Michi Photostory

I love shrimp so even shrimp is expensive, I always include this in our menu. I love cooking salted egg shrimp because it is an easy dish plus gusto ko din ng salted egg. But my son doesn’t like it and he always tells me that he prefers shrimp tempura. To be honest, I don’t know how to make ebi tempura but I promised him that I will try to make it. 

Last night, I tried to make shrimp tempura. I don’t measure my ingredients so this is just an estimate ng mga pinagmix ko. You can adjust the ingredients according to your preference. 

1/2 kilo shrimp 
1 egg 
1/4 cup flour 
1/4 cup cold water 
1/2 cup Crispy Fry 
Cooking oil for deep frying 



1. Peeled, deveined the shrimp. Make a small cut so you can flat the shrimp.
2. Heat oil 
3. Beat the egg, add cold water and crispy fry instant mix 
4. Coat the shrimp with flour 
5. Dip shrimp in batter 
6. Deep fry on medium heat until golden brown. 
7. Drain on paper towels. 
8. Serve 

If you notice, there is no salt and pepper because I used Crispy Fry, maalat na yun. 



I asked my son if he likes it and he said “No, it is not crunchy, not the same taste”. Waah!, wala man lang preno ang feedback. Ouch! Well, hindi nga naman siya crunchy but the taste is good. Puro shrimp nga siya at hindi puro breading like ebi tempura. I checked some Shrimp Tempura recipes and they are using tempura flour so I will check nga sa grocery kung meron dito sa Pinas. 

Update: May 2018

I bought Tempura Flour at Landmark Alabang so I cooked shrimp tempura and it turned out crunchy after frying. I forgot to remove the heads of the shrimp because I was in a hurry. But I was happy because my son likes it na.


1/2 kilo shrimp 
1 egg 
3/4 cup tempura flour 
1/4 cup cold water 
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil for deep frying 


You can check my other version, “Camaron Rebosado Recipe” Since last year, I’ve been trying Purefoods ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare food. I already blogged about Crispy Squid Rings and Tail-On-Shrimp, now let me share about the Shrimp Tempura. If you’ve read my Holiday 2021 post, I prepared this for our New Year’s potluck because I don’t have time to cook. 

I always say that I’m not fond of online shopping because I prefer seeing and touching the products. My credit card was hacked before so I don’t want to shop using my credit card. I read some articles about bad experiences in their online shopping so sometimes I’m hesitant to order. And lastly, I hate waiting for my package.

But now, I think I’m starting to enjoy online shopping because I can buy things that I want and need without leaving our house. Sa traffic ngayon, sobrang tamad ako lumabas. There are online shops that accept Paypal or COD payment. And there are online shops too that deliver my order the next day. Yes, kahit provincial address ako. 



I already mentioned before that I like watching Korean Drama and as of this writing, I already watched 30 Korean Drama Series, you can check my list here. And because of that, I got curious sa mga beauty products ng mga Korean because they really have a good skin noh. Yung tipong mukhang fresh at no make-up look lagi. 

I'm aware of Althea Korea shopping site but since I’m not fond of beauty products before and hindi nga ko mahilig mag online shopping deadma lang ako. But now that my skin starting to age, nagworry na ko. I want to age gracefully. So I checked Althea Korea shop and finally registered and ordered. 

Since I’m not knowledgeable about Korean brands and products, I just ordered one of their boxes. I chose Althea Korea Head to Toe Box, the price is P4902 but I got it for P1487, which is 69% off. The box includes products that you can use from head to toes such as 

1. Mise-En-Scene Perfect Serum Shampoo and Treatment
2. Nature Republic Olive Scalp Cooling Hair Pack 
3. Skin & Lab White Vita-C Essence 
4. Clio Pro Eye Palette Quad in 01 Amber Slip 
5. Angel Factory Under Arm White Peeling Perfume 
6. The Choute Hot Body Salt Scrub 
7. W.Lab Change Foot Peeling Pack 

I haven’t used all the products yet, so far Skin & Lab White Vita-C Essence pa lang nagagamit ko.

Read: Althea Korea Head to Toe Box Review

Onsaemeein Yogurt Peeling

I also saw the Onsaemeein Yogurt Peeling for P890 and I got it for P210. This is a mild peeling that will remove dead skin cells on your face. It is made of microcrystalline cellulose, goat milk extract, chamaecyparis obtusa leaf extract, scutellaria baicalensis root extract, papaya extract and yogurt extract. 

I like this because it is so easy to use, you only need a pea-sized amount of gel and it will remove your dead skin cells softly and mildly. No redness after using. The scent is very light too. The packaging is so cute too. 

