Vinyl Street Bar, Hongdae, Seoul

As you might've read from previous posts on this blog, I have a love affair with Hongdae in Seoul, South Korea. I immediately fell for its youthful vibe and artsy feel the first time I visited the place a few years back, and have been back in Hongdae a couple of times since. Last year I went on a solo trip to Seoul and spent a couple of days walking around the city, and I of course made Hongdae my home base.

It was in one of my walks around Hongdae that I finally chanced upon Vinyl, a tiny, quirky street bar near Hongik University that sold cheap cocktails in ziplock bags. I had heard about it a couple of times before and had seen blogs rave about the place, but had never gotten the chance to look for it until my solo trip last year. It took a while for me to find Vinyl, but all the walking around in the cold while looking at Google Maps was worth it!   

Speakeasy Spotlight: Finders Keepers, Makati

With the rise of speakeasies in Manila, I've come to love a finely crafted cocktail. I don't know why, but there's something very rewarding about sitting by the bar on a Friday night after a long work week and watching a bartender work his magic on your drink.

Finders Keepers is one of my favorite places for a cocktail and a night of unwinding. The Love Juice is a simple but stellar concoction (gotta love Tanqueray!) and I honestly cannot have just one glass of it. Definitely one of my favorite cocktails in Manila!

There's plenty of other things to love about Finders Keepers - the place is unpretentious, the atmosphere laidback, the music a good mix of indie and mainstream, and you're bound to bump into someone you know.

Right next to it is Black Market which has a bit more of a club vibe, and right outside is Joe's Meatshack which sells some pretty good burgers, perfect to cap off a night of drinking and dancing (and for helping with that hangover).

Finders Keepers
La Fuerza Plaza, Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati

Around the World in Teacups

It's summertime in the Philippines, which means it's about time we all do some traveling! I've just gone on our annual family trip to the beach and have only recently gotten back from Myanmar with Mabs, which means I won't be going away again anytime soon (until June, when we head out to El Nido, Palawan. Super exciting!).

In any case, I recently attended the Traveling Teacup Event by Lipton, where they shared plenty of ideas on how to experience the world in the comfort of your own home, with only a teacup in your hand and five unique drinks inspired by different countries around the world. So if you're staying home for the summer, read on for some tasty recipes from Lipton Philippines that will surely add some worldly fun and flavor to your summer staycation!

 Read on to find out how a cup of tea can whisk you away to these exciting destinations!