Crazy Girl All Over Town

Makansutra Gluttons Bay

2012-02-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for a place to eat in Singapore on Chinese New Year is a challenge. As we were going around the whole day, only a few restaurants were open. It was a good thing that Makansutra was open. Bad news--everyone was there.

Makan basically means to eat in Malay.

After a long walk from Bugis to Esplanade we had a hard time looking for a table in Makansutra as the place was packed. Makansutra is an al fresco version of Singapore's hawkers. The whole Esplanade was full of life that night with shows by the bay, art exhibits, happy giddy and hungry diinners and everyone checking out the River Hongbao.

Carla and I saved a table as Marlon, Day Fem and Anavee ordered us our gastronomic first night dinner.

We started off with sticks of satay. The marinade penetrated the meat well and it was still juicy and tender. I liked the spicy peanut sauce that complemented it. We were a little bit full hence we did not touch the rice that came with it. The rice was similar to the puso in Cebu but it was placed in plastic instead of coconut leaves.

We also had a plate of fried rice to fill us up further.

On the side we had some garlic kailan. I usually prefer this vegetable dish when I'm in the red dot.

We tried the oyster pancake. It was a hefty serving. I didn't like the oysters that much though. It had a little bit of an after taste.

In my opinion, the star for dinner is the BBQ Sambal Stingray. The meat was tender and the sambal on top gave it a nice kick. It was my first time to eat stingray cooked this way and somehow I get what everyone has been raving about. This is a must try in Singapore.

Makansutra is a good place for lunch or dinner especially for the tourist. Feel free to walk around Esplanade then visit the Marina Bay Sands after a full meal.

P.S. Apologies I wasn't able to get any food price as I was the table guardian.

Singapore

2012-02-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

After several days of begging, I was able to convince Marlon that we go out of the country for our 2nd year anniversary. Even if this is my third time in Singapore, I did not bother revisiting another place since Wicked is playing at Marina Bay Sands.

We booked our Singapore flights with Airphil Express. Everything went smoothly from checking in but we were inside the plane awaiting for take off for about an hour. I think this one is due to Manila Air Traffic. What I liked about the flights to Singapore with Airphil is that we already paid travel tax if booked over the phone (promo price is same with the one online), 15 kilos of free baggage and an option to add more for a minimal fee and the best thing was landing in Changi Terminal 2 even if its a budget airline.

We stayed with Marlon's aunt, Day Fem in Hougang. She got us EZ link cards so paying for our bus fares and MRT went smoothly for the whole trip. We had to top up 3 times though. We were going around that much.

This trip is different from the previous ones since we were there for Chinese New Year. Tip though, try not to go to Sentosa on CNY itself, it is very crowded. After we were at Vivo City for lunch and dropping by Singapore National Museum, we headed over at Makansutra Gluttons Bay (in Esplanade) for some dinner. Aftwerwards, we just checked out the lights at River Hongbao where in they displayed in different signs under the Chinese calendar in lantern format.

The next day, were at Labrador Park for some barbecue with Marlon's relatives. This was a great place to relax during the holidays. The park had wide areas for the playground and for lounging as well. You can reserve a barbecue pit online. There is also a section of the park where you can go fishing as well as a hiking trail. Getting here is easy, just take the Circle line to Labrador then the bus will take you inside the park.

Dining at hawkers is also a must try in Singapore. I'll post more of the food we had. We tried different dishes like fish soup, chicken rice, char kway teow, kaya toast and more. Food at hawker centers are also relatively cheap and yet these are still really good.

Being a shopaholic, Orchard road is a must stop for me since I had to get my stash from H&M. Marlon had his gadget day at Sim Lim square by getting his steel series gaming gear. For purchases over 100 SGD, don't forget to ask the merchant for the GST refund. Otherwise you can't get anything from the airport.

We also enjoyed our day at Marina Bay sands. All our pictures during Wicked day was on the phone only. We went back to MBS to get our MUFC gear. An alternative way to get to MBS from Clarke Quay is by taking the water taxi. We booked a one way trip with Hippo tours for 12 SGD. Its a different experience viewing the city from the river.

We did some last minute shopping at Yew Tee and Ang Mo Kio Hub as well as meeting with our friends too.

Some tips while in Singapore--get an EZ link card, this is very convenient for buses, trains, cabs, 711, McDonalds and more. There are Hawker centers all over, try out the different dishes they offer, I assure you that you will find something you'll like and rave about. Purvis st. and Seah st. have a lot of places that offer exceptionally good chicken rice. These are located near Bugis or City Hall area. The money changer at the ground floor at Sim Lim square offer a good rate. Airport money changers also have good rates.

Dreams and Reality

2012-02-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

I think it will now be a yearly thing for me and Marlon to go out of the country in January. We ended up in Singapore during Chinese new year. After so much effort trying to get to Vivo City on CNY, we felt that it would be best that we leave the place to avoid the crowd going to Sentosa.

We found ourselves in the City Hall area with Carla, my friend Jox' sister currently based in Singapore. Before the trip we found out that there will be an exhibit of some paintings from Musee d Orsay Paris. Marlon, being artistic and all was so excited to be able to view works by Van Gogh, Manet, Rousseau and more.

We were lucky that it was open house due to the holidays and we got in for free. Regular tickets to the exhibit is at 12 SGD and if you're using your HSBC credit card you get 50% off.

After several blocks from the City Hall MRT station, we finally got to the Singapore National Museum. I admit that I liked how the preserved the facade of the museum and it was all modern inside. Going into the exhibit, was done in an orderly fashion. Sometimes I wish we can be orderly and disciplined in Manila also by knowing to fall in line.

Food and drinks were not allowed inside but we can take photos as long as we turn off the flash. Since it was open house, many people were there but everybody had their chance to view the paintings and take pictures. Here are some of the works inside. I don't know all the titles and artists in most of them.

Of course there was a whole wall dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night over the Rhone. This was his less popular starry night painting. I honestly have no idea what to look for in a painting but the thickness of the oil he used plus the strokes and blending of colors simply amazed me. Although many considered Van Gogh to be ahead of his time with the things he chose to paint.

On our way to Bugis, we say this sculpture at the Singapore Arts Museum.

It was a great experience for the three of us and we had a blast on the first day of the year of the dragon.
The exhibit was run from October 26 2011-February 5 2012.

Vikings

2012-02-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Before 2011 was about to end, we were posted with a challenge from our new boss, Mark. Well...challenge accepted and the reward was dinner at Vikings.

The buffet line offers a lot of choices with different stations. They have the meat grill and carving station, seafood grill, appetizers, salad station, seafood, chinese, japanese, italian, drinks and desserts.

I started off with the appetizers that offers selections from different cuisines. I had the braised duck, steamed vegetables, century eggs, jellyfish, meatballs, ham and salmon gravlax. The appetizers indeed offered a good start for my dinner.

Up next is a wide selection of sushi from different makis and sashimi. I only got a little bit of tuna and salmon plus around 2 types of makis. The sashimi was fresh and you even get the tune from a freshly cut fish that is included in the display. I think there was too much rice on the maki though.

After sushi, I didn't have any pictures of my plate as i chose to just gobble up my food. I have pictures of the different selections though. What I liked best was the rib eye steak. It was worth lining up in the grill. The baked oysters were not bad too as well as some of the japanese food.

What disappointed me was the seafood grill and the desserts. I did not like the rock lobster I had requested to be grilled. It looked dry and a little bit dirty with a bad taste. The dessert selection did not seam that appetizing. I opted to just go for the frozen yoghurt. They have puto bumbong though and ice cream. The puto bumbong was very good and is a better option for dessert.

Instead of going to the drinks selection right away, try heading towards the bar near the dessert section and see what is their drink for the day. I had ripe mango shake and it was better that I had something fresh instead.

Another tip, try making reservations when you plan to dine here. There was a very long outside and some of the waiters keep asking us to give up our other table even if some of our team mates were already on their way.

Vikings had some hits and misses and I think they can improve on some areas. It is still good value for the 1099 PHP that you will pay for a weekend dinner. Some of the food are already comparable to some hotel buffets. I really wish they could come up with better desserts. I would still go back to Vikings. Will have to work out again before I see myself in another buffet.

Another Trip to Tatoy's

2012-01-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

I can't leave Iloilo without eating at Tatoy's. I just can't. We always order our usual. I'm feeling a little bit tired now to even think of what to write about these but here are the pictures from our last visit. I was with my Mom and Choking.

Native Lechon Manok is a specialty at Tatoy's. Make sure you order this. You can request them to get you the munga (hen) that is still being roasted. Chicken will be very tender, juicy and tasty.

You can also ask for free soup. They will serve you a clear fish broth in a cup.

You may check out my other Tatoy's entry at Tatoy's Manokan and Seafood

Peppy Thai Deli

2012-01-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

We have always loved Peppy Thai Deli ever since it opened. We have always been addicted to their dry noodles that my tita used to send our driver to their first branch in Sambag just to have this for lunch. Every time we are home, we try to make it a point to visit Peppy Thai.

The new branch in Plazuela Iloilo is a very far image from the simple hut in Sambag when they started years ago. It may no longer feel like the whole-in-the-wall type of restaurant but the food is still comforting and I'm quite surprised that the price increase is of acceptable range despite the more commercialized location.

The set up is similar to a turo-turo and some of the food has been cooked in batches already. There are dishes however that they cook only when you order. After ordering at the counter, we were given these buri hats which will serve as our table number.

I had my staple of Red Beef Curry (89 PHP). It is placed in a very small bowl but you'll be surprised to see that is actually full of beef and not much extenders. The beef was vary tender and the curry paste was well balanced with the coconut milk. The curry was not too strong with just a touch of sweetness and evened out by the lemongrass.

Titit had Pandan Chicken (45 PHP) and Choking opted for the Pork Barbecue (34PHP). These were both served per cut/stick. The pork had a very good kick as well.

Khiao (34 PHP) is another one of out favorites. These are deep fried pork wontons served with sweet chili sauce. The wonton has good crunch as you bite into it. It was richly filled with very taste ground pork. I enjoyed the textures of crunchy and soft on the khiao as well as the flavors of sweet and spicy.

Khao Phat served with egg (75 PHP) is best accompanied by the earlier mentioned dishes. You have an option of ordering this without the fried egg as what we have done in the past. For some reason, I find my meal at Peppy Incomplete without this fried rice.

