When in El Nido: The Red Crab Alimango House

After days of swimming, snorkeling and climbing in Apulit and Miniloc, R and I were looking forward to finally relax at Lio, El Nido. Just thinking about lounging on its long shore and enjoying the area's chill vibe made us excited. But another thing made us giddy to spend a few days in this newly developed area... and that was to feast on good seafood.

Hello, The Red Crab Alimango House.

The Red Crab Alimango House opened in Lio Estate just last April and it's one of the best places to dine in the area.

Lost in Batangas: Punta Verde Resort

I always feel envious of my friends who have all these crazy out of town company outings and team buildings. I have been part of the corporate world for almost a decade and sadly, I've only been to one outing throughout my whole stint. To be fair, it was a fun trip to Bluewater Maribago Cebu. But I wanted more. So I'd find myself tagging along with R during his company outing. And this year, his team went to Punta Verde Resort.

Hello, Punta Verde Resort.

R and I were so excited to visit this place after seeing lovely photos from guests. And the best part is that it's a pet friendly place!

When in Davao: Paradise Island Park & Resort

Mindanao used to be a place I was afraid to visit. With media and elders saying that this part of the Philippines as an unsafe place, I didn't even consider to travel and spend my vacation down south. Sure, there are cities that are considered safe like Davao. But it being a few miles away from NPA surrounded areas and even a war zone made me feel even more afraid. But all that changed this year when I visited President Duterte's hometown not just once but thrice. And for this trip, I got to enjoy Paradise Island. 

Hello, Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort. 

First Bite: Pista Food Hall

As much as I love exploring Manila, I never had the chance to visit Baclaran. I know that’s where the famous Baclaran Church is located but I also know that the place is chaotic, crowded and not really a good place to be roaming around without a reason. But I finally got a reason to visit the area a few months ago.

Hello, Pista Food Hall.

Located on the 5th floor of Victory Food Mall across the busy Baclaran Church, Pista Food Hall’s ambiance is a refuge from the chaos of the streets below it. In fact, it may seem like it’s a bit out of place considering its location. But not quite. Especially when you hear what Chef JV Mangibin has to say about his vision for Pista.

Love at First Bite: Vampire Penguin Shaved Snow and Desserts

Summer is here and I now have the perfect excuse to eat cold treats 24/7. Halo-halo, bingsu, ice cream, you name it, I’d most likely want it. And a few weeks ago, I discovered a new favorite. It comes with an adorable mascot and an interesting name.

Hello, Vampire Penguin.

An adorable Vampire Penguin greeted us as soon as we approached its store located at Ayala on 30th. A display shelf with the different flavored ice, toppings and macarons were among the first things we noticed as we stepped inside the corner store. 

Its name sure made a lot of diners curious. Thankfully, Leo, one half of the duo who conceptualized Vampire Penguin, was there to entertain all our silly questions. He enlightened us by sharing a little story about themselves and how related it is to Vampire Penguin.

Promo Alert: Celebrate Friday with Iceberg’s Halo-Halo

Saan ka dadalin ng PHP30 mo?

Sa Icebergs!

The well-loved dessert shop, Icebergs, is celebrating its 30th year this month and to make it festive for everyone, it is offering its delectable and refreshing halo-halo for just PHP30 instead of PHP108!

How awesome is that?!

It is open every Friday (meaning now) until November 25, from opening time to closing time. This promo is valid from opening time to 6 pm. (Fine, I'm a bit late with this news. But hey, you are never too late for sweets!)

You know the drill. It’s FriYAY thanks to Icebergs' halo-halo!

And while you're at it, try some of Icebergs' savory meals like this mouthwatering pasta here! 

See you there! :)

Icebergs is available in these locations: Banawe, Eastwood City Walk 2, Harbour Square (CCP Complex), Katipunan Extension, Metrowalk Complex, Santana Grove, Robinson’s Galleria, SMBY (Mall of Asia), SM City Clark, SM City Fairview, SM City North Edsa, SM City Novaliches, SM City San Fernando, SM Mall of Asia South Wing, TImog Avenue, Tutuban Center Mall and UST.

