Queue Music: Skyline - Mowe If I were to choose one favorite spot in the Philippines, I'd say Coron in a heartbeat. Its clear blue waters and pristine beaches explains why this place left a mark in my heart. Coron still has one of the richest aquatic ecosystem. There are a lot of snorkeling spots where you can see the different kinds of corals and fish. You will definitely appreciate the beauty of the place more when you get to see the underwater world. ;) Aside from snorkeling spots, Coron also has a lot of good beaches where you can just relax and enjoy the sun. They also have the World's Cleanest Lake - Kayangan! I swear Kayangan would be my forever favorite place. I instantly fell in love with it the first time I saw it - the clear blue water, the peaceful environment, everything. It was just so magical for me. My visit last October was my 3rd consecutive visit in 3 years and I don't regret doing it. Every visit is different from each one. There are new learnings, experiences and people you meet that makes it memorable each time. All my tours were arranged by Nice in Paradise Tours. I have been a loyal customer to this company because they are truly reliable. They pick-up the guests on time (OK, not always but at least they make up for it by being extra approachable and kind). I think that amongst all agencies, Nice in Paradise has the best set of tour packages. Just recently, they added Coron Highlights in their packages. For P1800 (joined tour), you get to see the must-see places in Coron. This tour, was by far, the best tour I've ever been to! All my favorites in one day, how sweet is that! For my past 2 visits, I decided to stay in Sunz En Coron. Though this resort was a bit far from the town proper, transportation was not a problem. The resort management got it figured out for you. Just let them know where you're headed and they'll be the one to call a tricycle for you; best part was it being free. The only thing you probably have to think about is your way back to the hotel but it wouldn't even cause you too much trouble because the fares are relatively cheap. You just have to pay P10-15 for each person and you're ready to go! If you have questions on absolutely anything about the trip to Coron, please do not hesitate to hit me up through a comment or an email! :) PS: This is not a sponsored post.
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Fireside is the sister company of "Kettle". It had very limited food choices on their menu, probably just the same menu as Kettle, only it was changed a bit to make it more asian (or IDK) and others were named differently. Since I was a bit disappointed with the menu, I went for the basics - Buttermilk Chicken and Pasta (Mac & Cheese).
The Buttermilk Chicken (P549), which was made popular by Kettle, was better with Fireside. I wonder if it was because of its cheaper price, everything else tasted 98% the same. It came with cajun honey, gravy and cornbread donuts. It tasted like normal fried chicken to me but would honestly say that the cajun honey made it a bit more interesting than any other fried chicken meal/dish.
We also tried the Smoked Mac and Cheese (P229). The description on the menu said it was topped with bacon bits, but could hardly see any. Maybe it's underneath the burnt top? :D
Nevertheless, I still liked their Smoked Mac and Cheese. It was oozing with cheesiness and I liked it so much. It was flavourful but was just right, it surprisingly complemented the fried chicken. What I don't like about it is the burnt top. It eliminates the excitement because I'm not fond of eating burnt cheese because it removes the flavour, too!
Though very similar to Kettle, I still liked Fireside more. It was cheaper, can you blame me? :D
I was excited when I heard that we will have a Bloggers' Anniversary special at Wingman Collective. I have tried Wingman once and was looking forward to going back again. I haven't had the chance because the branch near my place was too exclusive, it's hard for me to easily swing by.
We were greeted by appetizers when we came. We had Onion Rings (P150) and Parmesan Cheese Curly Twists (P175). I liked the Curly Twists better but that was maybe because it had parmesan cheese on it and I like anything with parmesan at any given day, at any given time!
Among the classic favorites, I must say that this Classic Buffalo Wings still stood out. You can choose the level of spiciness depending on your tastebuds but had to go with the safe one so we tried medium.
I also liked the Garlic Parmesan Wings but wasn't able to take a photo of it because I got too busy devouring the flavor! HEHE.
Moroccan Chermoula had an exotic mix of North African spices that made it taste really strong. I wanted to pair it with rice too but wasn't able to order because it was also the start of Quiz Night. Yup, they hold quiz nights! It's not trending in Manila but at least we know one that does! If you have up to 8 players in the team, head to their Acacia Branch every Thursdays to play!
Game master is the non-Filipino owner (forgot the name though, woops). So expect the questions to be mixed with a lot of International questions, probably those you have not even heard or come across before. I am admittedly bad with trivia questions especially those International ones. If I remember correctly, I was only able to answer 3 out of the 30 questions! HAHAHA.