Our favorite Dry Noodles or Kwi Tien Nam usually arrives last as it is being made as you order. It is rightful indeed that this is the last one as it serves as the great climax of a good meal. There is another version of this dish at Peppy that is served with soup but I prefer the dried one. The bowl is filled with rice noodles with some sugar, sliced pork, liver, veggies, peanuts and a little bit of chili. Each component plays around your mouth with the variety of textures and flavors.

I like Peppy because some of the dishes they serve are not the usual ones we see in Thai restaurants. The food will always be comforting. I hope they can serve the food warm thought but I'm pretty sure that if they do that, prices will get higher.

Peppy will always be on my list on where to eat when in Iloilo.

Peppy Thai Deli is located at the GF Plazuela Iloilo Diversion Road Mandurriao.

P.S. I hope they serve milk tea soon though. Do try their dried squid as well.

Joy-Joy's Kalan-an

2012-01-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Before going home for the holidays, I had this intense craving for adobado and I don't even know any place in Manila that serves this. Titit and I agreed that our first lunch out in Iloilo will be at Joy-Joy's and we forcefully convinced our Mom to agree.

Joy-Joy's has a new branch in Brgy. Nabitasan in Leganes along the coastal road. My Dad takes pride in being able to convince the owner to have this new branch opened and somewhat nearer to the city proper. The newer branch has a more unique shape and somehow makes it less crowded.

We had our usual, Sinugba nga Managat where its always perfectly seasoned with juicy and tender meat. The fish's head was cut and made into soup.

Sinugba nga Bangrus (Bangus) is always a staple wherever we eat. This one is not boneless though and made the fish tastier when grilled. We were trained since we were kids to eat Bangus with all that tinik.

We had a serving of Talaba also because we simply miss it. My Mom would usually request for our talaba to be malasado and we all loved it that way dipped in sinamak.

Sinugba nga pork chop is always at its best at Joy-Joy. Flavorful and juicy with every bite.

Kinilaw nga pasayan is a favorite of mine. The sinamak gave it a good flavor including the mix of ginger, onions, spring onions and a little bit of red chilli for a kick. It was a good blend of sweet, sour and spicy.

As for the Adobado, I simply poured the sauce over rice which what makes it so good. Adobado is alimusan (a kind of fish) cooked in coconut milk with other spices. I'm not sure if atsuete gives its bright orange color. I had no desire of learning how to cook this but I simply enjoy eating this dish. The fish is usually very tender and fat. The fat gives a good flavor to the gata sauce. I don't like my adobado to be really spicy. Joy-Joy found a good balance of the flavor for this dish where every bite is simply comforting.

Joy-Joy's Kalan-an is always in my list of places to eat when I'm home. I'm assured the food is always fresh and well seasoned. Good thing the drive is now shorter to get to this place. Despite the new branch, the quality of the food is still the same.

Joy-Joy's Kalan-an can be found in Brgy Nabitasan Leganes Iloilo along the Coastal Road.

P.S. We got some Garlic Shrimps from Bulljack as part of our lunch. I swear it was the best one I've had. It was overloaded with finely minced garlic and the right sweetness to the butter. You may find Bulljack along the Coastal Road too but somewhere near the road going to Metropolis. I didn't have a photo of it because it was that good to eat.

San Lo's Famous

2012-01-14T00:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last entry after the crazy holidays. While in Iloilo, I just didn't feel like going online or even going out. When I got back for New Year, I just felt guilty of everything I ate back home. On the first day of 2012 I found myself at Medical City's ER because my face and neck were swollen from tooth abscess. After that the thought of food makes me sad because I know I couldn't eat it. I had dental surgery the week after with Dr. Jill Coson (her dental clinic deserves a different entry). And its sad because her office was right beside San Lo's famous and Va Bene Pasta Deli.

Years back, my friend Grazey gave me the best chicken empanada I've had. I thought of it as a chicken pie due to the crumbly crust. She told me she got it in Petron and I've always felt lazy to go there. So with all my dental procedures and check ups, I got myself a box right after my stitches were taken out.

They were cooked fresh. I got a box of six (510 PHP) with 3 Pastel de Pollo and 3 Jamon y Queso empanadas. Yes they are quite expensive at 85 PHP each but let me sway you and convince you that it was worth it.

When I got back in the office, I offered one to Karen and another to Chryssie for some of the stuff they gave me that day. As I sink my teeth on the warm empanada, the crust in all its buttery glory simply crumbles in my mouth. The pastel itself was really good too. I gave the remaining ones to Marlon and by morning 2 were gone. I had a taste of the Jamon y queso and it was so good that this one is my favorite. The ham was tender and not too powerful. The cheese was more like a cheese sauce that the saltiness was tamed and made more creamy. It was not the artificial cheese sauce though, it was made from scratch.

Once in while, indulge yourself in a good empanada. It's worth it.

San Lo's famous also has different kinds of sans rival, bars and other baked goods. They had me at empanada though.

San Lo's famous can bee found on the 2nd floor of Petron Dasmariñas. Pasay Rd cor EDSA Makati City. You may contact them at +6328442853

Going on Fan girl mode for David Beckham

2011-12-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

The weekend still seems surreal. I still can't believe that I saw David Beckham in the flesh last Saturday.

When we found out that the LA Galaxy was coming to Manila, I just knew that we need to get tickets. My cousin Bibay upon landing in Manila last November went straight to National Bookstore and got us the cheapest tickets of 2000 PHP. Ticket prices were that steep ranging from 2000-12500 PHP. As much as I wanted to be in the VIP section, it will really be insane to spend that much when I have travel plans for next year. Even if I just wanted to see David up close.

It all started sometime in the 90s when the Spice Girls, Backstreet boys, Hanson and other groups were starting and were making a big hit. When Posh was then dating Becks I just had to find out what the fuss was all about with this guy. I never thought I will get hooked on how hot he is and those curve balls he makes on free kicks that really makes me think how he does it. Yes--my football life started out as David's fan girl. I used to stay up late when I see Manchester United is on EPL. I enjoyed watching goals and seeing how fantastic they were. This lead to my love for football and why I'm a United fan all the way even if Becks has moved to Spain and the United States recently.

Of course I' disappointed with how this was organized again. Tickets were too expensive and we didn't have a chance for a meet and greet. I would love to have my Beckham pants signed. On matchday against the Azkals, the line going inside went all the way to Taft Avenue. We didn't even get to see the warm ups. I don't get it why we can't bring decent cameras with a good lens range. When I went to Singapore to catch Liverpool in 2009, I was sitting on the third row with tickets for only about 3000 PHP and shooting to my heart's content with a 300mm lens. Lastly it was sad that we expected a victory lap after promising to behave and didn't get it--although I'm sure security was an issue again.

The Azkals had an excellent first half but I noticed that they get tired easily from the fast pace of play and some just seem to be really physical when they can't keep up with the Galaxy. I'm glad Galaxy played their normal pace and let everyone see where we are at football. We still needed time to develop our players and this experience should boost it.

If the rumors are true and they are bringing in other clubs--especially the ones from Europe, I just don't know how to react to this. I have heard that either Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea may come over. I seriously doubt it will be for next year since some of the players will be part of the Olympics or the Euro at least. I hope my club Manchester united will visit the country someday too. While waiting though for who's the next club to come next, the organizers should nonstrategic and I think the Azkals can do some adjustments too.

But oh well..I saw David Beckham last saturday and that will get me giddy enough until my next vacation.

Caramoan and the long boat rides

2011-11-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

Caramoan is not for the faint-hearted. This seems to be our mantra during our 3 days stay at Caramoan town. The travel to Caramoan is pretty long but you get your reward once you set foot in the virgin islands near Caramoan town.

We took a 50 minute flight from Manila to Naga. I was on a different flight than my friends since mine was cheaper by about 1300 PHP when I booked it with no promos or whatsoever. Upon landing in Pili Airport, I was greeted by staff and a band holding out welcome streamers--kidding. This wasn't for me. I was on the same flight with the Ms. Earth candidates hence the red carpet greeting upon landing.

When my friends arrived in Pili airport, we arranged our transport to Sabang port with Kuya Felix for a cheap rate of 1000 PHP one way. We saved around 500 PHP for our transport to Sabang since Pili is nearer. We did not make it for the 9 am trip. We missed it by 5 minutes and had to wait for another 2 hours for the next trip. Boat trips from Sabang is at 5,7,8,9,11 am and at 2pm. The boat to Caramoan will take about 2 hours.

When we got there, we were picked up by our resort, West Peninsula Villas. We arranged an all in package for 3400 PHP each for a 3 days and 2 nights stay. The package includes accommodation, food, island hopping and free souvenir. The price varries depending how many persons there are in a group and how long you will stay. Check out their facebook page for more information: West Peninsula Villas-Facebook

We were so tired and hungry when our lunch arrived. We had laing (the best I've had), prawns, fish and leche flan for dessert with a 1 litter bottle of Pop Cola.

We then started with island hopping. The waves were too high hence we only got to see 1 island that day (take note we arrived late too). Sabitang Laya island had beautiful rock formations and very fine sand. After staying there for a while, we needed to get back to the port since it was getting late and the tide was getting higher.

We were served dinner after we showered. Anj, Tom and Shai were very happy to see that crab was part of our dinner. After that, we just dozed off and were too tired from our long travel to Caramoan.

The next day, the weather seems bipolar again as the rain just stopped from pouring the whole night. After our tocilog breakfast, we headed out to the port again for Island hopping day 2.

The weather was a little bit more cooperative but the waves were not. Hence we didn't see other islands like Matukad and passing by Gota. The other islands were beautiful and untouched. We just had a great time taking pictures. Our first stop was at Cotivas Island which has a long stretch of sand.

Lunch was at this very wide sand bar with little huts. We got a hut for 100 PHP and 2 bukos or coconuts at 20 PHP each. We had packed lunch from West Pen.

Our last stop was at Brgy Tagbon to go up around 523 steps plus another 17 steps to see our Lady of the ost Holy Rosary. It was a steep climb up and had to stop about 4 times. We were just trying to enjoy the view to shake away the tired feeling.

On top, there was a small chapel and then behind it is the 17 steps that will lead us to the Virgin Mary. This was erected when a resident of Tagbon had a dream of a large heart in the mountain and informed their parish priest about it. This was already the second image as the first one was struck by lighting a few years ago.