How to use:

1. Apply yogurt peeling gel on your face.
2. Massage your face for about 1 minute.
3. After enough rolling, wash it off with lukewarm water.

I use this once a week.



And because I was so excited to purchase my order, I forgot to use the welcome gift coupon, WELCOME-PH worth P300. P150 for the first purchase and P150 instant rebate, minimum of P1500, and valid for 1st purchase within 30 days from sign-up. Sayang! 

Anyway, I was advised that the delivery typically takes 15 business days from the moment they receive the order for processing so I was expecting two weeks pa. I was surprised when I received my package after one week. This was my first time ordering outside the Philippines and I’m happy with my first shopping experience. So yesterday, I ordered it again.

Courier services are Doora and LBC 

September 25 - Ordered and paid via Paypal 
September 27 - I was advised that my order was shipped 
October 3 - I received my order 

October 10 - I ordered and paid via Paypal
October 13 - Order was shipped
October 18 - Received order

Courier services are EFS and Ninja Van

October 30 - ordered and paid via Paypal
November 2 - order was shipped
November 9 - received order

November 2 - ordered and paid via Paypal
November 6 - order was shipped
November 10 - received order

January 2 - ordered and paid via Paypal
January 4 - order was shipped
January 10 - received order

Check my unboxing video here

Update August 2018:

I ordered last July and I was expecting that I will receive my product after one week but I was surprised that I received my order after 10 days. They changed the courier to Black Arrow Express. But on my next order, I received it after 7 days.

Courier services are Doora and Black Arrow Express

July 25 - Ordered and paid using points
July 30 - Order was shipped
August 4 - Received my order

August 7 - Ordered and paid using points and Paypal
August 14 - Received my order

October 9 - Ordered and paid via Paypal
October 12 - Order was shipped
October 23 - Received order (2 weeks) Grrr

What I like about Althea Korea?

1. Free shipping above P999 and offer COD. P250 Shipping Fee if you do not reach P999. (Update 2019: PHP1999 for FREE Shipping)
2. 30 Days Return (though I haven't tried)
3. They give you a tracking number so you can track your order 
4. I like their Althea box or Trendy Box, sobrang sulit yung price sa dami ng products sa loob. (Update 2018: They no longer offer this) 
5. I love their packaging, imagine from South Korea pa yung products pero maayos siya nung nareceived ko. I can also reuse the box this Christmas. Hehehe! 
6. Since the brands are from South Korea, I cannot understand the instructions printed on the packaging. But don’t worry because they have step by step guide on their website. I just saved and printed it. 
7. Best price. - If I will compare it to other online shops that I’ve tried, sobrang laki ng discount nila so makakatipid ka talaga. (Update 2019: They already increase their prices. huhuhu!)
8. If you will review their product, you can get a 10% discount on your next purchase. 
9. If you will order a trendy box, sometimes they will include some sample products. 
10. Sometimes, there are FREE PRODUCTS, all you need is to add them to your bag. Hindi siya sample sizes ha, as in regular size. Pabilisan lang sa pagcomplete ng order kasi while supplies last. I saw free mascara, hand cream, and soothing gel before. 
11. Sometimes, there is a REBATE too, just add the item to your cart and you will get a rebate once the order is completed or a rebate promo every time you shop.
12. From time to time, they have contests where you can win SHOPPING CREDITS. I already won PHP350 shopping credits. 
13. Sometimes they also give COUPON CODE. I got one when I order during the holiday season.
14. Sometimes you can earn REWARD POINTS that you can use for your future purchase. I got P150 rebate last March and May 2018 order. 

Update: I emailed Althea Korea regarding the promo code that I forgot, hindi ko rin pala magagamit yung P300 rebate because the WELCOME-PH code has these conditions.

* Promo code cannot be combined with any other promotions.
* This offer only valid for purchase ₱1500 and above.
* Offer valid for FIRST TIME purchase within 30 days from Sign Up.

Hmm, e puro nakapromo nga binibili ko e. hehehe!

What I don't like about Althea Korea?

1. I have no problem with Althea Korea site until last month (April 2018), I placed my order and paid via Paypal. I received a pop-up error that my order did not go through so I repeat my order and it went through. But the following day, they canceled the order because they were not able to get the payment from Paypal. Waah!

I did not order again because the two coupons code that I used for my previous orders were no longer working. They returned my reward points but the coupon codes were not restored. Every time I placed an order the discount was not applied to my account.

I emailed them regarding my concern and advised me to order again and informed them if I encountered the same problem, which I did. I placed an order and use my coupon code but the amount was not deducted from my TOTAL BILL so I paid the full amount.

