2019 Review: Daraejung BGC

We first found out about Daraejung when we were shopping in Gangnam Mart in BGC Fort Strip. Their menu was just placed on the counter and we noticed that their food was more expensive than Kaya’s or  their neighbor’s Chicken & Beer and Seoul Express, so we were a bit hesitant at first. But then eventually we bit the bullet and decided to try it out.

Daraejung is located on the second floor of BGC Fort Strip. To get there, take the stairs beside Tea Monkey, and once the smell of kimchi hits you, you know you’re in the right place. It’s gonna be on your right side once you’re on the second floor.

Before even ordering, they serve you tea and automatically give you a bottle full of water like a proper Korean restaurant.

They also have a button for you to click to get the servers’ attention instead of shouting or waving your arms at them.

Immediately after, they send out the side dishes (반찬) and you figure out exactly why their food is more expensive than their competition.

Daraejung’s kimchi is so good, you just know it’s homemade unlike Seoul Express’ where they just took it from a package premade from the supermarket. Their side dishes are refillable, too. We haven’t tried refilling it more than once, but I have a feeling they’re not counting.

Although I gotta say, their Ox Bone Soup (설렁탕) PhP350 ($7) was pretty lacking. It tasted more like patis/fish sauce so I don’t recommend it. It did come with a lot of meat so if you like patis-tasting dishes, then go and order this. By the way, the items under the ‘Meals’ section are served with a bowl rice in Daraejung. It doesn’t say in the menu so be wary of that.

Their Grilled Pork Belly (삼겹살) PhP350 ($7) was pretty lackluster, too. Much like Kaya’s. Bony, not much meat. Thin slices, too.

But their side dishes, I’m telling you are so good. We can’t stop coming back.

So we went back the very next day.

This time, their side dishes were different.

Pickled wraps, really interesting tasting side dish

 

This time we ordered Spicy Bean Curd (얼큰두부찌미ㅣ) PhP350 ($7) and Hot Stone Pot Bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥) PhP350. Honestly, the food from Daraejung isn’t anything special but the portions are quite huge and they are very generous with the ingredients. Plus their side dishes are really bomb, you have ten to select from every time!

The red chili paste (고추장) that comes with the Hot Stone Pot Bibimbap

They don’t skimp out on the ingredients

I’ve been to Daraejung a lot of times now so I’ll be including shots I’ve taken of their food below. I don’t remember all of the food items I’ve bought exactly since they all look very similar, but I will include a caption if I do recall its name.

A new day’s set of side dishes

Spicy Stir-fried Pork with Rice (제육덮밥) PhP300 ($6)

I recommend this one, really flavorful but the one we got wasn’t spicy even though it has ‘Spicy’ in its name.

Soft Bean Curd Stew (순두부찌개) PhP350 ($7)

Another day

Another set of side dishes

Pork Back-bone Stew (감자탕), PhP350 ($7)

This one, too I recommend. It ran out of soup near the end, but as usual, a lot of meat and vegetables were left.

In the pictures you’d notice that they hardly repeat their side dishes but sometimes we do get ones that we don’t like or aren’t used to, like  the pickled wraps.

Bottom line, I recommend eating at Daraejung in BGC. Although I think their food is just like that of any other legit Korean restaurant, they are very generous with their portions and ingredients, their side dishes are pretty tight, are refillable, they change it up every day, they serve you tea, you get a bottle full of water immediately, you don’t have to ask for it. The ambiance of the place itself is very Korean and there were a lot of Koreans in the restaurant as well. Of all the Korean restaurants I’ve been to in BGC, I can say that Daraejung is the best.

Thank you for sticking up to this point! Give a Like if you found this review of any use, share to help others in deciding whether to eat at Daraejung or not (go do it!), and hope to see you in the next post!

2019 Experience with Shopee Returns

I was initially uncertain on whether my Shopee return would be accepted or not and it ended quite well for me so I’m writing about it here.

First of all, I processed this Shopee return from a Shopee Mall seller so I feel like that made the return so much easier.

After you click on the ‘Return/Refund’ button on your item, you have to fill up the screen that comes up next:

Now I returned this pair of jeans because it didn’t fit me. I first messaged the seller if it was okay for me to return it and they said I should just try and see if Shopee would process it or not. I chose ‘Received a faulty product (e.g. malfunction, does not work as intended’ as the ‘Reason’ for this return. Then I entered the ‘Description’ and my email as you can see in the image above.