We enjoyed the beautiful view before going down. We had a last picture at the entrance with our friendly tour guides in Tagbon.

When we headed back the waves were already getting high. We went back to the resort for a shower then headed out to the town proper for some barbecue and fish balls. We made a quick stop at the Cathedral before going back for dinner.

We left Caramoan on the first boat out to Sabang at 7 am and took the van (100 PHP) to Naga.

The road to Caramoan is pretty long but very affordable. From Manila you can take a bus to Naga from Pasay or Cubao or fly directly to Naga. We rented a car at 1000 PHP from Pili airport to Sabang. Pump boat to Sabang is at 120 PHP. Everything was arranged by West Pen at 3400 PHP for 3 days and 2 nights. Van from Sabang to Naga is at 100 PHP.

I felt like I haven't seen all of Caramoan yet and would like to go back. The people were very friendly. West Peninsula Villas is a great place to stay and highly recommended. I just want to go back there. Will plan another trip during summer so the waves from the Pacific will cooperate.

Deco's Original Lapaz Batchoy

2011-11-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

A trip to Iloilo will never be complete without going to Deco's Lapaz Batchoy specifically the one you can find in Lapaz Market. If you ask me why the Lapaz Market branch, answer is simple--the original owners of Deco's operates this branch. Among all the Deco's branches i the city, I find that there is an X-factor in the original branch. I'm not sure what it is but after trying out the other branches, I only want to go to this one.

We had a quick meal before going to the Airport for our flight back to Manila. I like my batchoy to have not much fuss, no extra egg or whatsoever. I just ordered the Super. The broth or caldo is very flavorful with generous toppings of pork, beef, innards, liver and crispy chicharon. Of course the caldo is refillable

Marlon looks very happy with his bowl of batchoy. It's his first time in this branch. This is one of the places that I know about and he doesn't in Iloilo and I finally found an edge. LOL

What I love about this branch is not just the batchoy but the nostalgia of seeing all the football relics they have on the walls. There were two world cup matchball replicas, the German National team (Die National Mannshaft) back in the 90s and more.

So when in Iloilo make sure to visit this branch specifically. I think it's the best way to experience batchoy, having it at the place where it started.

Deco's Original Lapaz Batchoy is located at the Lapaz Public Market.

Dek A Thai Food

2011-11-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

My sisters and I enjoy eating out especially if we get to try restaurants that serve Asian food and not too expensive. We tried this whole in the wall restaurant along Vito Cruz extension called Dek A.The place is really small with indoor and outdoor dining. We were seated outside near the grill and right beside the street.

We started with our respective milk teas--Thai Milk Tea for me and Thai Green Milk Tea for the sisters at 65 PHP each. We loved the Thai Green Milk Tea as this has a flowery taste. The Thai milk tea was good but the blend of the green tea stands out.

We decided to split the Green Curry Chiken served with Thai Jasmine rice (150 PHP). The chicken was tender and a good spice level. We loved it.

Next were Spring rolls (120 PHP) fried to a crisp with juicy and tasty fillings of pork, glass noodles, cabbage and carrots in a rice paper roll. I liked that this was not oily either and it stays crispy.

Choking went crazy over their Chicken Noodles (120 PHP). The soup was very flavorful with a good amount of noodles and chicken meatballs.

Of course we needed to have Pad Thai (180 PHP) to complete our thai meal. The rice noodles were cooked just right where it was still firm to the bite yet really soft. I was seasoned just right, not to sweet nor too salty.

We loved Dek A. It was a small and simple restaurant but you really get your money's worth. The servings were just right, service was fast and the food was really good. I would definitely go back for the Thai green milk teas.

Dek A is located at Vito Cruz ext cor Sampaloc st Makati City

The Wannabe Chef: Corn Risotto

2011-11-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Saturdays can be lazy.Yet on saturdays you would also wanted to have good food. I always believe that weekends are cheat days hence making Corn Risotto on a Saturday.

Why corn if you would ask me and this all about carbo-loading? Honestly, there were no mushrooms at the convenience stores in our area and this is the only reason.

To make Corn Risotto you would need:
1/2 can of whole kernel corn or 2 ears of fresh corn
Chopped Garlic
Chopped Onion
1 cup of uncooked rice
white wine, vodka or lambanog
Chicken stock
herbs like basil and oregano
bay leaf
Cream
Olive Oil

To make the Risotto:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan then saute garlic and onion
2. Once onions are sweated, add in the uncooked rice. Make sure that the rice is evenly coated with oil.
3. Add your white wine or any clear alcohol of your choice. Let it simmer until the alcohol evaporates then add your dried herbs and bay leaf. Pour in the chicken stock then allow the rice to cook.
4. Once rice is soft, add in the corn kernels then allow your risotto to simmer.
5. Remove your bay leaf then turn off the heat. Add cream until desired consistency.

You can make more variations for this dish like chicken and corn risotto or change the corn into shitake mushrooms. Happy eating!

Hainanese Delights

2011-11-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ever since I introduced Hainanese Delights to my sister Titit, she would always request that we eat here whenever we are in Robinsons Galleria. This place is nostalgic to our first Chicken Rice experience in Singapore's Sin Swee Kee.

We will always appreciate unlimited condiments in any restaurant specializing in Chicken Rice as we are very big fans of the crushed ginger.

Marlon introduced me to this place a few months back and this was discovered by his Malaysian colleague Ernest. This is as close to authentic.

Titit and I ordered the two variants for the Chicken Rice--fried and steamed. Not only will they give unlimited condiments here, it's also unlimited Chicken Rice for only 120 PHP. Each order will also have a quarter chicken with a little bit of soup added to it. We loved the taste of the chicken and their crushed ginger. We even finished the whole container. I wish they would thicken their soy sauce though instead of having the normal one straight from the bottle. The Rice was also very tasty.

We also had a bowl of pork dumpling soup (75 PHP). They soup was lightly seasoned and garnished with garlic and shallots. Along with the dumplings swimming in hot broth are several slices of pechay.

Hainanese Delights is a good place to get your Chicken Rice fix. It doesn't only taste good, it's also good value for money.

Hainanese Delights is located at the Ground level of Robinsons Galleria, near the food court and electronics areas.

Borough

2011-10-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to convince Marlon that we try out Borough in The Podium. Sundays are usually lazy days for us but since we haven't gone out together for two weeks, guess it's about time. I made sure to leave a picture of Borough's steak frites in his computer just to entice him and did it work.

Borough is named after the Boroughs of New York and served NY comfort food 24/7. The ambiance of this place made it a little but more down to earth with the dirty floors and a slight mismatch of the furniture. This seems to draw different crowds and make them feel more at home. Although my friend Anj was laughing at me when I associated this with a medical clinic also named Borough.

We were there for Halloween and the waiters and waitresses wore masks for the occasion. They also have Halloween specials for the food.

We had the Baked Mac n Cheese (320 PHP) for our starter. I love the gooeyness of the guryere cheese and the parmesan and cheddar provided the salt in this dish. The panko crumbs on top provided a crunchy texture to contrast the soft and gooey cheeses. I find this a good but a little bit oily. If you're looking for your mac n cheese fix though, this is quite good but not the best one I've had.

I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (240 PHP) and loved every bite of this. The pork and barbecue sauce tasted great and balanced out by the coleslaw. The bread was soft too. I should have eased this sooner as some of the oil from the pork was already dripping when I started to eat. I liked the crisps that were served with the sandwich--crispy but not too salty.

Marlon had the NY Strip Steak (890 PHP) for his main course. He had the fries changed with dirty mashed potatoes instead. We were disappointed that this was not served hot hence the fat getting a little bit tough by the time it got to our table. The herb butter gave a good balance to the steak.

He also had a glass of Calamansi Juice (60 PHP) which we found sour.

Of course a visit to Borough will not be complete without Mom's Milk and Cookies (220 PHP). They had the Halloween special so we had a different variety of cookies--sour candy, rocky road and chocolate kiss almond. The cookies were warm and soft and I loved the vanilla milk. We were provided with small glasses for our milk where we can dunk our cookies. I have to try this on normal days though with the chocolate chip cookies variant.

Overall Borough was ok with us. Serving time however took very long hence some of our food was not that hot when it arrived to us. Marlon was on his iTouch the whole wait time and good thing I have my camera with me.

They have food that are worth raving about and some that are just ok. I would definitely go back for those Milk and Cookies and the BBQ pulled pork. I guess I have to try their burger too. Any other suggestions? What's your favorite at Borough?

Borough is located at the Ground Floor of The Podium, ADB Avenue Ortigas Center Pasig City.

Ye Dang

2011-10-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

To get the baby sister her graduation gift (yes DLSU has graduations in October), I convinced her to choose any shoe at Payless. Although we ended up getting her a blazer at Forever 21 in Magemall instead. Along with my bribe, I promised that we will eat at Ye Dang along Meralco Avenue.

For my second time in Ye Dang, we decided to go for our favorites and usual orders.

Of course we had the Samgyupsal.pork belly (280 PHP). They did not use the charcoal grill this time, must be we were there for very late lunch. The onions helped in giving making the pork tastier. This is one of the best ones I've had so far. If anyone has suggestions of which Korean restaurants I should try, drop it in the comments section please.

The server grilled our pork belly with the onions then cut it up into smaller pieces so you can wrap it up in shiso leaves or lettuce. I liked the shiso leaf better as it gave another dimension of taste.

Best to dip the pork belly in the sesame oil with salt and pepper. Place it in the leaf with some rice then add the danjang paste and some garlic. Feel free to add some of the side dishes. Roll it up then eat your samgyupsal.

We had the Soft tofu in Kimchi soup. This was good too but the one from Woo Ri tasted better as well as another restaurant in Makati according to Choking, she's the Korean foodie after all.

Korean dishes always come with free side dishes.

At Ye Dang they gave us a salad.

Sweetened baby potatoes.

Sweetened dilis.

Kimchi in pechay and kang kong variants.

Garlic kang kong.

Fish cakes.

And mushrooms.

Despite the movable exhaust nozzles, one can still smell like barbecue at Ye Dang, but I think their ventilation is much better compared to other Korean restaurants who specialize in grilled meats. Also I think it would be better if their staff is friendlier.

I think Ye Dang is a good place to get my Korean fix. They have more dishes worth trying like the Bibimbop, squid with vegetables and the Kalbi.