**Photos used are all from Icebergs. 

Affordable Bites: 7flavors

It was one random day when I got an email from A inviting me to visit 7flavors buffet in San Juan. His name sounded so familiar that I just have to fish. And true enough, A and I have met before back in 2012 when I was still with Summit Media handling Yummy magazine. The foodie community is indeed big yet so small. 

Hello, 7flavors.

This spacious two-storey restaurant is headed by celebrity chef Boy Logro and all the dishes served here are based on his recipes. The first floor is designed for diners who do not fancy buffets and prefer to order a la carte. The second floor tends to be more crowded with its pocket-friendly lunch (PHP399.99 on weekdays and PHP599.99 on weekends including Fridays) and dinner (PHP499.99 on weekdays and PHP599.99 on weekends including Fridays) buffets. 

I read through a handful of reviews before going to this place and most reviews gave it a fair rating and mentioned that it covers the basic dishes and would be considered a value for money place. True enough, the buffet was a simple spread of viands, appetizers and desserts. I spotted DIY taco and halo-halo stations and took a mental note to try it after my first plate. 

My first plate was a combination of crispy kare-kare, steamed fish, oil-based pasta and buttered chicken. All dishes tasted pretty average and something you’d get from the price you pay. 

First Bite: Gabe's Homegrown Dishes

I have known Gabe’s Homegrown Dishes for quite some time now as it has been active in tagging me on Instagram. It sure was an effective marketing tactic as it made me curious and I ended up checking food apps to read reviews about the humble Filipino restaurant. After a few tags and likes, Dan of Gabe’s got in touch with me and invited me to visit his restaurant to sample some of their dishes. 

Hello, Gabe’s Homegrown Dishes.

It is quite easy to miss this restaurant if you are not so familiar with how its signage look like. Located at the second floor of YDG building along Katipunan Avenue, it is on the same side of Sandwicheese and at the opposite side of the biggest Banappple branch. 

The space is quite small and could accommodate around 20 customers maximum at a time. I love though how family friendly the place is with its comfortable couch for sleepy toddlers and a bunch of board games and cards to entertain kids and kids-at-heart. 

Dan arrived with his family a couple of minutes after we arrived. And while waiting for the dishes which were being cooked by his lovely wife, we had a chat with Dan and he told us that most of the dishes are based on family recipes with Kapampangan influence. As for the restaurant’s name, it was named after the couple’s firstborn, Gabe. 

After a few minutes of chatting, our order of Lemonade (PHP65 per glass) was served and it was well-loved. It was tangy and sweet at the same time; making it a great thirst quenching drink. 

It took a while for the first dishes to be served as the restaurant was understaffed the night we visited. It took a bit over 30 minutes for the first dishes to be served. 

Lengua (PHP250) was first to come out of the kitchen and it was an instant kids’ favorite. The tender lengua could be easily mistaken as your usual well-cooked meat. We all enjoyed the thick, creamy and slightly salty gravy that complemented the beef’s tongue.

Next served was the bang for the buck Pancit Malabon (PHP100, single serving | PHP300, good for 6-9 pax | PHP600, good for 10-16 pax | PHP950, good for 20-25 pax).

Foodie Alert: Jollibee Halo-Halo Sundae

The happy bee’s social media accounts posted its newest offerings--Halo-Halo Sundae and Adobo Flakes two days ago and the Jollibee foodie community went crazy! 

It all started when my college friend B posted a photo of Jollibee’s Adobo Flakes “no pork” burger and Halo-Halo sundae at 11 pm. I quickly shared the post with R and as usual, my giddiness died down when R didn’t find it interesting. 