LOL. Those were just the questions I was able to confidently answer. There was also one round where we had to watch a clip from a movie and guess the title. I wasn't able to answer ANY OF IT! I'm not really fond of watching movies so I wouldn't really be able to contribute much. HAHAHA. While the game was going intense, the newest addition to the Wing Menu was delivered to our table.
Man, it looked intense! Hellfire, as it was named, certainly looked hellfire to me! It was made with Carolina Reaper and Wingman's secret spice and served with cold yogurt to soothe your tongue after taking a bite. I am in love with anything spicy but this one's just too hot for me to handle and can only finish 1/3 of the half dozen.
Fun fact: Wingman knows that this is one spicy dish. They know no one would dare eat it alone so they have this HellFire Challenge in the house! If you're up for a challenge, why not???
Things got pretty intense with the combination of Hellfire and Quiz Night so it was about time we moved to the Beer Pong table to somehow calm down. We were group by 2's and was happy to land a spot on the final round. I am no good when it comes to 'double bounce' shots which made our opponent win. Double bounce shots means insta-win because they can easily finish all their glasses. In this game, you just need 3 double bounce shots and you're done! WOAH.
To finish off the night, I ordered Tiger and Brownie Ala Mode and got to try their Black Bean Burrito (P215). It was the perfect mix to make me feel better being a loser that night!
Wingman was actually the perfect venue for us to have a get-together and celebrate our greatness ;) Alex and Claude, named after the owners, is located at the G/F of the F1 Hotel building (beside hungry hound and across Skinny Mike's). They cater as a one-stop shop to everything nice, healthy and random in the very busy city. They offer various products - from organic food, snacks, ice cream, drinks to buffet lunches, birthday party venues, meeting venues to a mini shop for the kids (or kids at heart) to home tiles. But since I came here to try their organic food, I was only able to capture food-related areas. It's funny how I landed to this store and how I thought of trying out their organic food. I'm not really into those kinds of fad diet but was curious so gave it a go. They have lunch buffets that cost around P299/person and comes with 1 free drink (either unli soda or coffee). Considering the price, I would say that they had the right amount of options for their buffet selection. They had fried rice, fresh lumpia, chapchae, roasted chicken, salad bar, siomai, spaghetti and pata tim. I wasn't very much into pigging out when I went so I just tried a few.
Of course, I went back for more food. But still the same set - chapchae, salad and chicken. I heard the Fresh Lumpia was also good and you get to choose how you make it because it is "create your own"!
They have lots of other food options that's not part of the buffet selection. They offer fresh juices, organic chips and ready-to-eat meals. So whether you are in a hurry or not, healthy or not, you can still visit their place!
Pitmaster's Smokehouse BBQ is one of the many new restaurants in the not-so quiet neighborhood of Kapitolyo. Established in 2016, what started as an ihaw-ihaw concept by Chef Raffy Sunico and Ben Donato, is now now more than ready to make their noise in East Capitol Drive.
With their big parking space that can extend up to the road, you'd surely be drawn to try it out. East Capitol Drive has been on it's busiest since the rise of different restaurants for different kinds of foodies and the main concern would always have to be the parking slot. We were starving the time we visited the area and found that this place had more than enough slots to keep our car safe so decided to give it a try.
The restaurant itself was just as inviting as it was named. I have a thing for cozy/homey places so this setting/setup is a plus. It felt as if I wouldn't mind waiting for 10-20mins before getting seated or getting my order (but yeah, only for 10-20 mins. LOL). But it was also a good thing we came early, we really did not have to wait long!
Their menu was interesting but felt very meat-heavy for me so I had a hard time deciding which ones to try first. It was a breather for me that they also offered soups and salads so decided to try it as a starter.
Pit Caesar Salad (P240) was healthy and sinful at the same time. The smoked bacon strips did not help that I wanted to start light but wouldn't regret having it to go with my greens!!! The poached egg on top of my salad was my favorite, too! It was perfection!!!
Chicken Skin (P145). I'm not a huge fan of anything sweet for food that's supposed to be savory or salty but was a huge fan of chicken skin so decided to get one too. It was sweet chili as it was described and was really sooo good, it made me start the night early by getting myself a beer paddle.
Since we started out early with a beer paddle on our table, we decided to stuff ourselves with more food. Our table was packed with everything - best sellers to the overlooked ones.
Pit Platter (P1500) | I loved everything about this platter, except maybe the smoked corriander chicken that was fully covered with charcoal. HAHA. I must say this platter was worth our every penny because it was loaded with all the smoked specialties of Pitmaster's.