But the staff kept on telling me so many things, ang dami niya pinagsasabi kung bakit daw di nagwowork. As if first-time ko mag-order, I kept on telling him/her that I just placed my order last month, they canceled the order and I can no longer use the coupons. (It should be working fine if they canceled the order, technically, hindi pa siya gamit because the order did not go through so no successful order)

I don't want to place another order just to prove to them again that my two coupon codes were not working. I gave them a lot of screenshots (mock order) and an email of my Coupon Code so, after one month, they finally returned my P400. I'm not happy with their system migration. I just hope, this will not happen on my next order.

2. After the system migration last April 2018, they no longer provide Tracking Number. It is no longer included in my email and when I checked my account, there is no tracking number too so I have to send an email again just to get my tracking number.

Update July 2018: I placed an order and when they shipped my package, there is already a tracking number. Yey!

3. There are times that the code is not working even I meet the terms and conditions. I added the code before check-out and payment but it is not working. Sayang yung Free Althea Petal Velvet Powder #Pink. I purchased more than P2000 and ang minimum is P1800 lang. :(

Althea Inc. 
Ansun Building 213, 
Yeongdong-daero Gangnam-gu 
Seoul, Korea

We were in Solenad 3 last week because I need to buy gift and cake for my son. After doing our errands, we ate lunch at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. We are frequent visitor of Solenad Nuvali pero sa dami ng restaurant doon, hindi pa namin natry lahat. I was nursing a cold at that time so I decided to eat some ramen. 


It was our first time in Hokkaido Ramen Santouka so we asked the staff for the best seller. She suggested the Shio Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen, so we ordered 1 Santouka Set Menu F “Small Ramen and Mixed Furai and Small Rice Bowl Set” P590 and 1 Santouka Light Meals 1 “Small Ramen & Charsiu Roll Meal” P375.


The set menu includes small-size ramen, rice bowl, salad, dessert and tea. I think this is good for sharing na nga, just add one extra rice. I chose Shio Ramen while my husband chose Spicy Miso Ramen. 



Shio Ramen (Salt) is white tonkotsu soup with a gentle flavor. The Spicy Miso Ramen ( Soybean paste) has three kinds of chili peppers which make the soup rich in flavor. My husband enjoyed this, flavorful nga daw. I did not try it since I’m not fond of spicy foods. 


The ramen is good but their katsu set is just okay. It is a bit dry for our taste, naovercooked na siya and hindi na juicy. I like salmon and shrimp pa naman, pero dry siya. Good thing we ordered the mixed set so we were able to try the salmon, shrimp and pork or chicken katsu. Pork or chicken kasi feeling ko pork siya while si hubby chicken naman ang lasa niya. Hahaha! For katsu meal, we prefer another restaurant. 

And for just a fleeting moment, my baby is now a tween. His birthday marks a special day in my life because it is the day when I had him. It opened my life to a new journey and gave me chance to be a mom. Whenever I look at him I know that God has blessed me so much. He may be a tween now but in my heart, he will always be my little boy.

This year, we had a birthday staycation again. If you remember my post last year, my son enjoyed our stay at EDSA Shangri-la so this year, we booked the Wonderful Weekends Package of Makati Shangri-la. We were there during the Star Magic Ball so ang daming artista, nakibirthday sa anak ko. Hehehe!

Read: Birthday Staycation at EDSA Shangri-la 

Fast forward to his birthday, he went to school while my husband and I went to Nuvali so we can buy his chocolate cake. He likes the chocolate cake of Contis so yun ulit ang birthday cake niya. Then we bought a gift at Toys R Us, I bought this “Bad Dog” toy, mahal pala siya. P999.75 and I got it at P799.75 kasi nakasale.


Before we left, we ate at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, I will share our experience in a separate post.


After school, we sang “happy birthday”, and my son blew out the candle and opened his gift. He finished his assignment and off we went to Shakey’s. We had a simple dinner with my in-laws. Since may pasok yung iba, 11 lang kami present. Sulit yung “Ber Bundle” ng Shakey’s, sobrang dami ng food kasi naka-upgrade yung pizza, chicken n mojos and may free mojos supreme pa.

Whenever we travel, we always go to a supermarket or convenience store so we can buy foods and drinks. It is cheaper than buying snacks or drinks in tourist spots area. Visiting supermarket is a learning experience too because you can see a glimpse of their lifestyle. You will notice the similarities and difference from your home country. 




During our summer trip in Norway, we’re a frequent visitor of the supermarket. We usually go with my mom before or after her work, weekends or holiday. There are 4 supermarkets in Ørland, there is REMA 1000, Europris, Extra Coop and Bunnpris. If you are Asian, you can also go to Asiamat, I already blog about this store here.



Their supermarket is small if I will compare it to our grocery stores in the Philippines. But since I live in the province, hindi naman siya nalalayo sa size ng supermarket sa amin. Hehehe! 

12 Things I learned during our supermarket trip

1. The opening and closing time of the supermarket varies so even you are working, you can go to the grocery. Just like my mom, sometimes if she needs flowers in the office, she can go to the supermarket. There is a grocery store that is open as early as 7:30AM and there is a supermarket that is open until 10PM. 



2. Malls are closed during the holiday so make sure nakabili ka na bago magholiday. Bunnpris is open even on holidays, nakabili na kami dito ng holiday. 

3. Just like in Japan, there is no bagger so you need to pack your own grocery. 



4. Plastic bag is not FREE, you need to pay for that or just bring your own bag to save money. 

5. Grocery carts are so cool too, I saw a grocery cart where you can put your baby while shopping. There is also one grocery cart that you need to put NOK10 so you can use it, You need to return the cart so you can get your NOK10 back. It is a nice way to discipline people to return their cart. Hindi tulad sa Pinas na may kumukuha ng grocery cart sa parking. Check the video.






6. If you want to buy bread, you need to slice and pack it by yourself. 



7. There is no wet market here so most of the kinds of seafood are already cooked like shrimp and squid. 




8. Most of the fish are already cleaned and sliced according to your needs. 




9. They are selling fresh herbs too as in nakatanim pa sa small pot. 



10. Their grocery stores have an app where you can check the sale, discount, or freebies. Sometimes you will also receive flyers in your mailbox regarding the sale. 

11. Not all stores are giving the receipt, siguro para tipid sa paper. Before we went back to the Philippines, I bought pasalubong and after I paid my stuff, I asked my mom, 

Me: Ma, bakit ako wala resibo? 
Mom: Hiningi mo ba? Tinatanung niya kung gusto mo ng receipt para iprint niya. 
Me: Ganun, hindi ko naman siya naintindihan e, di naman English! Hehehe! 

That is the problem if there is a language barrier, I remember our Japan experience, the cashier is saying something about the plastic bag and I asked for two pieces. (sign language) Then I was shocked when I saw my receipt, may bayad pala yung plastic. Sana pinagkasya ko na lang sa isang bag. Hehehe! 

12. You can also withdraw from the cashier, let say your total bill is NOK200, then you will use your ATM to pay, bayad ka ng sobra then yung change ibibigay sayo.

We also visited two supermarkets in Bjugn, you can check our experience here. How about you, do you like going to the supermarket?

My son will be celebrating his birthday soon, and it reminded me of our memorable trip to Camiguin. We decided to skip the traditional birthday party, since we’re not really into big celebrations, and opted instead to travel to Camiguin to celebrate his second birthday. 

One of the reasons why I gained weight last summer is because I always eat cakes and ice cream. My mom always bakes a cake every weekend, I already shared my two favorite cakes in Norway, the World’s Best Cake and Pavlova. Not only that, she also buys ice cream because my son and I love ice cream. There are also cake that you need to put ice cream on top para mas masarap. Magdiet ka pa ba?



Yes, even we are freezing cold during our stay, we can’t help but eat their ice cream. Is or ice cream in Norway are really yummy. Though I’ve seen popular brands like Ben & Jerry and Haagen Daaz in their supermarket, we still prefer other brands because it is cheaper din. I can eat those ice cream here in the Philippines but the ice cream of Norway, bihira. As of this writing, I'm missing these foods, so for now, Arce Dairy muna kami. Hehehe!

So if you are going to Norway, don’t forget to try this ice cream. 

Diplom-Is is owned by Tine, a Norwegian manufacturer of ice cream and other dairy products. We tried their Krokan, Vanilla, 3 in 1 flavor and cone ice cream. 

Krokan is a caramelized sugar mixed with butter and almonds, it is similar to brittle that we know here in the Philippines, maybe ito yung sosyal na version. Hehehe! They have Krokan ice cream flavor too and it is my stepdads favorite flavor. 



Sometimes, my mom will buy the 3 in 1 ice cream pero naiiwan lang lagi yung strawberry flavor. So we made strawberry-banana smoothie para hindi sayang.  




My most favorite ice cream brand is Royal (Diplom-Is) because it is creamy and I like their flavor, so far we have tried Vanilla, Kaffe Mocca, Skjokalade and Skogsbaer and Skjokolade flavor. 






My son likes the cone ice cream of Diplom-Is and Hennig-Olsen. Hennig-Olsen Is is another brand of ice cream in Norway. It is a family-owned ice cream factory in Kristiansand, Norway. 




What is your favorite ice cream in Norway?