Ye Dang is located along Meralco ave right before Metrowalk if coming from Julia Vargas.

A Quiet Saturday at Casa Roces

2011-10-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Yasuo san was back in Manila for another training session with us. We took him out for lunch on a Saturday morning. We were undecided where to take him and it was a good thing Andrea suggested Casa Roces inside the Malacanang complex. During the long car ride from Makati to San Miguel Manila, we were exchanging stories about life in Japan and in the Philippines.

We had no idea what to expect but this big beautiful door was the one that greeted us upon entering. I loved the furnishings of old books and antiques in the yellow shelves. The ambiance seems elegant and homey at the same time.

The restaurant downstairs is actually called Kape Chino, paying homage to Don Chino Roces. The restaurant boasts Spanish and Filipino cuisine. Some of these dishes has been fused with other European cuisines to give each guest a different dinning experience. I loved the twists they have on our favorite classics yet there dishes that best cooked the traditional way.

It took a long time for us to decide what to order as there seems to be a lot of good items on the menu. We started off with Choritos en Balsamico (295 PHP). The chorizos were not too salty and the sweetened balsamic balanced out the taste. It was served with slices of crunchy bread. Each bite will have sweet and salty flavors dancing in your mouth.

We then shared the Marinated Artichoke Salad (160 PHP). It was really good with fresh and crunchy vegetables dressed lightly in vinaigrette. I hope they had a bigger portion of this though. The artichokes had a nice touch of sourness and balanced out by the shaved parmesan and olives.

Chryssie and Karen both had the Fettuccine with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Mushrooms (185 PHP). The pasta was al dente and the cream sauce with truffle oil made this perfect. The aroma of the truffle let's you keep coming back for more.

Yasuo san had the Spaghettini Gambas ala Jillo (195 PHP). He liked this dish too with rich flavors of garlic, tomatoes and shrimp.

Andrea and I had the Pan-fried Sole ala Beure Noisette (220 PHP). I liked how the lemon and capers balanced this dish. It went well with the garlic and the tender fillet of fish. The fish was grilled perfectly--it has a nice golden crust but the fillet was very tender inside and full of flavor.

We had an array of desserts and hot drinks after our lunch. The Leche Flan Brulee (95 PHP) was very creamy. It was a fushion of leche flan and creme brulee. Instead of a caramel topped flan, the sugar was torched to form a crunchy topping.

We also liked the Cherry Walnut Cheesecake (150 PHP). It had the right balance of taste and textures. The cheese was not too strong. The cheesecake was velvety but had a good balanced of crunch from the walnuts.

The Tiramisu (150 PHP) was alright as well.

Along with our cakes, we had Tsokolate Ah, Cappuccino and Baileys Coffee. All these over Yasuo san talks about reaching for your dreams and really wanting it. We will always remember his story on how he got the States.

After our lunch they toured us upstairs to see the function rooms. All the rooms had beautiful furnishings of chandeliers, antique tables and chairs and different types of art like sculptures, drawings, photos and even designed and carved parchment paper.

These rooms are great for intimate events and can be rented for 1000 PHP per person and consumable. The restrooms were beautiful too. All the function rooms are named after publications like The Manila Times, The Tribune, the Daily Mirror and more where Don Chino Roces was the editor.

We had a great time at Casa Roces, The service was good and all their staff were helpful and polite. We loved the food. The ambiance was perfect and quiet and just right to have good talks with the perfect company.

Casa Roces can be found in JP Laurel st cor Aguado st San Miguel Manila. This is inside the Malacanang Complex. Coming from Osmena highway, turn right at Quirino avenue then take the Nagtahan Bridge. Do not go up the flyover to Lacson st. Just go down and turn left at the intersection until you see the guard going in to Malacanang. Casa Roces is just down the road.

Corregidor

2011-10-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

We purchased a deal from Beeconomic for a Corregidor tour with Sun Cruises. We wanted to go on a corregidor tour for sometime and we finally managed to find a weekend where we are all available.

Corregidor served as a last stand of Manila against the Japanese occupation during World War II. Today, all the ruins has been preserved on the Island. The "rock" shaped like a tadpole rests on the mouth of Manila bay, off the coast of Bataan. It defended Manila until its fall.

Sun Cruises has daily trips to Corregidor. The package includes round trip boat transfers, buffet lunch and the tour.

Each tour group on the Island will have a different route as they have calibrated the tours so not all crowds will be in 1 area at the same time. The tours are on trams which served as the mode of transportation on the island before the war.

We visited several memorials like the Japanese memorial, the Philippine war memorial, and we had tickets to the Lights and Sounds tour inside Malinta tunnel. Our guide was very friendly and explained thoroughly about our history. He also suggests which spots are good for picture taking.

Lunch was served at the Corregidor Inn. Food varies daily and we were lucky we had seafood paella that day.

More spots were visited after lunch like the batteries, the lighthouse and the Pacific War Memorial.

The package was worth it (what more for us since we purchased a deal). The staff and tour guides of Sun Cruises were accommodating and their tours are very well coordinated. They allot a certain time for a spot on the island and try to be considerate not to be late also as there were people in our group who were late.

Until the next trip with Tom, Shai, Anj, Marge and Marlon.

Visit the Sun Cruises website for more information. http://www.corregidorphilippines.com/index.html

The Wannabe Chef: Pesto Cream Spaghetti with bacon and smoked Salmon

2011-10-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

This is my attempt to replicate the pasta I had tried from Bacolod's Cafe Uma. It wasn't as good but I would say pretty close. Making this dish is pretty simple.

You will need:
A pack of spaghetti or any pasta of your choice (linguine would be good too)
Cream
Bacon or panchetta
Chopped Garlic
Olive Oil
Basil
Parmesan Cheese

1. Cook you pasta until al dente. Reserve a little bit of the pasta water.
2. Prepare your pesto in advance by placing basil, olive oil and garlic in a food processor or blender. Add parmesan cheese in the end.
3. Cut your bacon into 1/2 inch strips. Fry the bacon.
4. Once bacon is golden brown, add the pasta and pesto, mix well. Add a little pasta water.
5. Turn off the fire then add the cream.
6. Top off with smoked salmon slices.

Choking and I loved this pasta dish. If you want to save time, you can prepare your pesto in advanced or purchase a bottle of pesto from the supermarket. Feel free to try sun dried tomato pesto insted of basil pesto.

Kagura

2011-10-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Time to do some backtracking entries for now. Remember that devastating quake that hit Japan this year? It will always be a sad thought especially seeing your sister teary eyed looking at NHK and thinking that one of her friends was in Sendai. Yes this all happened while we were in Kagura in Little Tokyo.

A lot of Japanese nationals were there that night to view the latest happenings involving the earthquake and tsunami. We were there too...both Choking and me. We were watching the news over Edamame and Okonomiyaki.

Kagura is well known for it's Okonomiyaki. They have different varieties of it too--depending on what style you want and what fillings entices you.

As we enter the small restaurant inside Little Tokyo in Makati, we were seated at the counter addorned with baseball paraphernalia of the cutest designs I though of. The owner and chef of Kagura loves baseball whether in Japan or even in the Philippines.

We started with the Edamame (130 PHP)--boiled young soybeans seasoned with salt. This is very addciting.

Next we ordered some rice cakes with nori to fill us up. The rice cakes were soft and sticky with a hint of salt from the butter. Nori can be found at the center of the rice cake and I usually save that part for last.

We opted to go for the Osaka style Okonomiyaki with pork (220 PHP). Choking and I love okonomiyaki and this was the best one I had so far--not sure with her, she's more exposed to Japanese food compared to me. Another style of Okonomiyaki is the Hiromshima style which has yakisoba mixed with it. More varieties of okonomiyaki are available like hvaing it with tako and bonito flakes also. We liked our japanese pancakes simple.

We loved the ambiance at Kagura. Dispite the sad atmosphere that day, the food somehow gives me comfort. Maybe I should look for someone to share a Kagura okonomiyaki with today.

Kagura is found inside Little Tokyo, Pasong Tamo Makati City.

Puerto Princesa

2011-10-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

There was one sad thing about our Puerto Princesa trip, we didn't see everything. Thanks to the travel agency (Ensemble E-travel purchased through Metro Deal) who was not very responsive, I could barely request them to extend our travel dates and I'll just pay for our other expenses. Hence, we didn't get to see the Underground River in Sabang.

Our trip started out as a disaster--from a travel agency that doesn't feel like responding until our delayed flight which we saw how inefficient the ground crew of Airphil Express is in Manila.

Our saving grace happened the moment we stepped in Puerto Princesa. At first, we noticed that our names were not being held by anyone but we found the hotel's (from our voucher) transport and within a few minutes we were in A&A Plaza Hotel.

Turns our our name was not even there. A&A's front desk was considerate enough and very polite. They asked for our voucher and did all they can in finding us a room since the room that the agency had on our voucher was already given to a walk-in guest since our names were not there. We ended up getting a bigger room. Both room and bathroom were clean enough for us. I just wished they had fluffier pillows though.

We made a mistake about not setting a decent price with the tricycle to Baker's Hill. It was 6 pm already since Marlon wanted to sleep. We didn't have any pictures there. At least the goodies we got of Ube Hopia, Hopia Baboy, Chocolate Crinkles and Lengua de Gato was already good enough.

We also had a bad hunch that our tour was not even arranged. Good thing Carlo from Ensemble replied to our texts and we finally confirmed our Honda Bay tour the next day which was included in their Palawan Deal. Catch was, he gave us the wrong pick up time of 9-10:15am hence we were still eating breakfast when our guide Kuya Batz picked us up from the hotel.

Once we have started with the tour, everything else went smoothly. On our way to the port, we stopped by a store to rent our snorkels for 150 PHP. They also offer underwater cases for point and shoot digital cameras. Once we reached the port, we just signed the manifesto then boarded the pump boat to start our journey to the first stop, Pambato Reef.

Our boatman guided us through the reef and pointed out the giant clam. The reef was big but I did not see as much variety in the fishes as I have seen before in Boracay. It was still good though since the corals were quite unique from the ones I saw before. No underwater pictures for me since I don't have a case for my SLR.

Our next stop was Snake Island, shaped like a snake hence the name. All the picnic areas were here and this is were we got a good lunch of Fish (Isda sa Bato), Grilled liempo, Shrimp, Eggplant, Salted egg and tomatoes and green mango with bagoong. Marlon and I had a few pictures and went for a swim before lunch.