I liked the ribs because it was soft and flavourful. It came with 3 different homemade sauces that were created through the mastery of smoking and blending of unique spices - Apple, East Side and Hazelnut. Of course I just had to try everything on my ribs but caught my heart beating for East Side. It tasted like the classic barbecue sauce - sweet and tangy. It blended well with the ribs and I liked it so much but would love to have it spiced up a bit. I like anything spicy and it is not close to mild spicy so would love to try that one out too (when they create one). Apple and Hazelnut were both just sweet, maybe just a little too much for my tastebuds.
Pitmaster's was more than just a smokehouse, it was also a good place to have beer. What's the best pair for Smokehouse bbq, anyway? I'd say beer.
They have different flavours of beers - Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Salted Caramel, Hazelnut and Banana for their classic flavors; Toasted Marshmallow for their premium. I wanted to try everything out of curiosity but was sure that I wouldn't be able to finish 5 glasses so I was glad when I found out that they had a beer paddle!!!! You can get it for P250 and be able to taste the 4 classic flavors! Just add P20 and you can include Toasted Marshmallow on your paddle. I realized I wasn't a fan of flavoured beers but at the same time surprised I liked Toasted Marshmallow beer so much. It was top of all the flavours I tasted that night and would surely come back for it! It has this toasty taste on top of the very light beer. IT WAS REALLY GOOD!
Pitmaster's is open from 11AM to 12MN!!! So whether you're looking for a place to have a scrumptious lunch or dinner or a night out place, Pitmaster's can definitely be your place to be in East Side Capitol!
A not-so new place in Burgos Circle that gives you both the cozy and artsy feel on a night out. I personally love the idea put into this place because it just felt so homey to me!
I would recommend that barkada catch-ups, or hang-out be done in this place. It's an art place more than just a restobar. The art pieces displayed inside the store are also for sale so if you have that artsy feel in you, I really would suggest to pay this place a visit. It really is more than how it looks outside ;)
Mushroom Soup (P250) was quite pricey for me. But the saying 'don't judge the book by its cover' applies to this common starter. I'm a huge fan of soup as a meal starter and this mushroom soup did not disappoint at all. It really did taste as it costs! It was thick and creamy and legit tastes like mushroom soup made from scratch. It doesn't taste like those usual mushroom soup that's straight from the can.
Both their Seafood and Chorizo pastas were good. Both were al dente and rich in flavour. But I think I liked the Chorizo pasta more because it's something I don't normally see on pasta menus. Don't forget so spice it up with some chili flakes and parmesan cheese to enjoy it to maximum level!!!! HEHEHE.
Crispy Pork Knuckles or Crispy Pata (P580). WELL, WHO WOULD EVER GO WRONG WITH THIS ORDER??? I liked how this crispy pata was cooked. It had very crrrrunchy skin and tender meat which made me forget I was on a diet. Fck diet, I choose to be happy with these Pork Knuckles! I was just sad that I missed to eat it with rice, I tried to compromise so I skipped rice but then realized that eating this with rice would've been the best decision ever made that night.
There's still more that I've tried than the ones featured here but of course, I featured the only ones close to my heart and tastebuds. So these are my personal favorite!!!
Aside from the good food, their drinks are also something to look forward too! But I must warn you that some of the drinks may be too strong for you...... (or maybe it's just for me hahahaha).
Of course, this night wouldn't be complete without a drink (or two). I tried their East Side Elevation cocktail for P350! I don't know why I loved this drink so much but it's too refreshing as it looks! It was a good substitute for my usual whisky sour/jack coke preference. LOL.
I also tried the Gin & Tonic cocktail but it tasted too strong for me. I guess the tita in me just cannot handle strong drinks! I just want creative, fun drinks now. (iykwim).
Are you looking for a good place where you can bring your friends in the morning? lunch? dinner? or for some drinks?
I got the perfect place for you! After All, which opened during the 2nd quarter of this year and is located at the G/L of SM Jazz Mall would be a place you should consider. From hearty breakfasts to big lunches to sumptuous dinners to after dinner drinks, After All has it for you! It's a one-stop restaurant for people who has different cravings because they offer different cuisines - from Japanese to Filipino to Spanish, just name it and they have it! It's amazing how they were able to pull off a restaurant with such concept, tbh. And I have not seen a place where everything can work for everyone, for different types of people with different preferences. HEHEHE Well, buffets can offer that too, but this one's absolutely cheaper than booking buffet reservations to fit everyones needs and wants. HEHE
To kick-off my pigging out session, I got a few things that also happened to be somewhat listed on my list of what to try in After All.
They have a variety of Tapas selection but my top three picks would have to be:
It's a given why I love these three. I love seafood, wings and spicy food. I loved how fresh the seafoods were, saktong pantawid gutom while waiting for the mains! The wings and the deviled squid, on the other hand, were both equally good. The deviled squid had the right amount of kick that I expected it to have. The wings was... well.. not too exceptional. But for a wings fan like me I'd say it's good to order it too.
Next up is the Madras Curried Chicken. This is part of their "Plate Special" menu that's available from 10am until 6pm daily. It's made for people who runs on a specific budget for their day-to-day meals. This costs P160 but it includes a bowl of soup and a glass of iced tea so sulit na din. Not to mention the generous serving of the Curried Chicken! :)
Of course, the excitement just doesn't stop with their good food. We also need drinks to make life a bit more exciting! Their Craft Cocktails are to die for!!! It's because the ingredients used for the drinks were all super pinoy! They even have Calamancello (my favorite!) and Buko Melon Freeze which is not in the photo because I finished it immediately after getting it. HAHAHA. IT WAS SO DAMN GOOD. It was like slurpee with a kick! Overall, the whole experience was really good! The live band that played during the time I visited was definitely a plus! I would bring my whole barkada the next time I visit.
Single Origin has been one of my 'reserved' go-to places around my turf. It's usually the place for me to unwind... alone or with a bunch of friends. The restaurant is just small having less than 20 tables (inside and outside). They have long tables so they really support the idea of sharing tables with strangers especially if you're just a small group of 2 to 3 people.
Anyway, I visited the place last Friday together with my 2 college friends. We wanted something new and something nice at the same time so I suggested we go to Single Origin. Okay, don't get me wrong... this place is not the perfect place for people running on a budget. Their wide selection of food, non-alcoholic beverages and alcoholic beverages would make you love the place instantly but it's also kinda pricey for me. Thank goodness I still have P500 worth of Booky credits!!! So I get P500 off a thousand worth of bill, amazing!!!
It was Friday so the planned 6 PM meet-up turned out to be a failure. Since our booking was at 6PM, there was no way we could be late bec that would mean forfeiture of discount!!! HAHAHA. I was there 5:45PM together with my other friend, so thankfully, the discount was not forfeited.
While waiting for my other friend to arrive, we ordered something to freshen us up. I opted to get the Crimsonberry Iced Tea (P125/glass) and my friend got the Iced Hong Kong Milk Tea (P190/Iced 16OZ). I got the Iced Tea because I just wanted something light and fresh at the same time. Crimsonberry offers that kind of experience with the fruity blend of Elderberries, Cranberries, Hibiscus, Rosehips, etc. It was just perfect! I would think the Hong Kong Milk Tea was also good and as legit tasting as the legit ones (OKAY. Legit, legit. too much).
We started the night by ordering SO Wings. It was good and was not the typical wings that you know. The flavour was rich and was a bit tangy. I loved that it was also a bit spicy because of the special sauce but it came very well with the bleu cheese. This dish is good for 2-3 pax.
We had Breakfast Pizza for our main. It was made up of bacon, mushroom, quail eggs and arugula. By the time the pizza came, I was almost full. So I only had a slice for myself. If I wasn't feeling bloated, I would probably eat some more!!! It was good and I prefer you use your hands when eating it. Roll the pizza, put lots of hot sauce and eat it. Forget about the mess! :)
We also ordered the Truffle Fries thinking we would all love it... well, I did not and it was mainly because I hardly tasted the truffle on my fry. I was so excite, ecstatic even, about the thought of truffle only to get disappointed. We also had Pumpkin Soup but I wasn't able to take a photo of it.
Best part of making Booky reservations is the privilege of getting free desserts out of the survey they send out during your 30mins in the restaurant. We were full and could barely eat some more but the thought of FREE DESSERT was just too beautiful to take a pass on.
Fun Fact... I do not know what this dessert was called but it was exceptionally good. It felt like chocolate mousse but not quite. Anyway, it was good. In fact, it was good to just be a free dessert. I liked it so much I had to control myself before I finish the whole thing on my own.
Overall, the experience was very very good. We ended up paying P300 each for everything we ate and it was not bad at all. Sobrang sulit ng dinner na 'to. P300, wow. The ambience was also great and the staffs were friendly and attentive :) Okay, I have to be honest... I've never really considered going to Brunei until my cousins from Switzerland pushed me to plan a trip. It was all last minute planning so I had to look for the cheapest flight I could find for any destination in Asia. There were no seat sales available for our travel dates so I had to make do with the VERY limited options. ROUNDTRIP AIRFARE: 5,600 via Cebu Pacific HOTEL/LODGING: 2200/night/2pax/free breakfast | Jubilee Hotel ITINERARYDAY 1: A R R I V A LJubilee Hotel is located at the center of Brunei. It's not a 5 start hotel but it was definitely a good place to stay. It's located near the Business District and Center of Bandar Seri Begawan so everything you have to see within the city was just a walk away. There's really no need for you to rent-a-car or ride the Taxi. But of course, do not set expectations too high because this place is a budget hotel so get what you pay for. There are other hotel options available but this place attracted me the most because they offered a FREE AIRPORT TRANSFER. Some hotels I've seen offers Airport Transfer for a certain amount and I think it's about $10/passenger. Our flight to Brunei was at 8:15PM Manila Time, it was a 2-hour plane ride so we got there around 10:00PM HKT. Obviously, there was no place we could chill during our first night because Brunei doesn't really cater to 'night life'. Everything was already closed by then. We just decided to sleep early to get ready for the next day. DAY 2: CITYtourAll the must-see places within the city can be visited within a day and the best thing about it is you do not need to spend a lot since it's all just accessible via walking. FIRST STOP: Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque I personally loved this Mosque because of how elegant it looks - inside and out. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the Mosque because that's being disrespectful of the very solemn place. We were also asked to wear the Abaya and removed our shoes as we went inside the Mosque. SECOND STOP: Water Village To get to the Water Village, you have to ride a water taxi that costs B$5 per person (if I remembered correctly). It take a 20-minute boat ride to roam around their community. I think it's skippable but also good to have so you'd understand the life of locals. One thing I noticed though was they had lots of schools in the village. They have I think 3-4 schools so education is really one of the most important things for them. To get to the schools, students ride the water taxi (and I think that's really COOL). We roamed around the village for 20 minutes, went to the mall to buy a sim card and had lunch at a nearby restaurant. Brunei does not have their own cuisine but they pretty much offer the same food as what you find in Singapore, Indonesia, or Malaysia. They have Burger King, KFC, Jollibee and Coffee Bean if that will make you comfortable with other food choices. :) After lunch, we went back to the hotel to rest a bit. It was really hot so we had to go back to our hotel to rest, freshen up and prepare for our afternoon activities. THIRD STOP: Royal Regalia Museum (Open form 9AM-5PM) The museum is FREE for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, they have strict rules inside the museum. 1) No shoes allowed, 2) No cameras or mobile phones inside. You are only allowed to take photos outside and at the lobby. But the museum houses and shows the very rich culture and traditions of the Brunei Kingdom/Palace. DAY 3: Getting to know Brunei more For our third and last day, we opted to avail a tour. It was very hard to go around Brunei without getting tours. I can do without it if I just need to tour around the Business District because everything was very accessible but the other must-see places are just too far from where we are.... I forgot where I placed the card of the travel agency we contacted for it but once I find it, I will quickly update this blog so readers will be made aware. We booked the tour for B$70/each and we were lucky enough to have a Filipino tour guide and a Filipino driver! Phew! It made everything so much easier. Brunei may not be one of those places that would make you want to visit the place. But it's a very beautiful place with such rich history.
I started 2017 with a quick trip to Taiwan. I spent almost a week trying their street foods and night markets. Damn, I think I gained 10lbs that week!!! I know it's been months since I visited the place but the memories are still fresh as if it just happened yesterday. HAHA. The food there was super duper good! I think I spent most of my money on food than shopping... which I think... was a good thing, right? :) T A I W A NESE STREET F O O DI only shared all my favorites out of the many things I've tried, so there's still a lot of things I've tried that's not on this list. :P I loved the Nian Gao/Tikoy and Wagyu Beef the most and would not complain if I had to eat it everyday. The Nian Gao comes in different flavours, which makes it more interesting and attractive. HEHE.
I also loved the Stinky Tofu but it's not for everyone. I kinda think it was because of the weird odor but the flavor is very unique and that's what makes it interesting too. Taiwanese street food was way cheaper compared to other places I've tried before. You wouldn't feel the pain of spending so much money on food because it's cheap, it's good and it's absolutely satisfying! :) Comments. Questions. Inquiries? Please do not hesitate to connect via Instagram or email [icons below]. |
Reann | 27 MNL
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