Keep the Fire Burning: New Ways to Enjoy Samyang

You must be living under a rock if you haven't heard of Samyang or better known as the spicy noodle challenge. This popular Korean brand definitely piqued our interest after seeing several famous personalities giving it a go. But the hype eventually dwindled down as soon as the fire in one's mouth disappeared. This is not the last of Samyang though as it introduces new ways on how to make your pack of spicy noodles more interesting. 

Hello, Samyang.

This well-loved Korean brand has been around for quite some time delighting foodies, especially K-Drama fanatics. 

An Exquisite Lunar New Year Spread at Lung Hin

Looking for a place to spend Chinese New Year could be a daunting task especially with the growing number of restaurants offering spectacular special menus. But if you want a good view of the city to go with your Yusheng, then there is one place in town that would be very hard to beat.

Hello, Lung Hin. 

Celebrating Year of the Dog with Crystal Jade

With the Chinese New Year just around the corner, many restaurants are busy working on their special menu to celebrate the Year of the Dog. One of the restaurants that has been a destination of choice of the Filipino-Chinese community is Crystal Jade. And it sure has a festive and delectable menu fit to welcome 2018!

Hello, Crystal Jade.

It would be hard to miss this Chinese restaurant along Bonifacio High Street. With its prime location along 7th Avenue, one could easily spot Crystal Jade.

When in Bohol: Virgin Island, Panglao

I always look forward to island hopping whenever I'm in Visayas. I enjoy bringing out the Ariel of The Little Mermaid in me with snorkling gear and life vest in tow. And one of my favorite spots to date is the Virgin Island in Panglao, Bohol. 

Hello, Virgin Island, Panglao. 

This small island is far from the Virgin Island of Bantayan Island. It doesn't have the hipster vibe of the latter. There are no hammocks, cottages, washroom, benches or tables in sight. It is indeed what a virgin island should be... pure. 

Several visitors will drop by to be immersed in a place untainted by civilization. 

Aside from the Virgin Island signage, there are only two vendors selling seafood and fresh buco and a handful of vendors selling pearls. Since I'm not fond of jewelry, I zeroed in on seafood. 

Only a handful are available--sea urchin, sea cucumber and a bunch of shelled fish-- which they could cook adobo style for you.

And one of the things I love about the province is that sea urchin's super affordable. We got five sea urchins for just PHP100 or PHP20 each! Not bad at all. 

We also got abalones for PHP50 a piece and had it cooked adobo style. But we realized that it would have been better raw and just drizzled with calamansi. 

We also got one fresh buco for PHP50.

Since we came in a small boat, we decided to eat our roasted chicken and steamed prawns there. And the seafood vendor was nice enough to let us use a portion of his prep table.

Though this is often visited or included in island hopping, I was impressed with how the locals keep the place as clean as possible. And the vendors sure know how to speak Chinese! This is enough to prove that several Chinese tourists visit Panglao. (I have to admit, I was a bit envious because I could only say three phrases in Chinese.)

True, there's nothing much to see in this island and all you can do here are to eat and buy pearls. But there are times when I just want to spend time in places like this... away from the chaos of Manila. My short stay here definitely recharged me and I'd love to drop by again for more sea urchin and abalone. 

Till next time!

Love at First Bite: Choi Garden

I have been crazy for Chinese food ever since I’ve been with R. It’s hard not to fall in love with the centuries old cuisine especially when R’s family loves to go to the best Chinese restaurants in town. My tastebuds got spoiled and there’s no turning back. And just when I thought I’ve had the best peking duck, another restaurant made me think otherwise. And this “other” restaurant made me regret all the years of me ignoring it. 

Hello, Choi Garden. 

I always pass by this huge restaurant with red facade whenever I drop by Greenhills. A popular dining option for the Chinese community, this place gets really packed during dinner time and the day I went was no exception. 

It was R’s parents’ wedding anniversary dinner and they ordered a bunch of special dishes for us to feast on. While waiting for them, I was given some nuts, water and hot tea which I almost finished as I was super hungry. I also ended up eating more than I should as there was nothing else to do. My phone's signal was weak and they do not have wifi. It was just me and the peanuts. Well, it was mostly plate when R and his family arrived. 

They all arrived a bit before 7 pm and after a few minutes, a majestic boat filled with two huge Chilled Australian Abalone was served.

Love at First Bite: Canton Road

I have been wanting to visit Canton Road ever since I saw its panda bun stuffed with salted egg yolk. It was a powerful combination of two things I love and I couldn’t help nag R about it. However, our weekend schedules were uncooperative and we couldn’t find the time to drop by this new Chinese restaurant in Shangri-La at the Fort. And while I was weeping with sadness, I got an invite from the lovely gals of Zomato to feast on some of Canton Road’s spectacular dishes. Woohoo!

Hello, Canton Road. 

I have never been to the hotel and residential side of Shangri-La at the Fort so everything looked so new to me. But as expected from a notable establishment, the hotel lobby was majestic and every single staff member was courteous and assisted me to Canton Road.

As I walk closer to Canton Road, I was greeted by beautiful interiors in dark hues and touches of gold. The place screams Asian elegance.