During lunch we discovered our companions also purchased the same deal with us and experienced the same headache too. Were all glad that finally the trip happened and lesson learned never to purchase a deal from Ensemble again. Turns out, we would spend the same amount of money if we planned the trip ourselves. Kuya Batz explained to us the actual costs of the different tours.

We finished the tour with a stop at Pandan Island. Marlon and I snorkeled for the last time here a midst the sea grass were several schools of fish. We saw more fish here compared to the one in Pambato Reef. We also found starfish in the shores and had a few pictures with it. Now I realized this doesn't seem to be good to the environment.

Kuya Batz took us to the souvenir shop before dropping us off at the hotel.

We also had a good time eating at Ka Lui and Badjao Seafront Restaurant.

Everyone at Puerto Princesa were very nice and accommodating. I noticed they value the city's tourism very much and would give you recommendations or would help you out to make your trip worth while.

I would recommend the A&A Plaza Hotel, good value for Money. Contact Batz Elamne +639267208842 or +639997583698 for tours or Jun Dacaraga at +639198160536 or +639159640777. Kuya Jun has a tricycle which would be a good option if there's only 2 of you. They can also arrange transport and tours to El Nido.

We did not get to see evrything, Looks like were coming back. Moral lesson, arrange your own trip.

Badjao Seafront Restaurant

2011-10-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Since we decided to splurge on food, we decided to cap our Puerto Princesa trip with an early dinner at Badjao Seafront Restaurant. It was receommended that we go to Badjao early to be able to appreciate the view. Built on stilts within the Mangroves, Badjao offers a calm ambiance of the setting sun in the mountains and the quiet side of the ocean.

We were seated right beside the windows with a good view of mountains behind the sea and mangroves. I would say it was quite romantic at that time.

We were not that hungry since we had a heavy lunch in Honda Bay. We still wanted to try out as much as we can in Badjao.

Marlon started with a Mango Shake (95 PHP) with the mangoes very sweet and you can taste the natural sweetness of the fruit. Our guide in Honda Bay, Kuya Badz informed us that mangoes in Palawan are usually from Guimaras. No wonder we had a treat--it just meant home.

We decided to have Caesar Salad (140 PHP) for veggies. The type of lettuce used were bitter greens and we were not fans of it. We loved the croutons though for some reason. It tasted buttery.

Our big bowl of Chicken Binakol (195 PHP) came next. It's good for about 4-5 people. The taste of the soup passed our standards for Binakol. The sweetness coming from the coconut juice mixed with the chicken broth was just the right blend. The coconut was also very soft. It would taste better if native chicken was used.

Marlon wanted Tanigue so we had Tanigue Steak (195 PHP). The fish was cooked just right. We noticed that fish is not usually seasoned with salt before grilling here in Palawan. This was still ok with us though since the tanigue was fresh and juicy.

He also gave in to ordering lobsters and so we ended up having Garlic Butter Lobster (175 PHP per 100g). One order is 2 lobsters steamed with garlic and butter. The sauce did not overpower the taste of the lobsters. It also had the right amount fat in it and even some roe.This was really good.

We had a plate of Garlic Rice (95 PHP) to go with our food. We barely touched this since we though we were that hungry and it turns out we were wrong. It was still good though.

I also liked the furnishings and decor used in Badjao. It was colorful and unique. It's great to take pictures around here.

The restaurant is also quite far from the road. I would recommend arrangement with a tricycle. Feel free to contact Jun Dacaraga at +639198160536 or +639159640777 for your tricycle arrangements in the city. He can also arrange tours for you. For van arrangements, another contact option is Batz Elamne +639267208842 or +639997583698.

Badjao Seafront Restaurant was the best way to cap our vacation. It is located in Abueg st. Puerto Princesa City Palawan.

Ka Lui

2011-10-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

The past weekend was all about relaxation in Puerto Princesa. What we enjoyed most was the food and I think food should have it's own entry. I'll start first with Ka Lui along Rizal Avenue.

We got there at 8 in the evening for their second batch of diners with a reservation. The place is usually packed so it is best to call in advance for a reservation.

After they asked us to remove out slippers (yes its bare feet inside Ka Lui), they showed us to our table in a quite side of the restaurant where they usually sit persons of 2-3 in a table. I loved how they decorated the place and the lighting was very intimate. The liked the acoustics as well. I could not hear the big groups in the other corner.

The waiter got our orders right away. Marlon was disappointed at first since it was not what he expected. He was more used to the road/sea side talabahans in Iloilo.

We did not expect the servings to be quite big, so don't be surprised at how much we ordered. We finished most of it too.

First to arrive were our Fruit Shakes (60 PHP). I had watermelon and he had his usual mango shake. The drinks were well presented and had the right sweetness to it. It was a good start for dinner.

We were given complimentary clam soup. It was a good starter but I think it needs a little more salt and ginger. Must not complain though since it's free right?

We had Green Mango with bagoong (70 PHP) for our appetizer.

Marlon's Tuna Steak (195 PHP) arrived next. It consisted of a well grilled tuna steak, sauteed ferns, seaweed salad and atchara. They grilled the tuna perfectly but I would prefer they add in salt before grilling to bring out the taste of the fish. We liked the ferns in this dish and it seemed to balance out the items we ate.

The tuna kilawin (155 PHP) was very good as well. The tuna was really fresh and I liked the vinegar that they used.

The grilled squid (195 PHP) was a bit bigger than we thought. It was succulent and grilled just right. It came with a generous amount of atchara.

They provided us with a complimentary dessert of mixed fruits in a coconut bowl. I only selected the fruits that I ate--watermelon, mango and coconut. I skipped the papaya and bananas.

What I liked best about the Ka Lui experience was the service. The waiters were attentive and courteous that Marlon added an extra tip even if they have service charge.

Ka Lui is a good start for our 3-day vacation. Make sure to call in advance for a reservation. Call Ka Lui at +639287539621 or (048) 4332580.

Ka Lui is located along Rizal Avenue Puerto Princesa City Palawan.

Belitos

2011-10-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

On our last night in Davao, we headed over to Belitos for their Paella Negra. The place had a simple yet intimate ambiance. My friends has been raving about their paella despite my recommendation that they try the the paella negra at de bonte koe. I was craving for paella negra and I think it's a good idea that I try out Belitos' version.

One order of Paella Negra (350 PHP) is good enough for about 3 or 4 people. The rice was very tasty from the squid ink. It was soft yet toasted on the bottom parts. The squeeze of lime also added a good kick to it. The squid mixed with it was soft and succulent. Every bite just seemed to have a good variety of taste and texture.

The lengua was also tender. It was a good companion to the paella but it is overshadowed and I did not remember much about it.

The beef salpicao was alright as well. Tender and well seasoned beef good to my liking.

Overall Belitos' has a lot to offer. Paella is indeed their specialty and I would say a must try in Davao City.

Belitos is located in Palm Drive Bajada Davao City.

Grab a Crab

2011-10-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

We decided to try Grab a Crab in Abreeza Mall for Dinner. Grab a Crab is originally from General Santos City. Their main offerings are mainly Chinese and Filipino dishes.

We were seated right away and the staff were friendly and attentive. I also liked the dark wood for the interiors. I wish the lighting was a little bit brighter over all. At least our table has a good lighting source overhead.

We started with Hot and Sour Soup 250 PHP. At first I thought this seems expensive but the bowl was huge. It seems good enough for 6-8 people. Sourness of the soup was just right with the right kick of spiciness to it.

Crispy Salt and Pepper Shrimp was part of our dinner. It was crispy enough that you can eat it skin on. I think it was overshadowed by the crab though.

We had two orders of hot garlic crab 90 PHP/100g. The crab was very soft on the inside and tastes a little bit sweet. I can tell it was fresh. It was packed with so much meat inside. The garlic did not even overpower it. It may have been slightly over cooked since the meat was sticking to the shell. It was all good though.

Grab a Crab is a pleasant dinning experience and a great place for families.

Grab a Crab is located at Abreeza Mall Davao City.

Caffe Firenzo

2011-10-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

After a big meal on a very hot day in Davao, we wanted to have some Gelato. We headed over to Caffe Firanzo in Quirino.

Our purpose is to have the gelato that Nikki claims to be home made by one of their friends. We each had a piccolo cup of gelato and the nice thing about getting it in Firenzo is they allow you to have 2 flavors no matter how small your cup is. The piccolo costs 85 PHP, not bad for 2 flavors. I had pistachio and dark chocolate. Which I already tasted before this picture.

I more picture worthy one is Nikki's pistachio and coffee (sorry forgot the exact flavor).

Firenzo's atmosphere is very cozy and wifi is free. We got our dose of UP and DLSU's pep performance on youtube. Their staff is also accommodating. Based on the pictures of the food, it looks promising and seems worth a try on my next visit.

Lyndon's Worst Ribs and Awful Chicken

2011-10-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

Can ribs cure a hangover? This is not something everyone would think since the usual answers to hangover cures are gatorade, coke and water.

The day after my friend Keryl's wedding in Davao, Mil picked us up from our hotel and took us to Lyndon's worst ribs and awful chicken where we also met up with Nikki. Dit and I missed the Samal trip this time thanks to Jack (Daniels). Nikki and Mil were still sleepy thanks to Jack too.

It was a very hot day and god thing that Lyndon's have enough supply of fans for us.

We started with 500g of Bakes scallops 170PHP. Very cheesy and succulent.

The ribs came next 400g for only 155 PHP with a side of corn and rice. The ribs were very tender and the sauce was not overpowering the meat. We had 2 orders of these but we had to finish it forcefully as it was too much.

The 500g grilled tuna belly was what I liked the best. It had a good balance of fat, char grilled to perfection, tender, well seasoned and I can't stop with every bite.

With everything I said, you be the judge if Lyndon's indeed have the worst ribs? Maybe it is at some point. The worst in ruining your diet. Although I'm sure the logic of labeling it as the worst is just for reverse psychology.

Lyndon's is at Wheels&More Drive Davao City.

P.S. They have crayfish (a kind of crustacean I saw in Man vs food). This is seasonal so I really have a good reason to come back.

360 Degrees Handshaken Tea

2011-10-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

This will just be a quick entry all about this awesome milk tea in Davao called 360.