After clicking on ‘Submit’, you have to wait for a Return/Refund notification.

Once you get it and open it, you get a Return Bar Code and a Return ID QR Code. I took a screenshot of this but when I went to M Lhuillier, I didn’t get to use it at all, rather I just wrote the serial number on their form like a pleb.

Next step is to go to M Lhuillier to return the item since free shipping is only available there. Like I said, I did not use the screenshot at all, so make sure you have the serial number with you. And make sure that the item you are returning is in its original packaging. After you’ve filled up their forms and they’re finished with encoding, the staff is gonna give you a return waybill that you have to upload in the app.

After clicking on ‘Ship’, the waiting game for your Shopee return begins.

Three days later I got an email saying that my refund has been approved!

I feel like doing the following made my Shopee return go smoothly:

• Returning an item from a Shopee Mall seller
• Messaging the seller before processing the return and getting their approval (sorta)
• Returning an item in its original packaging

I have a feeling trying to process a return for a non-Shopee Mall seller is going to be a lot harder so I don’t even try to mess with them.

See this link for Shopee’s official guide on their refund/return process.

Thank you for sticking up to this point! Give a Like if you found this post of any use, Share to help others with their return process, and good luck with your Shopee return! Hoping to see you in the next post!

GC Milk Wintermelon vs Wintermelon Milk

Ever wonder what the difference is between Gong Cha’s Milk Wintermelon and Wintermelon Milk? Ever wonder why there is a PhP5.00 difference between the two? If you answered “yes”, then this post is for you! If you answered “no”, then what the hell are you doing here?

GC Milk Wintermelon (left) Wintermelon Milk (right)

1. As you can see from the picture above, there is a clear separation between the milk and the tea for GC Milk Wintermelon. As for Wintermelon Milk, the milk and the tea is completely mixed together.
2. The obvious, Wintermelon Milk is PhP5.00 cheaper than GC Milk Wintermelon.
3. In terms of taste, my biased brain is saying that GC Milk Wintermelon is more refined than Wintermelon Milk, like it’s milkier than Wintermelon Milk. But there might not even be a difference between the two, really. Once you mix the GC Milk Wintermelon, it’ll look exactly like the Wintermelon Milk.

GC Milk Wintermelon (left) Wintermelon Milk (right)

Just sharing a slightly different angled picture of the two just in case you forgot which is which (oh lord why is the naming so awful for these two).

The Verdict

Personally I didn’t taste that big a difference between the two milk teas to the point that I feel like the PhP5.00 difference is just due to the extra effort the employees need to put out in order to separate the milk from the tea (GC Milk Wintermelon) as opposed to just mixing it together (Wintermelon Milk). [Edit] We tried these two again and GC Milk Wintermelon’s tea is more apparent. On the otherhand, Wintermelon Milk is milkier.

Don’t agree? Let me know why in the comments section below!

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Review: BT6 Bluetooth Receiver

BT6 is a bluetooth receiver that I bought because the 3.5mm jack on my two year old phone stopped working. I did encounter some issues with the BT6 but for the low, low price of PhP279 ($5.30), I can’t say I’m completely disappointed by my purchase.

The Performance ★★★★☆

For an hour of charging time, you get six hours of playback as advertised. I bought two of these so while one of the BT6 is charging, I have another I could use.

Its indicator light is pink which then cycles between red and blue when it’s looking for a device to connect to.

Once it’s connected, its light blinks a bright blue.

Once charging, its light becomes red which disappears once full.

To connect to your phone, turn on its Bluetooth, then connect to Bluetooth Music.

There are times my phone can’t connect to BT6 so I have to connect to it myself, but it’s not that big of an issue.

The Sound Quality ★★★☆☆

I can’t tell any difference on the sound quality between being connected to the BT6 via Bluetooth on my phone and being directly connected to a jack. There is however a faint beeping sound that I could hear while I have nothing playing. It is faint but it is loud enough that I could hear it, and it goes on for some time once I have put something on but it does go away eventually.

