I'm not really into spicy food and I remember when my colleagues and I had a "spiciest food" contest I lost even though I brought authentic siling labuyo from Bicol. It was my colleague from Thailand who won with the instant noodles she brought (my eyes watered with the smell!). So I wasn't really too hot about eating at a Thai restaurant, but then I'm always game to eat anything anyway.
My colleague with his cousins and I headed to Thai Express located at Paragon mall in Orchard Road. We had to wait a bit since the resto was quite full. We were all very hungry when we ordered and ended up ordering a number of dishes.
Here are some of what we had:
Pad Thai (must have!)
Honey Chicken
Tofu Dish
What I absolutedly loved was their milk tea! I wish they had a branch here in Manila! =)
Spot.ph Series: Bloggers Food Tour Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse Grill Place: Bonifacio High Street
My high school friends wanted to try out something new when we had our annual Christmas lunch the other day. I finally got them to go to Bonifacio High Street and thought of two places we could probably head to. One was "Texas Roadhouse Grill" which gave me a very good impression during the Spot.ph bloggers food tour last April. I just absolutely loved their pasta marinara and that's what I ordered (of course!).
I was really surprised that my son, Miguel, almost did not finish his food! He ordered for chicken tenders (kiddie meal) and was overwhelmed with the huge serving. He ended up resting for awhile before finishing his food.
Sweetie, on the other hand, got some fajitas and was surprised that he had to put it together himself. It took him awhile as well to finish his order.
My friend, Mercy, got some fish fillet and I think was the only one who managed to finish her whole meal.
We also got some salad and fries and I guess that's what filled us up really quick as well.
Must haves: Pasta Marinara and their fries with honey mustard dressing
Can do without: Fajitas, wasn't that tasty and the sour cream lacked oomph
Price range: PhP400 per person (includes bottomless iced tea)
I love eating sushi, especially at GenSan where when they say it's fresh, it is really fresh and not just defrosted, that's because the tuna we eat (be it as sushi, kinilaw or the canned ones) come from GenSan!
During the 2MBS sashimi night we were surprised to witness a fresh catch being prepared for the sashimi night. Here's a vlog about it -
You can also bring home fresh tuna by buying some from Citra Mina before you head to the airport. It's frozen and lasts about 6 hours (just in time for dinner when you take the 2:30 p.m. 5J flight)!
The first time I visited GenSan early this year the only thing I got to experience was eating the fresh tuna sashimi at Orange Bistro (again and again) and the only other place I was able to go to was the KCC Mall. I was there for work, as usual, and my trip lasted about 24 hours.
And I prayed fervently that I'd be able to go back.
I was really happy when I got invited to visit again because of the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit. I met Avel during the Davao F.A.T. and he then mentioned that if MBS was going to be held at GenSan then he'd invite me to come.
Fast-forward to the trip.
We took a land trip from Davao to GenSan after dining at Lachi's and arrived about 3 hours later. It was a full nature trip since we got to see mountains, a glimpse of the sea and mango and banana plantations. We had a short stop-over at the Family Country Hotel and then headed to the East Asia Royale Hotel to check-in. We just dropped our bags and then headed for "Grab-a-Crab" for dinner. After dinner we just hung-out at the hotel resto and had LOTS of blueberry cheesecake!
During the end of the second day we grabbed some coffee from "Coffee Club 101" (beside Grab-a-Crab), I absolutely love the place coz it has great coffee, great food and uber fast wifi!
East Asia Royale Hotel (THE place to stay in!) National Highway, Lagao General Santos City, Philippines 9500 +(6383) 5534120 to 28, 302-4120 to 22 Rates: from PhP1,950 to PhP3,200
Family Country Hotel Mateo Road, Lagao General Santos City, Philippines 9500 +(6383) 522-8895 to 97
One of my favorite restos is Good Earth Tea Room. Of course! It's owned by my godparents and I've had the privilege of sampling Tito Henry's dishes even before Good Earth was established.
Here's the sumptuous peking duck from Good Earth that we had for lunch last week -
For this trip to Davao I decided to try something new. I booked a room at Arturo's Bed & Dine. I took note of the place when we visited Bryan's Bar & Grill last March for the Davao F.A.T. and the sumptuous food that was served was a definite lure for me to come back. I also thought trying out a "bed & dine" place was going to be a different experience.
Arturo's Bed & Dine only has a handful of rooms. I got the room with the terrace. The homey feel is what did me in (read: will do a definite come-back). We were also served tapsilog for breakfast.
And pandesal -
And then we also got some of the yummy Peppered Sashimi.
Bryan's Bar & Grill Bryan’s Grill & Café is part of Arturo’s Bed & Dine 91 Narra St., Palm Village, Davao City Tel.: +(6382) 221-2943. Free WiFi!
Recommended for those who want the homey feel. I strongly suggest booking the room with the terrace! Enjoy =)
If I was to name one super-duper-favorite-to-the-maximum-levels restaurant, I'd say it's LACHI's.
Lachi's is located in Davao and is run by twins. I previously did a vlog about it when I attended the Davao F.A.T. (Food Appreciation Tour) and well since I LOVE LACHI's so much, here's another vlog about them and Kangaroo.
Kangaroo's a new coffee place in Davao. I was too stuffed though to try out their yummy pasta, but it's a place I'd definitely visit again when I'm in the area.
Lachi's Sanz Rival Atbp. Ruby St., Marfori Village Davao City Tel No: 082-224-5552
Kangaroo Coffee Club Corner of Tionko and Mapa streets Davao City Tel. 082-222-2800 or 222-2766
I'm not really sure if I've been to the Quezon Memorial Circle in the past, perhaps during one of the numerous field trips we took back in grade school. Anyway, I got a chance to go around a bit last week and thought of sharing it here in my blog.
The Quezon Memorial Circle is located at the Elliptical Road in Quezon City and is a very spacious place. I saw a lot of bikers going around the the shrine (how I wish I had my trusty old BMX with me!).
There were also a lot of areas that one could spread a blanket on and have a picnic. And if you've time (and if the guard doesn't close it off early), go visit the museum!
Google recently launched the Google Mapmaker in the Philippines and this allows you to tag places, landmarks and all those fabulous places you've been too. It's amazing how it allows users to generate content on a blank map, check out this timelapse video of how Pakistan's map was quickly filled out -
I've been checking out the Google Mapmaker in the Philippines since it was made available about 3 weeks ago and I must say that I groaned about the fact that there were a number of blank spots on the map - the Fort, Mall of Asia and Marikina area, but if you go check it out now there's a lot of stuff on it already!
And this is good for us lakwatseras and lakwatseros because with good maps it would be easier to get around. So if you love to travel and know a lot of good places you might want to contribute some stuff about your neighborhood or favorite vacation place in our country on the Google Mapmaker. It's easy, check out the guide here.
My friend Maila was the one who brought me to try out Kitchen at Greenbelt. I told her that I have not explored Greenbelt for awhile now and dining at Kitchen was definitely a pleasant surprise.
The interiors remind me of "kitchen dining" (well yeah of course) and I felt like I was eating in a posh cafeteria.
The condiments were placed in a box. I noticed at first that the placemats were far apart from each other and only realized why when Maila's food was served (their plates were HUGE!).
I wanted to eat pasta with red sauce and the waiter suggested I order the one with tapa in it. I didn't really know what to expect. This dish was so yummy I cleaned out the bowl.
Sweetie also ate the same thing, Maila had the tuna belly (served on a gigantic plate) and Bong had something that had spicy.
I finally got a chance to go to the newly opened SM Marikina and got to see what it had that my favorite SM Bicutan doesn't have.
SM Marikina did have the standard shops. Everything was bright and shiny and I noticed that the most of the decor were "circles" or rounded. The frontage was also a huge window that has a very good view of Ortigas and on the side you also get to see the Marikina River.
I'm envious of the Cyberzone since SM Bicutan doesn't have that many tech shops, nor does it have a "cyberzone". No free wifi still though, hmph.
There must be something about traveling down South since I always, always gain weight whenever I head there. I wonder if the air over there is peppered with vitamins? Hmmm...
It's been a month since I posted here at Lakwatsera Ako... that's because I've been so much of a Lakwatsera I have had much time to blog! Accckkk!!!
Anyway, I did promise a part two vlog for my Cebu trip and this one's all about FOOD!
Prepare to get hungry!
AA BBQ, Lahug Really inexpensive place where you'll get overwhelmed with all the different varieties of meat and seafood that could be barbecued.
Mooon, The Walk at the Asiatown IT Park I thought that it was a Chinese restaurant! I was very wrong though and was pleasantly surprised that they served Mexican food. We got so excited with the menu and ordered food good for 6 people! Good thing my best friend showed up so we had someone to help us finish the food.
Casa Verde, The Walk at the Asiatown IT Park Ahhh the best and most inexpensive steak in the country (I believe so)! Also had a sinful ice cream cake. I must've gained 5 pounds over dinner.
Of course it's quite easy to go to Cebu and see the sights! Here's how I did it - 1. Booked a flight via Cebu Pacific (and I finally got to see the new NAIA terminal!). 2. My best friend picked us up at the airport, but whenever I don't have someone to get me I just usually take the taxi. 3. I do a lot of business in Cebu so to get around I normally either take the taxi or if I'm just going around in Lahug I just take the jeepney.
Much to the consternation of my Davao friends, I just had to visit Cebu again. Of course! That's where my best friend lives! I realized too that there's a lot you can actually cram in a day provided you are up for it. Here's my video blog about it:
Great places to visit in Cebu:
Cebu Capitol - one of the grandest capitols in the Philippines. They have a huge hall inside too where they hold grand parties and big seminars.
Cebu International Convention Center - bigger and better than the Cebu Grand Convention Center. I've been in the place a couple of times before.
Tops - I didn't know there was a higher point than Mountain View and that yummy food place I usually go to with friends. Those places were apparently just halfway to the "Top of Tops". I found it to be a magical place and the view beats Antipolo's view of Manila.
Fort San Pedro - I visited the place last year, but wasn't able to go around the second floor where you'd see relics from the San Diego (a ship). It's like a smaller version of Fort Santiago, but of course it has its own history. Also a great place for pre-nup pictorials!
Basilica Sto. Nino - I was quite excited to go visit the church again. There were a lot of people despite the fact that it was a Saturday. I also got to see the inner side of the church where old paintings were showcased (check out the "First Christian Wedding").
Magellan's Cross - a must see when you're visiting Cebu! It's just a stone's throw away from the Basilica Sto. Nino.
How to Get to Cebu:
1. Take either Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines. I just paid PhP1,996 for roundtrip tickets (Manila-Cebu-Manila) when Cebu Pacific had a seat sale.
2. At the airport you can take a cab to the city or have a friendly-friend pick you up. Cab prices have gone up so prepare PhP250 to 350.
Where to Stay:
I've stayed in a number of hotels in Cebu and my favorite to date is the Marriot Hotel since they have really great service and I just love their breakfast buffet! It's also just a few steps away from the Ayala Mall and I think is at the center of everything. Waterfront Hotel (Lahug) is also good, but I've had a couple of bad experiences (i.e. my room flooded, weird noises from room neighbors etc.), breakfast buffet is not as great as Marriot's and you always need transpo just to get out of the place.
If you're in a budget, Crowne Garden Hotel is good at PhP1,300 per night, but don't expect to get your meal coupon since they always make you come back for it (and apparently it's their modus operandi since a friend of mine experienced the same). It's a good place to crash in if you'll be out the whole day and most of the night. Bathroom's also quite clean and they have hot water. I used to stay at Castle Peak before, but the place just got old and I find it too dark.
This is the continuation of my post about Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen and I just wanted to share that aside from appetizers, entrees, pizza and pasta they also have delightful desserts!
209 Aguirre Ave., B.F. Homes, Paranaque City, Philippines Open: Tuesdays thru Fridays 11:30 am to 2:00 pm 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 am to 10:30 pm
For Reservations and Inquiries call: (632) 820-7210 or 0917-8971117/0917-9260555
More often than not the yummiest food nooks are the best kept secrets. I finally uncovered one in the South when a couple of high school classmates decided to have a last-minute mini-reunion for our student council president who arrived from the US. Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen is located at Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes, Paranaque. It's a bit farther in from the commercial area in BF but very easy to find (2 stoplights + Monterey and you're there!). Sweetie was quite dazed from the trip coz he came all the way from Marikina, but he said the trek was worth it.
As described by the resto's name, most (if not all) the food are cooked through the brick oven. It takes awhile for the food to be served because everything is prepared fresh, but the wait is worth it. Here's what we had:
Brick Oven Calzone
Rigatoni in 3-cheese Sauce
Brick Oven Tilapia Fillet
Brick Oven Pizza
Puchon (Pugon Lechon)
Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen
209 Aguirre Ave., B.F. Homes, Paranaque City, Philippines Open: Tuesdays thru Fridays 11:30 am to 2:00 pm 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 am to 10:30 pm
For Reservations and Inquiries call: (632) 820-7210 or 0917-8971117/0917-9260555
Last April I hunkered down to the Manila Ocean Park with Sweetie, Miguel and my friends from Davao, Andrew, Ria, Blogie, Winston and Migs. It was a good thing we went early since we missed the throngs of people who go everyday.
So what can one see at the Oceanarium? Fish! Loads and loads of different fish species. A lot of those displayed came from the Philippine seas and what joy it was to see all of them in different shapes, sizes and colors. I don't think I'll ever find myself diving to view them in their natural habitat, so this would do.
I realized though that taking photos of fish is very difficult! They move around quite a lot and most of the fish in the photos I took ended up blurred. I have new-found respect to photographers who do aquatic photography.
There was so much to see at the Oceanarium and I thought I'd just make this video blog about it. Hope you enjoy watching!
I've been eating "Binalot" food for a couple of years already. I think they started off with just delivery service. My former colleagues and I usually ordered our lunch from Binalot. We loved it since the food was wrapped in a banana leaf, so that meant we didn't have to wash any dishes after eating.
It's been sometime since I ate at Binalot and we wanted to try out the stalls at the at Market Market. They have improved their menu a lot and have variations of the usual tocilog, longsilog and tapsilog. I love the fact that the rice is adobo rice and comes with fried egg, itlog na pula and one whole tomato. Yum!!!
I've heard so much about "Antipolo" and that it's a great place for lovers. Through the years friends would share stories about the fabulous view and how calm and peaceful the place is. Antipolo is about 30 kilometers from where I live and I found out that you have to go through 4 highways (South Super Highway, C5, Marcos Highway and Sumulong Highway) to get there. So despite all the praises I've heard about Antipolo I never got the chance to go and visit.
Little did I know that I was going to have a big surprise.
I had no idea what Sweetie had planned for us that day. He just said, "Wear jeans, socks, rubbershoes and an extra shirt. Also bring hollow blocks, agimat etc. etc." I thought that we were going to attend a GK build. Whenever I bugged him where we were going he just answered back by giving another "to-bring" list. So I just gave up.
After fetching me after a meeting we headed east. I'm a South girl so I had no idea where it was we were going to go. He first brought me to the mall to go bowling. And boy both our games were awful, but it was great fun!
After merienda we headed out. It was raining a bit and I had no idea where we were headed. It looked a lot like we were leaving Metro Manila and the road was heading up. I couldn't find any signs to give me an idea where we were going and I was quite busy as well looking at the structures outside the window.
And then he said, "We're here."
We parked at Padi's Point. It was then that it dawned on me that we were in Antipolo! At the place where many of my other friends have gone before. THE place to go to with your S.O.
I was so simply kilig. Teehee.