The Lui brothers had their milk tea delivered at their office. Price for 1 drink is only 30 PHP with your choice of pearls, nata or egg pudding. The taste is more milkier but they have a good blend of black tea. Can't get enough of milk tea mania.

And did I say delivery is free?

360 is in General Malvar st. (In front of Davao Doctor's College)

Ombu Chicken House

2011-10-01T01:21:00.000-07:00

After sleepless nights when I found out my camera's memory card got corrupted, I can now breathe again since I can share all the food I ate in Davao during my last trip despite only recovering around 98% of the pictures.

Upod landing, Mil picked me up first thing in the morning at the airport and I literally crashed in their office couch for lack of sleep. Upod lunch time, her brother Kevin or should I say shoti, woke me up and say we're having lunch at Ombu which is the only place in Davao that I go back to on every trip.

Ombu is located in Seqouia Inn in Davao's chinatown. Upon entering, I was greeted by the usual warm atmosphere like my previous visits. Mil ordered in advance for us and it since there were only a few dinners, we had the luxury to choose anywhere we want to sit. Joyjoy, Mil's kinakapatid joined us for lunch.

I ordered for a glass of mango shake. It was good enough to quench my thirst and a good attempt to stay away from soda on this trip.

Mil ordered Garlic Kangkong for our side dish.

At last after much waiting, the one half greaseless chicken arrived at our table. Joyjoy and I had a quarter each. That crispiness of the skin that crackled when my knife sliced into it was very comforting. The chicken was tender on the inside and crispy with a hint of saltiness in the skin. This is indeed one of the reasons I keep coming back for Davao City.

Overall Ombu Chicken House is good value for money. You'll be surprised that the chicken is greaseless but very tasty.

Ombu is located at the ground floor of Seqouia Inn, Monteverde Ave. Davao City.

Antonio's

2011-08-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Milestones should always be celebrated. So when Tita Lac turned 60, we threw her a surprise (semi) in Antonio's Tagaytay. Antonio's is currently the best restaurant in the country according to the Miele guide. With great food, service that reminds you of home and the nice cool air of Tagaytay plus a beautiful view of their gardens simply makes this place perfect.

They reserved a room for us to have the party. My cousins got balloons, red and white wine and a to-die-for caramel cake from Estrel's.

Our table set up looks very elegant yet simple. It looks like a nice table for all of the chismis to be shared that night.

Since we arrived early, we had the place to ourselves where we can take portraits. My niece, Isla was in a great mood to be a model that day. We had other pictures too but I think you be the judge. Isn't she something?

With plants everywhere and very good lighting, it seems that every photo is picture perfect.

We started our meal with some squid ink bread. The black color makes the whole thing very interesting. The ink did not over-power the bread at all, it just gave it a bold character. Each bite was like heaven. Warm and slightly toasted on the inside and very soft on the inside. Smothered with butter, it seems that you are already done for the night, but this iss just the beginning.

We were given options for our drinks like soda and tea. I opted for the freshly squeezed dalandan juice and some white wine.

My cousin Babits ordered this Carbonara for Isla. The pasta was al dente and is one of the best carbonaras I have tasted. Isla's expression while eating can attest to this.

Next up was the liver pate with rasberry coulis and white truffle. The pate was very smooth and velvety. There are no words to describe it, I will just qoute cousin-in-law Graham "That is a very beautiful pate."

Salad was mixed greens with walnuts, ricotta and rasberry vinaigrette.

Our soup course was cream of khlrabi. Everyone was wondering what is khlrabi. Turns out it's a type of turnip. Since we all didn't know what to expect, we were greated with a rich and creamy soup where the salt only came from the pancetta. Very much my type I would say.

Our main course choices were Steak frites.

Roasted leg of lamb (with a blurred picture).

I opted for the Foil baked Chilean Sea Bass. My plate looked very colorful with the black olives and cherry tomatoes. The textures very a good variety and every flavor will suddenly burst into my mouth--the very soft and smooth sea bass, olives and tomatoes, garlic and pine nuts for some crunch. This all came in a small bed of Antonio's famous mashed potatoes. Now why would I say this is famous? It is being talked about as to what is the secret behind it and I was told it was truffle oil. Yet, who really knows?

I chose to have the chocolate terrine for dessert. This is the dessert that I recommend. Very smooth chocolate in every spoonful yet it is not iritatingly sweet.

The other desserts are mango yoghurt panna cotta.

Chocolate mint ice cream.

Great milestones should really be celebrated. I think my Tita had a memorable 60th at a great place.

We pretty much had a blast from this little lady too.

Antonio's is located in Tagaytay. They also serve breakfast and they have a Filipino restaurant called The Grill at Antonio's.

Isdaan sa Gerona

2011-08-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

On our way down from Baguio, we stopped by Isdaan in Gerona Tarlac for some dinner. I liked all the humor they were able to inject in the interiors like sleeping security guards and the former president Estrada.

Upod entering the place you will immediately notice the number of fishponds that have along with several fountains.

They also adorned the place with different Buddhas like the ones you see in Thailand. This place is a nice spot for photo ops well..nice photo ops if you're with great company.

The highlight of this place is definitely tha tacsiyapo wall where you can release all your anger and simply throw stuff in the wall. Up to you if you're ok with throwing a glass or a plate at Boss, Managers and supervisors or even hurl a tv at the Ex-Wife.

The food is typical Filipino fare like Grilled bangus and tilapia, squid, green mango ensalada and your pinakbet. I would have to say these are alright and have some room for improvement.

Isdaan is a great stopover from Baguio going back to Manila especially if you have kids travelling with you. Rest assured you will be entertained.

Isdaan is located in Gerona, Tarlac.

Baguio City

2011-08-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

It's been quite sometime since I wrote anything in here--ok it wass a very long time. So this would have to be quite some time to make up for all the time that I missed updating anything in here and basically write down anything I've been up to for the last six months.

So let us go back to February to our Baguio trip for the Panagbenga festival. It seeems to be my first trip with my new colleagues well at that time I still felt pretty shiny and new.

We arrived early morning in Baguio at 13 degrees celsius and never thought will ba that cold. We had a taste of what to expect for the weekend when we saw some of the participants for the street dancing. And with that attire, I don't even know how they can survive the cold temperature!

We had a nice breakfast at the Manor in Camp John Hay courtesy of Janice our boss. Camp John Hay reminded me of my first and last real trip to Baguio back in 1993. Fine I know it may be quite loser-ish for staying in Manila this long and neer ever thought about going back.Anyway back to the breakfast buffet, it was pretty good but I wa expecting more selections at that time.

After breakfast we tried getting into Baguio Country club pretending to try and buy their famous raisin bread but honestly I was just there to meet the Azkals as some of my friends were with them at that time. So much for raisin bread they won't let us in.

We briefly dropped by to see the president's summer vaction house and posed for a few pictures.

And of course we stoped by Mines view and good Shepherd to get our Baguio goodies like ube jam, choco flakes and peanut brittle.

We went to Cafe by the ruins for dinner. It seems to be a very long night since the wait for dinner was pretty long too.

Up to this day, I would still swear by that camote bread and the liver pate. The soft warm bread with the subtle taste of camote just melts in your mouth but the taste of the liver pate would just burst in your pallate.

Their salads were pretty good too where every vegetable from the country most likely came from Baguio or just nearby. The Baguio Bountu offered different tastes of fruits in your mouth with delicious strawberry vinaigrette. The fern salad with shitake was simple but the mushrooms were just impossible to resist. They were very meaty and was the life of the salad.

Our main courses arrived and had a good variety of everything we ordered like Bagnet, Daing na Bangus, Palawan Chicken. However I was pretty disappointed with my grilled chicken with lemon ricotta tagliatelle. Chicken was served raw to me. Good thing I still have that camote bread in my head.

We got to see the parade of the floats the next day. Too bad we couldn't get that close to get pictures. some of the floats were pretty with a nice veriety of flowers used. I was weirded out with one of the floats though which was inspired by avatar but suddenly shoots up the santo nino. I couldn't connet with it honestly.

Before heading home we had lunch at Forest House. This restaurant is quite known in the city for their steaks. Unfortunately no one has the appetite to have one. The view from the restaurant's balcony was beautiful and a fine meal with that view was good enough to cap a weekend in Baguio.

I liked the touches that the put on the soup on a bread bowl with the nice little qoutes. The soup itself was hot and tasty, pretty good for a nice cool weather.

I had their sausage with mashed potatoes and it was pretty good. Same as the others that we have ordered like their House salad, Kare Kare, Spicy squid, Shrimp with broccolli, salpicao and mini burgers.

Over all I felt that there was still more of Baguio that I haven't seen or tried yet. I have yet to try out strawberry picking though. I would want to go back to this place again but maybe not during Panagbenga so at least the traffric wouldn't be that bad and there's more to do.

Kuala Lumpur

2011-03-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last January, we had a surprise when Marlon was suddenly informed that he will be sent back to Kuala Lumpur. So being on a crazy state of mind at that time, I followed.

Air Asia has one of the cheapest fares to Malaysia, one thing I liked about them too is beeing able to pre-book your meals at a cheaper price. The airports at KL were about one hour away from the city and it's a good thing that Air Asia has their very own Sky Bus that can take you from LCCT to KL Sentral for only 9 MYR.

Transport in Malaysia is quite easy. There's a lot of taxis (teksi) and the rail system is organized. With taxis though, we noticed that the ones who are on the sidewalk and out of their cabs will ask you for an overpriced fixed rate depending on your destination. Better flag the taxis that are on the go. The nicer taxis are premium ones and charge higher too.

What is Kuala Lumpur without checking out the Petronas Towers? Go to KLCC and have a picture with this magnificent structure.

For shopping malls and food, go to Bukit Bintang. I was glad I found Cotton On (for Rubi flats), and Uniqlo in this area. There's a lot of food in the area as well. We ate at a Chinese place called Dragon View. Note that some of the best places to eat in this area are quite hidden.

We also checked out Batu Caves, an Indian temple in Kuala Lumpur. You can take a bus or the KCR to get here.

Food may be too spicy for the Filipino Palatte. I had the Yellow Curry Laksa at a Food Court in Midvalley Megamall. I was good with very soft noodles, crunch bean sprouts and shrimp but it was too spicy for me. If you can manage, maybe try to ask them if they can make it not spicy for you. But then again, they can barely understand me.

There's a lot of Indian food in KL as well. We tried the Prata at one of the stalls in Batu Caves. It was a very thin pancake which you can dip in 3 different kinds of sauces.