The case is totally different though with my looloo friends. Food excites them (and anything matcha turns most of them wild). R2 and looloo Community Ambassador J were the first ones to try the new offerings and said that it was good. Not exactly superb or drool worthy but not bad for the price you pay. 

I wanted to head to Jollibee after work yesterday to try it but R’s dad wanted to eat out and so I had to head home right after as they’ll pick me up at my place. 

But I finally got to try it earlier for lunch. 

We had some delivered and it arrived like milkshake. (We quickly placed it inside the freezer but it didn’t really help much. It melted even more!)

As for the taste, it was simply vanilla sundae with halo-halo toppings. Nothing more, nothing less.

They scrimped on the toppings as I only got 4 jellies, roughly 6 beans and 4 coconut strings. I also had about 1 cm of langka. And I’m not even exaggerating here. 

Then again, it was a nice treat to help you cool down. Just don’t expect too much.  

Summer Must Have: Razon's of Guagua

Summer is here and I am (except my fats) melting! How I wish I could have something cold to drink or eat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without getting fat or sick. But noooo, I get fat and sick. Oh cruel reality. But there's this place I simply could not resist even when I'm about to have lunch.

Hello, Razon's of Guagua!

I saw Razon's Eastwood branch while waiting for Big D's Smokehouse to open. Since my EQ is pretty low when it comes to food, I lured my mom and aunt to the halo-halo place for some sweet appetizer. 

Oh sweet air conditioned restaurant. I was instantly refreshed! (Please do not let me go back outside!)

I ordered a halo-halo (PHP105) for myself while my mom and aunt  decided to share. My aunt also got one plain silvanas (PHP35).

The silvanas looked sad being plated solo. It tasted sad too. It wasn't cold. It was hard and not the chewy type hard. It was also bland. The House of Silvanas is way better (and cheaper).

The halo-halo, as always, was a winner. Finely shaved ice and the basic yet best ingredients for halo-halo. I sparingly ate the leche flan. Save the best for last.  


I didn't want to leave the air conditioned place but after finishing my glass, we had to leave and check if the ribs place is already open.

Goodbye cold paradise. See you again!

Razon's of Guagua is located at 2nd Floor, Eastwood City Walk 2, Eastwood, Quezon City.

Konnichiwa, Roboto San!

It has been quite a while since I last saw some of my college block mates given that some of them moved to the other side of the world. So, when I found out that R will be visiting Manila, we took the opportunity to somehow catch up. It was also the perfect opportunity for me to ask for a travel itinerary as I will be traveling next month (and I am so excited to explore and try new dishes!!!).

 

I find it odd that every time I meet a balikbayan friend, we always end up dining in a non-Filipino restaurant. Last time was way back February where N (boy) and I had dinner at a Korean restaurant. This time though, R and I had a mini reunion at… Roboto San.

Konnichiwa, Roboto San!

 

N (girl) had coupons that were about to expire and I just can’t stand wasting a good deal. R and I were originally planning to meet up for brunch and I thought that a Filipino restaurant would be a brilliant idea but the coupon entered the picture and changed everything. To make things more fun, I invited A as well as she knows R.

Dinner for a Cause...

The owner of Mango Tree Bistro invited our editor-in-chief to attend the newly founded organization named Chefs and Food Service Community of the Philippines. The organization aims to gather food suppliers, manufacturers and restaurateurs to promote the local food industry and to support its projects such as soup kitchen and several other outreaches.

Anyway, the fourth dinner (our first was the third leg) was held at The Loop, operated by the Institute of Culinary Arts and Food Service of Far Eastern University. I was quite thrilled since I’ve never been there. This time, I went with some other colleagues. The dishes I will show in this blog are not from the restaurant though.

The first dish that was served to us was toasted bread with cream cheese from S & L Fine Foods, Inc. (I heard that they have a store at Yakal and their line is similar to Santi’s Deli but cheaper. Tempting!)

The cream cheese was not overpowering. Quite pleasant and simple dish for an appetizer.

