Suroy Sa Sugbo

River (mis)Adventures in Catmon!

2011-05-20T20:16:00.001-07:00

tightrope acrobats are usually paper thin, not two hundred pounds. that's what was going through my head as I muttered "pekeng ina naman! what the feck have i gotten myself into?!?!?!"

i felt like a cast member in an indiana jones movie, a hanging bridge spanning a ravine with a dizzying drop to a riverbed below. i probably won't die if i fell down, slightly mangled but not really dead. you get the point.

then again, i blame myself really why i found myself hanging on for dear life as i wobbled across the hanging bridge. let me backtrack for a bit.

it was really part of the itinerary to visit the hot spring in catmon. i nearly had a fit when we got to this "spring" right beside the road and it looked like a cemented portion of a creek that trapped the flowing water before it goes out to rejoin the stream leading into the open sea. i can see my companion's face and the mental expletives that formed as they took on the view of the locals doing their laundry and half a dozen farm animals lining up for a dip in the "pool". i didn't travel all the way to catmon for this!

good thing we were able to hook up with a local previously and we had the good sense to ask for the name of the owner of the "hot spring" and it soon became obvious that this wasn't the spring we were looking for. lest you fall into the same situation, remember this: the spring is Esoy Hot Spring and the owner is Celso Bustamante.

let me digress for a while and let's talk about the "pinoy measure of distance". we pout our lips, pointing to a distance that's not that far and mutter "dyan lang". when we say "malapit lang" assume that's it is anywhere from a few meters to a few hundred... kilometers. but when we say 3 kilometers, or one kilometer we assume that is a specific distance from point A to B.

Apparently, in the outskirts of the city, it's not only the accent that changes but the notion of distance as well.

the resort staff said that the marker for the road leading up to the hot spring is three kilometers going towards town and that the hot spring itself is about a kilometer heading up to the mountain.

well, make it around 11 kilometers to town, and another 5 to the hot spring.

finally we were able to make it to the hot spring only to find out that it is only by reservation that you can enter the place. good thing we have our native cebuano who did the negotiation (and i suspect he promised our souls to the diwatas and engkantos of the place) to let us in.

entrance is Php 100 per LOCAL head, the caretaker had half a mind to charge us more as gerry looked like a spanish sardine and i could easily be mistaken for an arab (blame it on the facial hair). it didn't help that lea kept speaking in eynglish you know.

aside from shelling out the Php 100 per head, we had to cough up an additional Php 500 to use a table and nope, you can't go down to inspect the place. you just have to agree up front about the rates.

i can imagine why the caretaker dissuaded us from "checking out" the place, you have to go down a total of 165 steps carved on the side of the mountain and just imagine climbing the same route.

in fairness, the hot spring beckoned to us with the promise of soothing our tired muscles. the set up was pretty nice (yes, pretty AND nice). the owner created a dipping pool that formed the basin for the flowing water and created holes around the pool to allow the water to drop into the ravine and riverbed just beside the carved out platform.

we could have spent our day stewing in the hot dip if not for the fact that I saw lifejackets hanging by the sari sari store that piqued my interest. you certainly don't need the jackets inside the pool unless you're midgets, really short midgets.

that's how i found out that the owner can arrange for a river trek that leads all the way to a gorgeous cathedral domed waterfall.

and that's where i found myself muttering "pekeng duck naman!!!!" as i crossed the hanging bridge going to a platform where you can access the riverbed.

the next thought that came into my head was "aaaarrrrrrggggh! why did i leave my camera?!?!?" you see, nature has a way of making the most intricate painting look like a cheap print.

right below the property is a cave with stalactites that glistened with running water dripping on its surface. you swim inside and you head on to a spot where you have to dive and swim across a short short portion to emerge on the other side.

you then wade to shallower parts of the water to climb a natural pedestal where gushing spout of hot water form a natural "shower". never mind that it is sulphuric and has that slightly "rotten egg" aroma. imagine dr. wong sulphur soap.

from there, manong esoy guided us through the river bed with the dexterity of a mountain goat as we all stretched, hopped, tiptoed, waded, crawled, skidded, cursed, squealed like babies throughout the very short three hundred meters leading to the waterfall.

as lea mentioned, good thing she did her pilates the other day as it really prepared her for this trek. i thanked the yoga gods for giving me the flexibility and strength! it's not an easy trek, nor is it leisurely.

along the way you admire the view of the cliffs flanking the river bed and the green green vegetation that shade part of the way. there are portions where you feel you're on a frying pan as you scramble on top of huge boulders under the blistering heat of the sun. which reminds me, boulders triple our height disappear during the rainy season. yes, the waters get that high and manong esoy advised us that the trek is simply impossible during the rainy season.

natural eddies form in pool pockets powered by the strong flowing water, perfect for a natural jacuzzi and a short break from the trek.

the best part of the trek is the fact that manong esoy has literally memorized the trek and can guide you through very specific portions of the riverbed. you start to appreciate his help when he tells you the exact distance you have to swim before you can find a submerged foothold.

for me, the fact that he was always ahead meant that if there's an anaconda, 3D piranha, lacoste crocodile, mega leech and other river monsters, he'd be the first to go "ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee".