I think Kuala Lumpur has better places to visit. Problem is, I don't really know where. Best if you know a local you can teach you where to find the best food in the area. I wasn't too lucky going on my own.

Melaka was also recommended to be visited for Malaysian culture and food. It is about 2 hours away from Kuala Lumpur. For a gastronimic feast, best to spend a day in Penang, about 4 hours away.

Uno Restaurant

2011-03-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Anj has been raving non-stop about her favorite restaurant in Tomas Morato. Ever since I got close to her, she always comes to a point to recommend that we should try Uno Restaurant.

Finally after more than a year, we finally had the chance to go to Uno.

Walking in, I felt a bit conscious because its looks classy and elegant even if the furnishings were simple because I was in shorts and flip flops. Turns out you can come as you are to this place. Its nice to dress up but at the same time you can be laid back.

Uno looks like a house that was converted into a simple yet elegant restaurant. The second floor can be reserved for functions.

After getting our orders, we were served warm bread and all the butter we want. The sourdough was very soft with a crunch crust.

Im at a loss for words with the blended iced tea (70 PHP). It was that good. It was one of the rare chances I can drink iced tea (because it was brewed) since the instant ones make me puke after being diagnosed with ulcer (ironic right?). And did I mention that this was refillable?

We got the Fish sticks with Red Chili Honey Sauce (160 PHP) for our appetizer. The hito sticks was very tender and flavorful inside with a soft crunch on the outside. I liked the the blend of the sweet and spicy sauce on this fish. It was seasoned well with just the right amount of kick to it. The fish melts in your mouth and the sauce just blends with it with every bite.

Shai and Anj shared the Shrimp with Olives and Pepperoncino Pasta (290 PHP). The pasta was al dente and the shrimp very succulent. What's nice about Uno is that they allow for some special requests with the dish you order. Anj requested to have this a a little bit spicy and they granted her request.

I got the Fresh shitake mushrooms, bacon in Basil Cream Pasta (280 PHP). I'm a sucker for basil cream pasta and this met my expectations. Basil was not too overpowering and very rich because of the cream. I loved the smokiness of the bacon in this dish. The contrasting textures of bacon, shitake and al dente pasta was wonderful with every bite.

We had two orders of Baked Pork Country Style Ribs with Paprika and Garlic (320 PHP), one for Marlon and another for Anj and Shai to Share. The pork was very tender and the taste similar to adobo. I found this one just ok.

We ordered the cheesecake (65 PHP) and the Fallen Cake (59 PHP) for dessert. The cheesecake was very light and quite uniqur from the usual cheesecakes I've had. The Fallen Cake was very moist and not irritatingly sweet.

I liked how the servers at Uno are very attentive. the grant small requests and very friendly with the customers. They greeted Anj when we arrived since she was a frequent customer.

I think I should bring my mom here.

Uno is located at Tomas Morato. Coming from the Rotanda and going towards E. Rodriguez, make a right turn at the street right before Amici. Uno is located a few doors from the corner.

Bonchon

2011-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

It seems that a lot of international franchises are now in Manila. Among the new favorites is Bonchon wings which is a Korean franchise that became a hit in the US.

I liked the cozy interiors of the place and the unique mural on the wall.

Since it's always packed, we decided to have it to go. I ordered the small box of Wings (PHP 185). You have two flavors to choose from, Soy Garlic or Hot and Spicy. I got the latter one since we had a tolerance for spicy food.

This was where my tolerance got tested. The wings were really spicy--not Filipino palate spicy but much more than that. What we liked about it though, is that even though it was really hot, you can still taste the flavors of the chicken. Double frying the chicken seems to have preserved the "chickeny" flavor. I also liked the crispness of the skin.

Next time though I will opt for the Soy Garlic. The hot and spicy seems perfect though with bottles of beer.

Bonchon chicken is located at Ayala Triangle.

Banapple

2011-02-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

My Bannaple entry is something I should not forget. The pictures are with me for months but this seems to be the only time that I can find time and the access to blog.

So I had this "monthsary" date with Marlon sometime back in November and my sister Celine tagged along because she was scared of the movie we were watching on tv. Talk about a spoiler. We wanted to go first to Wee Nam Kee but it was packed and they said they said they don;t have any more chicken. Fine.

We ended up at Bannaple, we were fortunate to get seats. The lights show at Ayala Triangle has started at that time and everyone seems to be there--well not just for the lights but for the restaurants that opened too.

We decided to order their Penne with tomato cream sauce to share. The sourness of the tomato sauce was a bit mild with the thickness of the cream. The pasta was al dente. Every bite of it makes you keep going for another bite.

Celine got the St. Gallerberger (I think this is the name but there was only one burger in the menu). It seems to be a little small but the price is not bad. Each burger comes with potato chips.

Marlon got the ribs. It was both tender and flavorful and worth every centavo spent. The butter rice is a flavorful companion to it though in my opinion but who doesn't like butter with rice? So I don't really mind that. The barbeque sauce had a nice tang to it too. It comes with corn on the side.

I had the Chicken Pie that day. Weird thing though, it was supposed to have potato salad with it but there was none. I didn't mind it since the pie was too big I can only finish half of it. The crust was flaky and buttery and crumbles with the filling when I bite into it. The chicken had a really nice creamy blend.

Of course bannaple will not be comeplte without desserts. We ordered 2 but can only manage to eat 1. Of course we chose to eat the Banoffee Pie. The toffee was not too sweet. The bananas were just right--firm and sweet. I loved the thick and buttery graham crust.

The oreo cheesecake (I forgot the exact name) was wrapped and I had it at home. It was love at every bite.

I would keep coming back for bannaple. The first time I had it in Katipunan, I know I would keep coming back for more. Glad they now have a branch in Ayala Triangle, which is much closer to home and I'm looking forward to the day that I can have bannapple again.

Banapple has branches at Ayala Triangle, Katipunan and Tomas Morato.

Mercato Centrale

2011-01-27T03:16:00.000-08:00

We tried out Mercato Centrale, the newest addition to the weekend markets in Manila sometime before Christmas. The good thing about this place is that they have both saturday and sunday markets.

They organized all the participants in a few tents based on which category they belong to like organic food and supplies etc, and there is an outdoor area for the food being cooked. I liked how they organized this because it gives you enough space to go around without bumping into too many people in Christmas season or smell like barbecue trapped indoors.

Some things we tried out in Mercato Centrale:

Desserts from Low Cal. Perfect for those with high blood sugar like my sister Choking. She can have cake without thinking too much if our mom will kill her. We liked their carrot cake and calamansi cheesecake.

Bale Dutung's Pan de Bagnet and Pritchon wrap. I liked the pritchon wrap with different textures and flavors exploding in your mouth. I think the pan de bagnet needs more ooomph!

Triple beef burger from flamed. Not perfect more me since I want veggies on my burger too but meat lovers would love this.

Fresh Lumpia.

Milk Tea.

Plants vs Zombies cupcakes...now this is cute!

They placed around signs to clean as you go and this gave me a proper place to eat the goodies.

They also have non-food stuff. I got christmas presents of water-based citronella spray from All Organics. There are more you can check out too.

Mercato Centrale can be located at the Fort near Bonifacio High St (The Spa and Agave side) and is open on Saturday and Sunday mornings. They're going to have a midnight Mercato soon to cater to the graveyard shift people at the Fort area.

Salcedo Market

2011-01-01T01:32:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since my last entry. Let me tell you about the time we were supposed to go on Galleon Andalucia but ended up in Salcedo Market. Tom, wanted to get on board the galleon for his birthday but the lines were just too long and everyone coming from work just seemed too tired to even line up several kilometers at the Manila South Harbor.

So off we went to Salcedo Market instead. The only thing we can compare it too is Banchetto in Ortigas which I would have to classify this in a different category. We found Salcedo Market to be quite organized and we can even find a table where we can eat properly.

There's a lot of stuff one can find in Salcedo:

Fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers

Breads

Kefir

Cotton Candy

Dimsum which I really liked and cheap enough

Different cuisines like French, Italian and Spanish

I loved the German Wine selection

There's even lechon baka

When I get another chance I would love to go back here. The paella I saw there seems worth a try.

And of course we had a really great time to bond with my IBM friends.

Wee Nam Kee

2010-12-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

I find it hard to look for delicious chicken rice in Manila. If I can find a good one, it's very pricey too. Good thing Wee Nam Kee is now in Manila where they franchised it directly from Singapore. Wee Nam Kee Singapore is in Novena.

I was able to convince by IBM friends, Tom, Shai and Anj to try it out at Ayala Triangle. An almost south day for the north people.

I liked Wee Nam Kee's cozy interior. The bird cage lanters were a nice concept.

We eached ordered the chicken rice personal set at 160PHP which comes with chicken rice and soup. Tom and Shai got the roasted one and for me and Anj we had the steamed chicken. All I can say is, rice pa lang ulam na. The flavors in the chicken rice was so good with a balanced texture. Both roasted and steamed chicken were very juicy and tender. There is another choice too which is soyed chicken if you want to try.

Check out the unlimited condiments. Finally, they gave us freedom condiments here in Manila just like the chicken rice places in Singapore unlike what we usually have here where they place small amounts in small saucers and you have to keep asking the waiters for extra ginger. And it's the first time to see the pounded ginger to be not oily at all!

Since the cereal prawns were out of stock (boo!), the waiter suggested the sizzling barbecue prawns (350 PHP). The menu said 4 prawns but we had 5! I'm thinking if this is a way of compensating for a lot of items on the menu that were not yet available. We were patient though since they were on soft opening.

The prawns had a nice barbeque kick to it and very crispy. Tom ate all the prawn heads.

The place had a nice view of the ayala triangle gardens especially in the afternoon. You may want to check it out during the holiday season where they have the symphony of lights.

Overall Wee Nam Kee was excellent. Some of the staff just needs to be a little more attentive. They may improve in the coming weeks I'm sure. I'll definitely come back for the Chicken Rice.

Wee Nam Kee is loacated in the Ayala Triangle Gardens. Ayala Ave. Makati City.

Sabroso Lechon

2010-12-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

We first encountered Sabroso Lechon when we decided to have lunch first before my shift. Marlon was resigning at that time and decided to take the day off since he needed to finish his papers required by his next job.