After finishing our plate of bread, they served some blood sausage. It was my first time to eat blood sausage so I don’t really know what to expect. There was a bit of white sauce over the sausages that tasted like cream garlic. The sausages on the other hand were extremely dry. Hope they placed more of that white sauce.

The next dish served was made by one of the chefs during the dinner. First dish served was Dinakdakan with Dilis and Adobo Salad.

The Dinakdakan was quite very flavorful and crunchy but it was a bit too heavy for me. I left like I was consuming a 1000 calorie dish and it was just a 4 tablespoon serving. The Adobo Salad had bits of adobo but it was a bit too hard. The Dilis Salad on the other hand tasted like laing but I enjoyed it the most.

I was starting to feel full (since I had a heavy lunch at New World Hotel and snack at Blue Leaf… yes, it was one eating galore day) when they served the Soft Shell Crab in Sinigang Soup. It was my first time to try soft shelled crab and I LOVED IT. It was quite chewy because of the shell but it was not hard at all.

The soup made it a bit tangy but I love sour dishes so it made me smile. I was not very fond of the breading being soaked though. (I was never a fan of soaked cereal and this is a similar case.)

To cap the meal, they served halo-halo shots. It was not your typical halo-halo served with shaved ice. Instead, it was just some beans, coconut (nata), and sweetened milk. It was served with a thin peanut brittle.

Surprisingly, despite the small serving, I find it still too much. It was really flavorful… and too sweet. Half of the shot was more than enough.

Aside from these, there was also a buffet that includes kare-kare, steamed fish, and some pastries (chocolates from Bakersfield).

Since we wanted to have something else to drink, we ordered margarita. I had one of The Loop’s bestsellers… Loop Margarita (PHP180). It was a bit icy thus less alcohol (I think). Nonetheless, it was pretty good.

I love attending this monthly dinner because I get to meet great chefs and food store owners and discover great dishes. Just last month I got the chance to try Pampanga’s Best bacon ice cream!

The Ultimate Pinoy Desserts

Most Pinoys can’t leave without desserts or as the “elders” call it… pang-alis ng suya.

As part of the food trip I joined, we stopped by Nathaniel’s and Kabigting’s for dessert after a delectable meal from Adarna. At first I was not very excited because the desserts were… kinda common. But you’ll definitely change your mind when you try Nathaniel’s buko pandan and Kabigting’s halo-halo.

Nathaniel’s buko pandan was very creamy and rich in flavor. It seemed like I was eating some frozen whip cream with lots of buko and jelly. Yummy! But I don’t recommend it for those who had too much for lunch or dinner as I find the dessert too filling.

Next stop was Kabigting’s halo-halo, popular for just having 3 ingredients (aside from ice and milk). With just beet, corn, and pastillas, it did taste like halo-halo less all the complexities and wonders of what we were chewing.

It would have been nice if there is also THE PLACE for banana-que, turon, my all time favorite karioka, and leche flan.

A not so savory dessert

I forgot that the week of the 18^th is Holy Week thus I had a hard time finding a place open to tour a friend’s friend around Manila.

Since my friend’s friend (let’s call him J) and my friend (let’s call her D) were famished, we looked for the nearest open restaurant. We first saw Shakey’s. Knowing that J is not from Manila, I thought that it might be a better idea to eat something more Filipino. We then saw Savory (okay, so we did not go to the nearest restaurant) and dine there instead.

I was pretty full then so I ordered halo-halo instead while J ordered a set meal and D had a BIG bowl of soup (she was not aware that the soup was for sharing).

Yey! My halo-halo arrived but it is melting FAST.

After a spoonful… well… it was… icy. It tasted quite ordinary and I am not really expecting much since dessert is not the specialty of Savory (it’s chicken… or so when I last checked). Next time I crave for halo-halo, I will go for Razon’s or Chow King instead.

As for the rest of the Maundy  Thursday adventure, check the Intramuros entry. J