The voice prompt that says, “Powering”, “Connected”, etc is super loud it’s jarring. Its always set to the max volume, and does not adjust to your current volume level! There is a workaround to this however, all you gotta do is either don’t put your earphones on while you’re connecting, or just straight up don’t connect your earphones to the 3.5mm jack while connecting. Although it is hard to avoid once it says, “Battery low”.

There are times the audio output suddenly becomes choppy, but then like the faint beeping sound, this one goes away eventually.

To add, the volume you set the BT6 to is not retained when you restart it. It’s just always set to max volume.

The Verdict ★★★.5☆

Initially I thought that the BT6 Bluetooth Receiver is a good buy. It didn’t cost me much, and it does what it’s supposed to do – allow me to connect my earphones to my phone via Bluetooth. However, the more I use it everyday, the more I realize that the BT6 is just a temporary solution to my problem. The biggest letdown for me is the voice prompt  that’s always in max volume. I get so thrown off when I’m in the office, playing music, or when I’m watching videos in low volume to get myself to sleep then it says “Battery low” in max volume. Now I’m off to buy the KZ Bluetooth Module with Neckband from Shopee.

Pros

+ Extremely cheap compared to others in the market
+ Short charging time
+ Long playback time
+ Bluetooth 4.2

Cons

– Faint beeping sound is bothersome
– Voice prompt always set at max volume
– Volume level is not retained

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Review: Fantech MK871 RGB Keyboard

January 2019 Update: My Tab key got messed up– good thing the switches are replaceable! I just took the switch from the Scroll Lock key knowing I’d never use it and switched that up with my Tab key then BAM! Good as new as they say.

The MK871 RGB is the only tenkeyless keyboard from Fantech’s Pantheon mechanical keyboard line. I bought this since my Logitech G410 Atlas Spectrum broke out of the blue so most of my comparisons are gonna be against that. Check out Fantech’s official site for the list of the MK871 RGB’s features here and for a download link of its software here.

The Typing Experience

As you might have already known, the MK871 RGB makes use of Outemu Brown or Blue switches which they claim will last for more than 70 million key presses. There’s not much wobble for each key, and it makes use of brackets to supposedly increase stability.

It is interesting to see that what they printed in the box is not the same with what they used with the actual product.

I guess it doesn’t look as cool with the brackets

For its price point, the MK871 RGB has a pretty uncommon feature which is the ability to replace the switches!

Although Fantech did not include extra switches for use, it is still a pretty cool feature to have.

Do note that the MK871 RGB uses these generic stabilizers for their longer keys: Backspace, Enter, Left and right Shift and Space bar.

Pressing on these ruin the typing experience quite a bit since they do not feel like the rest of the keys in the board, plus they make a loud springy sound which does get distracting when you’re typing without any music playing in the background. Although I hardly noticed this while gaming.

Now I personally haven’t had the experience to type on any keyboards making use Cherry MX Browns, but I do have experience with Outemu Blues and Romer-G switches. What I will say is typing on the MK871 RGB feels closer to the Romer-G’s than Outemu Blues since the Romer-G switches are pretty silent like the Browns and require less actuation force.

Here is the diagram that Fantech has prepared for both switches, although you will see that it’s missing actual actuation point and actuation force values.

To me it feels so much better typing on browns instead of blues. Your friends will thank you for it too 😉

The Form Factor

It’s great; the keyboard does not flex at all. You even have this chamfered edge (although thin) that goes all around the keyboard adding to its premium feel.

Here are the product dimensions prepared by people from Fantech themselves.

I got this photo from the user manual that came with the keyboard, but it is missing the cable routing they have at the back of it.

The Software

The software’s not really that good. It’s kinda lame that you have to click Apply after each time you change the lighting mode, whereas when I was using my G410 Atlas Spectrum, I’d choose a lighting mode then the software instantly shows me what that looks like, and my keyboard lights change too helping me in making my decision whether to apply the effect or not. I guess I got really spoiled from Logitech’s software.

At this point, no changes are made to MK871 RGB’s lighting

After clicking Apply, pop up appears then lighting changes

You could set three Profiles from the software to fix lighting, macros, etc. Changing the colors using the Fantech’s software is really cumbersome since you have to click on one key, change its color from the limited options, then move on to the next key, then to the next key, then to the next key…

Only able to click on one key

Take a pick from a limited selection of colors

Again, with Logitech, you could simply select multiple keys at a time, pick a color for your selection, then BAM! Move on to the next set of keys.

