day for that matter. 1. The Theodore Hotel A 10-room bed and breakfast with nice interiors and a lot of character, The Theodore Hotel is perfect for couples who just want some quiet downtime together. Although they only serve all-day breakfast items, it's quite near a few restaurants. They do have a spa, too. Rooms are on the pricey side of things, however.

Last working day of the week. Friday the 13th. The eve of Valentine's. A lot going on on this day! At any rate, expect a lot of nauseatingly sweet and mushy stuff. I know, paper hearts behind me, all with Pinoy "pick-up lines" printed on them. This was at our office.

[Updated 02.13.2014] I've already been seeing My Pink Wasabi at The Collective along Malugay Street in Makati City since late last year. Actually I saw the place even when it was still being constructed! But for the silly life of me, I thought it was just another yogurt place--until My Bibe and I finally checked it out about a fortnight ago. So what did they have? This: Maki sushi for dessert. They've got sushi! For dessert! And yes, they serve it on a sushi plate and with chopsticks. This ingenious creation of meticulously hand-rolled mini-cakes designed to resemble maki sushi  looks too cute to eat. They call it Kashi Maki , meaning, "sweet maki" ( kashi being the Japanese word for sweet; maki, of course, is that rolled type of sushi).

What a coincidence that Valentine's falls on a Thursday this year! And I've just got the perfect Throwback Thursdays post for this week. Exactly nine years ago today -- yes, Valentine's -- I first met the love of my life , My Bibe. It wasn't a date or anything fancy but rather it was inside a jeepney on a very bumpy ride to the Mt Pulag ranger station. It was a mountaineering expedition. We instantly hit it as friends, chatting and sharing stories during socials amid the near-freezing temperatures atop the mountain. The following day after our descent, we had our very first photo taken -- and the only one with just the two of us. We were filthy and our shoes were full of mud. We were simply ourselves. And to My Bibe, here's a little something I wrote for you: