Sinamak, my Prized Vinegar from General Santos

When I was handed a bottle of vinegar I started planning on how I could bring it home from GenSan. I knew it was going to be confiscated at the airport if I handcarried it. And it would've been dangerous to bring it as is. I didn't want to risk having the bottle broken in my luggage.

So... I transferred the contents to two empty water bottles, wrapped it with 3 plastic bags and put it inside the bayong for added protection. That's how I successfully brought home the yummy vinegar from GenSan.

GenSan: Little Dubai

I just had 24 hours to spend in General Santos City so I packed my lakwatsa in bite sizes. Andrew insisted that I should try out Little Dubai, so off we went after having a snack at Firenzo Deli.

I'm always excited to try out new things and my experience with Middle Eastern food has been sparse. I have taken a liking to it though, minus the spicy stuff. Drew briefed me on the menu and recommended I order kebab. I got one kebab meal and we split the soup (forgot what it's called).

The Kebab. I loved how the meat was prepared with exotic (well that's what I think) spices. It was served with grilled tomato and white garlic sauce. I passed on the orange spicy sauce.

The Soup. I forgot the name of the soup, it was good in the chinese hot and sour soup way. It was flavorful and matched the kebab perfectly.

Next time I'm in GenSan I'll surely bug whoever I am with to dine at Little Dubai.

Little Dubai (map)
National Highway,
General Santos City
+6383-553-4119

Must have: kebab (of course!)

Price range: PhP85 per meal with iced tea, soup was at PhP45

Lakwatsera's Rating: I love it! I wish they had a branch in Manila.

GenSan: Firenzo Deli

I was ravenous after going to the new spa at East Asia Hotel and nagged Eric and Andrew to have a snack with me. Eric and I chanced upon Firenzo Deli, located at the Sun City Suites and thought we'd try it out.

I didn't want to eat too much since dinner was just an hour away, so I ordered a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich.

I had my doubts since I'm not so fond of steak sandwiches, but my palate and tummy when to heaven after the first bite. The steak was soft and easy to bite and the cheese just matched it perfectly. I took out the red bell pepper though since I'm still teaching myself to eat it with any food and not just pizza and sisig. Ahhh... I would've ordered another sandwich, but Drew said I should reserve some of my appetite for Little Dubai.

Firenzo Deli (map)
Firenzo Building/Sun City Suites
Pan Philippine Highway
General Santos City

Must have: Philly cheese steak sandwich

Price Range: a tad bit expensive, PhP200-250 for a sandwich and a drink

Lakwatsera's Rating: I'll definitely go back for the Philly cheese steak sandwich and will check out the imported ingredients they're selling

Best Bulalo in Tagaytay, Leslie's

Leslie's. I have a friend who raves about Leslie's everytime he gets the chance, so I thought we should dine there during our trip to Tagaytay last weekend.

Leslie's offer affordable group meals in their menu. We could've gotten a package, but we thought we'd end up with too many leftovers, so we decided to order the following dishes:

Bulalo. I only eat bulalo at home when my Dad cooks it. It's been sometime since he has done this, so I was absolutely floored when I sampled the soup and beef. It's exactly like how my Dad cooks bulalo!

Crispy Pata. I am sure my crispy pata connossieur-friend, Juned, would approve of Leslie's crispy pata. It was delightfully soft, crispy and chewy at the same time. Basta masarap!

Sizzling Kangkong in Garlic and Oyster Sauce. To balance off the sinful crispy pata my sister and aunt ordered a platter of kangkong. I had my doubts, but I was pleasantly surprised how the oyster sauce and garlic sweetened the kangkong. It was really good!

Leslie's Restaurant
Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Silang West, Tagaytay City
(map)

Price Range: approx. PhP400 per head

Must have: Bulalo and Sizzling Kangkong in Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Lakwatsera's Rating: a bit pricey, but serving sizes are big.

Another Look at Sonya's Garden

A few months ago we visited Sonya's Garden with friends. There were a lot of people during our visit so we only got the chance to buy some plants and baked good. We wanted to have lunch, but the place was full so we were forced to look for another restaurant (ended up at Antonio's).

My sister's in town, so we thought we'd bring her to Tagaytay for some fresh air. Our first stop was Sonya's Garden. This time around we got to see other parts of the secret Tagaytay garden.

The Country Store. I immediately fell in love with the takatak "chimes" and got one for the house. My aunt got some orchid tree seeds (she gave it to my Mom for planting haha). Also found a lot of spa stuff, hand-crafted cloth and other home materials.

Sensuous Spa. One day I will go back and have a heavenly massage!

You can also buy spa oil/scent/soap etc. from the store.

And don't forget to get some yummy baked items!

Sonya's Garden (map)