The view from the deck was breath-taking. Being far away from all the buzz in the city. Being offline. Being at a serene place was just what I needed.
I spend a lot of summers in Bicol since it's our hometown. Too bad though I haven't had the chance to go home the past 2 years! There's so much to see, experience and eat in Bicol and may I start with Moderna Bakery's fried siopao:
Fried siopao? Yup, you read it right. I was quite weirded out the first time I heard about it but since it's produced by our family's bakery (the oldest in Bicol and much older than the famous Goldilocks) I did not have any qualms about sampling it.
Mom brought home a couple of pieces from Moderna Bakery and I knew I just had to blog about it. So sorry I ended up biting into it before taking a photograph, but you'd see that it's got meaty filling and you don't actually need to lay on any sauce on it. The filling also has some egg which makes it more tasty.
There are two branches of Moderna Bakery in Bicol. One is located near the Naga City Public Market which is now run by my cousin. Should you have the chance to eat at the resto better order the pancit. My Dad used to spend a lot of time at the bakery in his youth and that's where he learned how to cook. The other branch is at the Apolo ancestral home at Bagumbayan (it's quite near Ateneo de Naga) and that's where they cook all the bread in stone oven that was built over 60 years ago. They also sell a lot of yummy pastries and cakes.
Moderna Bakery Main Branch: Bagumbayan, Naga City Restaurant: near the Naga City Public Market Camarines Sur, Bicol Philippines
I first heard about Flapjacks from a friend who's studying at AIM for a MBA degree. His professor said that he heard that the place was worth checking out. I then kept a mental note to try out the place since I love eating pancakes.
It was towards the end of April when my friends from Davao arrived and wanted to try out new places. We then took a chance and tried out Flapjacks at Greenbelt.
My friend ordered the tapa plate. He said that it was a bit too spicy but tasted good. The tapa wasn't significantly different from any other tapa in the market.
I got the sausage plate (I forgot what it's called but the menu said that it's imported). It wasn't spectacular, tasted like sausage which you could buy at the grocery. The salsa that was included in the serving tasted funny and we thought it wasn't fresh.
We also got a free serving of pancakes. We chose the one with peanut butter and banana. It was quite good though I thought that the pancake tasted the same as those served in a famous fast-food joint.
Overall, the dining experience was a good one. The food servers were very gracious, friendly and fast. They also kept asking us if we were okay. The food though wasn't spectacular. To me it was quite ordinary, not much different from the well-established Pancake House. I guess my expectations were quite high since it was located in Greenbelt and the pricing was quite high. There was also no pasta in the menu which I found quite weird.
What to have: what we ordered was good and filling, just don't expect it to have a unique taste
What not to have: make sure the salsa doesn't taste weird
Price range: PhP400/person for a decent meal (no dessert yet), overrated and expensive
The Lakwatsera's Rating: it wasn't bad, but not a place I'd go out of my way to visit again
Sometimes the best lakwatsa is hunkering down to watch a play. So this time I'm not going to say, "Relax watch a movie!" but, "Relax watch this play!"
Brick Oven Chocolate Cake ala mode
Apple Crumble Pizza
Mango Ice Box
More often than not the yummiest food nooks are the best kept secrets. I finally uncovered one in the South when a couple of high school classmates decided to have a last-minute mini-reunion for our student council president who arrived from the US.
Brick Oven Calzone
Rigatoni in 3-cheese Sauce
Brick Oven Tilapia Fillet
Brick Oven Pizza
Puchon (Pugon Lechon)
Binalot means "wrapped".
It's been sometime since I ate at Binalot and we wanted to try out the stalls at the at Market Market. They have improved their menu a lot and have variations of the usual tocilog, longsilog and tapsilog. I love the fact that the rice is adobo rice and comes with fried egg, itlog na pula and one whole tomato. Yum!!!
The Binalot Adobo Tapsilog
We parked at Padi's Point. It was then that it dawned on me that we were in Antipolo! At the place where many of my other friends have gone before. THE place to go to with your S.O.