I think it’s also lame that you have to go to the software to click Apply after choosing the Profile you customized. You’re better off just clicking on FN+1~5 for the preset gaming profiles on the MK871 RGB then you can start recording your color theme by hitting FN+HM. By this point the Caps lock, Windows and Scroll lock keys will start blinking meaning it will begin to record your key presses. You could then start customizing the key’s color by pressing on each key cycling through all the colors, then by stopping when you get to your desired color. Hit FN+HM again to stop recording.

One thing I noticed is if you have Neonlight on then you switch to one of your customized gaming profiles, the color of your gaming profile keys change according to what color you were at when you switched. The colors you set will go back once you change your lighting profile to something else.

Another thing to note is that you can’t set the color of Capslock. It changes each time you turn it on, off then back on again. It’ll kinda ruin the color theme if you have one set up.

The Verdict

Overall the MK871 RGB is a great keyboard especially around the PhP2,200 ($40) price point. It really is great for what it is, the switches feel surprisingly nice where the only area I had an issue with were the keys that used the generic stabilizers. Now, the only real downside of the MK871 RGB is its software. In fact, just as I was taking software screenshots for this review, the lighting I setup previously was wiped out from FN+1 with the last screenshot from the software part of the review! I feel like Fantech could have included a little tutorial on how to properly use their software in their user manual as it’s not entirely as user friendly or as intuitive as the competition’s. Having said that, its competition is worth twice the MK871 RGB’s price.

Pros

+ Replaceable Outemu switches

+ Customizable RGB lighting

+ Excellent build quality

+ Multimedia function keys

+ Competitive pricing

+ Sturdy braided cable with cable management

Cons

– Unintuitive software

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Review: misodiko Replacement Velour Earpads for Superlux HD668B

TL;DR: Shove away any doubts you might have about buying this product. The comfort it brings is definitely not comparable to the disgusting stock earpads that came with the Superlux HD668B. Purchase it before its price hike!

Been searching replacement velour earpads for my Superlux HD668B when I stumbled upon misodiko’s offering in Lazada. I’ve done research and they’re saying if you see replacement earpads for AKG 240, it means those are going to fit your Superlux HD668B.

There actually were other vendors offering the same thing and providing better pictures for their products, but since misodiko’s was the cheapest (PhP 549) I decided to take a leap of faith. I figured I could just refund the item anyway.

A very modest packaging from misodiko

It doesn’t really bounce back after pressing on it

Looking good, looking good~

These replacement velour earpads from misodiko has definitely made my listening sessions with my 668B longer. These have made the 668B so much more comfortable than it was with its stock earpads! Now I only have to worry about the flaps at the top as those still get annoying after a while.

Oh?

The only con about these is that once you put it on your headphones, you’d notice that it’s not exactly a perfect fit – I mean, look that those stitches! Well, they didn’t really make it for the 668B… but I’m human so I have unreasonable expectations.

The Verdict

At PhP549 it’s a very good investment in my opinion. By spending only PhP549, you’ve practically turned your Superlux HD668B into a brand new pair of cans. Now if the flaps aren’t giving you any problems, then you have got yourself a hell of a great pair of studio monitor headphones for a fairly cheap price!

Well, thanks for sticking for this long! Like the post if you found it of use. Share it with your friends who are thinking of buying any replacement earpads – misodiko’s selection looks to be varied. Follow for more content like this. Till next time!

2016 Review: Ogane Korean Restaurant

Ogane is a Korean restaurant located along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. We got there via taxi, and it was pretty easy to spot.

As with any legit Korean restaurant, you’ll first be served with banchan/side dishes. Sadly you can only have it refilled once but given how some Korean restaurants don’t even offer banchan, this is already a good deal.

Personally I liked the quail eggs the most, then the baby potatoes, then the kimchi.

Almost immediately the Mulmandu/Steamed Dumplings (PhP250) arrived next, then the Bulgogi Kimbap (PhP180). There was practically no waiting time, service was pretty quick, and the chairs were pretty good, too.