In between my two previous jobs 2 months ago, I decided to get Sabroso lechon again before we depart for Tagaytay. I got the half kilo at 300 PHP for take out. They packed it nicely in styro and even gave me extra sauce when I asked for it.

We liked the soft and flavorful lechon from Sabroso and we go here when we have a lechon craving in Manila. The skin is also very crisp. I find their sauce to be just right. Not too sweet and just the right kick of the liver flavor.

Sabroso also delivers around Manila per kilo but may require an additional price depending on which area. They also accept orders for whole lechon. They have a nice ambiance too if you decide you want to dine in. They have a lechon meal available at 120 PHP that comes with rice, soup and iced tea.

For more information, you may visit their web site: http://lechonsabroso.multiply.com/

Sabroso lechon may be found at Timog corner E. Rodriguez Sr. Quezon City. It's in the same building as World Class Persian and Nomnomnom.

The Boutique Bed and Breakfast

2010-12-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

In between switching jobs, Marlon and I took a short trip to Tagaytay and decided to have an overnight R and R at The Boutique B&B. It's been a while since I wanted to check out the place and this is my chance.

The place is the perfect place for couples who wants to have a relaxing and romantic time out of busy Metro Manila.

As we got there, the staff assisted us right away with checking in and then choosing our toiletries. This is inclusive of what we paid for in the room. Marlon chose the Melon mint soap, and I had Lavender. We also chose Lavender for the shampoo, conditioner, and the room scent. The basket also came with 2 toothbrushes and toothpaste, loofah, laundry bag and bedroom slippers.

We chose the iescape room which was the cheapest among the rooms at The Boutique. It has warm brown and beige tones. The bed has a lot of pillows in it but there was a pillow bag in the room if we don't want to use it. The bed was just right.

We were served native snacks of espasol and chocolate dip with iced tea when we got in the room. I think the chocolate dip was a good twist.

Each room has a flat screen tv with dvd player and speakers where you can plug your ipod. We also borrowed 2 dvds from their collection.

There were also complementary bedside nibbles of shingaling and yema which we really liked and placed in the side table along with the magic 8 ball.

We had dinner served in our room from Hawaiian barbecue. I loved the ribs. It was soft and tender and its sauce was just right. We didn't know that it will be that big that's why we ordered the pinaputukan na (i don't even remember the fish) which I don't recommend.

We had a serving of coleslaw which was just ok.

We had our midnight snack of hot chocolate and heart-shaped oatmeal cookies which came with a nice quote and a rose on the side. We were so full Marlon didn't get any and I had it all to myself.

Breakfast in bed was the best part. Just check out our breakfast tray. Aside from our orders, we had the complementary bread with jam, Mango with cottage cheese, multigrain cereal, fruit juices and hot chocolate.

Marlon had the Corned beef bulalo. This was very tasty and was perfect with the egg and garlic rice. I liked it a lot as well.

I had the pancakes with bacon and eggs. I liked how unique the heart-shaped pancakes were and I enjoyed that they placed grapes on it too. The servings of the bacon was very generous.

We couldn't finish the whole thing.

We had our 10 minute foot massage after breakfast. It was ok.

Too bad it was raining, it would have been nice to hang out at the viewing deck of Hawaiian barbecue.

Overall I think the Boutique B&B is a good place to relax and unwind. Every peso we spent was worth it. I think we should have tried the other rooms which should have a view of taal. I would want to come back to this place when we have the chance.

Cafe Uma

2010-11-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

Our last meal in Bacolod will never be forgotten. Tom and I were in a hurry so we can catch our flight so we ended up in Cafe Uma which is very near the place we were staying.

I liked how the natural lighting brightens up the place with interiors that are not too flashy. The ambiance was very cozy.

They had Big Mama painting in the walls which added a little twist.

I was craving for pasta so we had the Cafe Uma Special Pasta (400 PHP), This is spaghetti with pesto cream, bacon and smoked salmon. I love how everything blended together. The noodles were al dente, the pesto cream was light and both the bacon and salmon had a good play with my taste buds. I can't stop raving about this pasta until now.

We also had the Mediterrenean Chicken Salad (350 PHP). It was grilled chicken fillet with different herbs on a bed of greens with couscous, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The chicken was very juicy and I liked how the couscous added texture to this dish.

I find the food a little bit pricey for Bacolod but I also felt that every peso spent was worth it. Tom and I enjoyed every bit of our dinning experience here.

Cafe Uma can be found in Lacson st. Bacolod City (near L Fisher Hotel).

Chicken Deli

2010-11-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

So to continue the Bacolod edition of my food trip last September, my friend Sweet took uss to Chicken Deli along Lacson st. since it's the one nearest to our hotel.

I remember eating here when I was nine with my parents and sister titit when my mom had a food convention back then. The place hasn't changed much and Bacolod will alsways be home of the best inasal.

We ordered the usual inasal, either Pecho or Paa and it only cost 60 PHP per quarter chicken. The chicken was well marinated and juicy. We also had the pork hula-hula (38 PHP) but I found this one too sweet.

An order of gralic rice already with chicken oil costs 23 PHP and atachara to complete your meal.

My friends got fruit shakes for drinks at 38 PHP. It was served in a tall glass and worth every peso.

We got a complete Inasal meal for only 121 PHP which was all worth it.

One thing I would like to try when I go back to Bacolod is Manokan Country which is the best place for locals to get inasal. Chicken Deli serves good food and service was alright and the place is accessible.

Calea

2010-10-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

What is Bacolod without the sweets? You will not get a complete experience of course. My friend Sweet took us to Calea, the place famous for its cakes. It was sad that they didn't have my favorite, the Imported chocolate cake at that time, but of course that did not stop us from conquering their choices of mouth watering desserts.

Tom got the cream puff with chocolate sauce on top. The cream inside was very rich and the chocolate was not too sweet.

I got the White Chocolate Cheesecake with raspberry sauce. It was a very soft cheesecake and the raspberry was the one that added flavor.

Shai got the Chocolate mousse, this was ok.

Sweet had her usual, the Frozen Tiramisu. I found this very rich and is recommended to be shared.

Anj had the blueberry cheesecake. I love the oatmeal crust of this dessert which made this a unique cheesecake and a must try at Calea.

Check out their cake display, simply wonderful.

And here's the happy us after getting our sugar high.

Calea is located in L'fisher, Lacson st. Bacolod City.

Bob's Cafe

2010-10-24T02:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I had decent internet access and I need to catch up on all these entries and great things I need for a month. So let's go back to my Bacolod-Iloilo trip last September..yes it's that long!

We had a bad start at Bacolod and was just able to shake the bad vibes off when we crossed to Iloilo. The good thing about Bacolod though is the food. So when we got back, we started with one of my childhood favorites, Bob's. I kept on insisting that we eat here although the Cafe didn't seem to have my favorites like the Big Boy Magnifique.

Shai ordered a Chicken Caesar Sandwich (85PHP). It was not too memorable but good enough. It comes with a serving of homemade chips.

Anj and I were craving a lot so we decided to split two dishes being undecided and all. We got Beef Burrito (95 PHP) with salsa on the side. I found the salsa watery, but the burrito was ok.

Lastly we had the Bacon Mushroom Burger (95 PHP). I really loved this. The bun was well toasted not like what we usually get with burgers. The patty was juicy and the servings of bacon, mushroom and cheese were generous.

Tom got himself a dessert with a Mango Macaroon and I don't know what the other one is called. They're ok too. One thing we forgot to take a picture of is their gelato section. Anj got the dark chocolate gelato for 80 PHP. It was one of the best I tried.

Bob's has a nice ambiance. I think I should have gone to their branch near the hospital to be really comforted with what I ate as a kid. The cafe is ok for me. Good enough to take me back but not quite there.

Bob's Cafe is located at Lacson st. Bacolod City.

Azuthai

2010-09-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

It is a very rare occasion that family can come together for lunch. Good thing we still have girls in the debutante age so there's a reason why everyone goes to Manila.

We had lunch one sunday at Azuthai in Makati. Of course I could not disclose any price for the food since I did not pay a single centavo for everything we ate.
We started with the Crispy Catfish Salad. I love the right amount of sourness of the dressing and the fish remained crispy.

Next was the Spicy Pomelo Salad. This was just ok for me. I think the spices were a bit over powering.

I liked the Fried Rice that we ordered. It was well seasoned with just the right amount of meat and veggies in it and not greasy at all.

We also had the shrimp and eggplant rolls. This is a must try. Rightly seasoned eggplant with succulent fried shrimp in top.

The Tofu with veggies were very spicy. I did not expect the spice level of this one.

The Tom Yum was just right for me. The sourness was just right and not too spicy.

The red curry was really good. It has the right amount of sweetness and spicy kick to it. It comes with a cup of plain rice.

I got the Thai Iced Tea for my beverage. I found this one a bit too sweet.

Azuthai had a really nice ambiance for family meals. We enjoyed all our conversations while we were there.

My niece Isla was just the cutest. She was on a well-behaved mode that day.

I just overheard that the prices for the food were a bit pricey. Oh well, it was still good though.

Azuthai can be found in Pasay Road corner Makati Ave Makati.

Chocolate Fire

2010-09-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to try Chocolate Fire after finding out they serve a whole variety of chocolate. This is the 2nd chocolate place I've been to and I might say some of those that they serve are quite unique.

I was able to convince my cousin Bibay that we try out this place. Their chocolate display is overwhelming and we can barely decide what to get.

We finally decided to get the Chili Dark Chocolate bark (125 PHP), The Large size Driscoll strawberry in dark chocolate (95 PHP) and the Pringle dipped in Dark Chocolate (15 PHP). Ok so it's really not obvious that we are dark chocolate fans.

The Chili bark was something unique to us. We liked the spicy kick of the chocolate. My only complain, I think the serving size is too small. For the dipped strawberry, you have to pick the very red ones to make sure they're sweet. I think it's also quite overpriced. We liked the contrast of the sweet and salty dipped pringle. It was something we can indulge on since it's not too pricey.

I find the ambiance of Chocolate Fire to be just ok. It looks like a perfect place to hang out with friends. I find it to dark though, hopefully they can adjust the lighting.

I would love to come back and try the other products they have. The sandwiches look good and the hot chocolate was recommended as well. It's a place that I can manage to afford on a payday though.

Chocolate Fire is located at Leviste st. Corner Rufino st. Salcedo Village Makati.