No idea what meat they put in the Mulmandu but it was mushy, but it’s the right kind of mushy. It was great. Out of the three we ordered this was definitely the best one.

Bulgogi Kimbap was also good, but not that great. Taste was pretty standard.

Shortly after, the Budae Jjigae/Spicy Sausage Stew (PhP750) arrived. This being our main course, and therefore the most expensive of the three was a letdown. Budae Jjigae is supposed to have at least one type of sausage with spam. But sadly the sausage they chose to pair up with spam… was hotdog. Yes you read that right, hotdog. Apparently this is the Philippine national sausage

Ramyeon was included for the Budae Jjigae

Good thing is that the spam taste did get through the soup, so if you’re a fan of spam (or Ma Ling?) you’d definitely like Ogane’s Budae Jjigae. The soup wasn’t spicy at all, btw. Good news for you less tolerant to spicy dishes.

There were a few pork slices, and some corn too

Even if I was disappointed with their Budae Jjigae (why hotdog of all things?), I still would definitely come back to Ogane. Their banchan was great, their Mulmandu was bomb, Bulgogi Kimbap was good. We spent a total of PhP1,180 and there were only two of us but for sure a total of four to five people would’ve been full with what we ordered.

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Review: Catch the Mouse Motion Cat Toy

Before purchasing this product, I already saw a lot of user review from amazon. Most of them were good, but I was a bit skeptical since at the end of their reviews, they always stated that they received the item at a “promotional discounted price”, and that their review was “honest and unbiased”.

When I put it on the ground the first time, our cats pawed the Catch the Mouse Motion Cat Toy for around 15 minutes, then stopped. I have also tried to make them use the scratch pad up top, but they aren’t really paying any attention to it.

Nice VGA image, I KNOW!

The next day, this happened:

Turns out, the mouse toy is just glue gun’d to the thing. So I applied Mighty Bond, and that solved the problem! It hasn’t come off since.

Now, I’ve had the Catch the Mouse Motion Cat Toy for a couple of months already, and the problem I found with it is that my cats very rarely go to it on their own. I have to spin the mouse toy first to entice them, and by then it holds their attention for barely a minute. Plus, they still have not used the scratch pad, not even once!

TL; DR: Not recommended. There are better toys out there for your cat.

Regardless, if you still want to buy the Catch the Mouse Motion Cat Toy, you could buy it from Lazada at PhP249, plus PhP55 shipping fee.

Thank you for sticking up to this point! Like the post if you found it of use. Share it with your friends who are thinking of buying this particular cat toy or any cat toy at all. Follow for more content like this. Till next time!

2016 Experience with Smiley Pizza

We found this humble joint along JP Rizal Ave. Makati City, and boy did we enjoy eating there!

First of all, the food was amazing! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves (granted, my phone camera is not doing them justice).

Cheese Quesadillas – PhP122

Smiley Pizza Cheese Quesadillas with a healthy serving of ensalada, cream cheese, and jalapeños.

Cheese Burger – PhP225.50

Simple yet delicious Cheese Burger from Smiley Pizza. Served with thickly cut french fries, and ketchup.  Other than the obvious, the Burger did have some pickles in it. I’m pretty sure you could tell the nice waitress to have it removed from your order if you wanted to. More on her later!

Pork Burrito – PhP205 

You could choose from three types of meat for Smiley Pizza’s Burrito namely beef, pork, and chicken.

No beans for you bean-haters out there!

 

Other than the food, what we enjoyed at Smiley Pizza was the customer service we received from their waitress. There was a moment when my partner was scouting the area from some hot sauce, and when the waitress noticed this she approaches us and goes, “What is it, sir?” GIVE THIS WOMAN A RAISE! This woman right here is the epitome of exceptional customer service. Granted, the place wasn’t that jam packed, but you could say the same with other restaurants yet have none of their servers give their customers that much attention. Employee of the year 2016!

Overall, five out of five. Ten out of ten, 200 out of 100! Food was epic, you won’t feel like you were ripped of, you get more than what you paid for, they have top class customer service. Smiley Pizza definitely exceeded expectations, and is a gem of a restaurant in this fucking country.

You’ll find this humble joint along JP Rizal Ave, before you get to Makati City Hall. Here’s a map for easier navigation:

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