before we know it, we reach the open pool flanked by a naturally hollowed out dome-like structure from the two cliffs that frame a gorgeous waterfall. we can feel the mist hit our faces as we swam around the pool.

i floated on my back and loved the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves. it was a magical experience!

the trek back was faster and if the hanging bridge was scary going down, imagine pulling yourself up! i was still muttering pekeng duck all the way. we can't believe that we've already consumed two hours doing the trek and was longing to get back to the hot spring so we can soak our tired muscles.

exhilirating, balls-petrifying, but definitely worth it!

then reality hit us, we still have to walk up 160 steps carrying our stuff. i am pretty sure that the duck is the most abused bird during that part of the trip. pekeng duck pekeng duck!!!!

just in case you want to explore the same adventure, i've published the contact details:

Celso Bustamante
(032) 430 9250, (0921) 813 3296, (0923) 553 7427
Esoy Hot Springs, Catmon

just tell manong esoy you were endorsed by dennis, friends of AA from Lanao :) he'll remember that :)

My Saturday Lunch Story

2010-10-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

medyo may hang over pa ko sa kabusugan yesterday. kaya sabi ko sa best friend ko, mag order na lang ako ng cheeseburger with fries na meal for lunch. diet kuno.

sabi ni ron, e kung nag da-diet ka, penge na lang ng one fourth ng burger mo. sabi ko naman...

sige hati na lang tayo. sa yo na yung other half. cute nga ng burger, nag serve pa sila ng cocktail fork tsaka miniature fries. yun bang parang pang pik-nik

yun nga lang, maliit din kamay ni ron, bagay na bagay sa cocktail fork.

sa tuwa namin, pinatong pa nga namin ang fork and butter knife sa burger. ang liit eh.

pero ewan ko. parang naduleng ako sa pagkain ng one fourth pa lang. isipin mo na lang kung one whole. hindi naman ako gutom. slight lang.

Eastern Sun

2010-10-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

the only drawback to the beaches in the south eastern coast of cebu is that you don't get spectacular sunsets like that of manila bay or boracay. what they have though are gorgeous sunrise that kiss the red orange skies and gradually turn them into reds, oranges, pinks and blues.

i just hate waking up at 5:30AM to catch this.

-argao, mahayahay

mediterranean coastline?

2010-10-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

for some reason, this picture of the layered mountain ranges in different hues broken by the pastel colored structure right smack in the middle of the picture and framed by the expanse of flat silver sea waters reminded me of some french / Mediterranean coastal scene.

-argao, mahayahay

anything goes

2010-10-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

when your friendly neighborhood chinese restaurant starts to serve sizzling porkchop topped with butter gravy and fried garlic then you know that along the way, a decision was made to expand its client base.

it was an interesting surprise that red moon decided to change the menu with the addition of very western or filipino dishes. originally, we wanted to visit bop bernies as we were craving for the sizzling porkchop steak but got disappointed when we found out it closed down. left without any much options in banawa, we settled in red moon.

the problem with cravings is that it gnaws at you, which of course made ron order the sizzling porkchop. though not as big as the one in bop bernies, it was a hefty thick slice with a generous portion of pork fat.

tasty? yes. in a standard sort of way. everything tastes the same when it's swimming in butter gravy.

i decided to order kiampong and pork spareribs and was pleased that the kiampong is as tasty as ever. i believe that kiampong is the predecessor of the binalot style, assorted meats, shiitake mushroom, scallops, leafy greens mixed with rice (ordinary and sticky variety), spiced and seasoned well before it is wrapped in banana leaves.

come to think of it, it probably reincarnated as the asian version of the paella or the filipino valenciana.

topped with roasted peanuts and this rice-cum-dish is all you need for a meal, well a mini meal for me who is more "karne-vorous".

on the other hand, borderline diabetics would have crossed that fine line if they got to taste the spareribs. ketchup? banana ketchup? more sugar? that's definitely crossed out of my food item list.

the reality is, we really didn't need to order everything if we knew that the seafood soup was HUGE. as in dumbo sized bowl good for four and filled with chunky meat portions of squid, fish, fish ball and vegetables.

am not exactly sure if i'd drive all the way to banawa just for red moon, but it was a fairly decent meal with good portions, more hits than misses in terms of flavor and priced just right.

Flower Power

2010-10-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

wikipedia defines "flower power" as a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance.

this comes to mind when we review the classic edsa revolution pictures where nuns, children and civilians offered flowers to the soldiers who tried to remain impassive in the face of a peaceful revolution symbolized by a bunch of flowers.

this was the same exact thought when i saw the garden of flowers growing wild and abundantly inside the ancient cemetery of boljoon church. children played hide and seek in the compound, a rather interesting juxtaposition of youth and death in a place that held the secret of the dead in colorful palates of reds, greens and yellows.

the dead posed no resistance and passively tolerated the boisterous noise of the youth running around. flower power indeed.

still life

2010-09-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

sometimes you have to stand still and let life pass you buy, just so you appreciate the beauty of your own existence. rushing through life means we get to the end that much quickly.

-----
white gold, cebu city

visit incessant rambling for more of my random thoughts on anything and everything.

faking it

2010-09-28T07:02:00.001-07:00

i'm a little disappointed.

aloo paratha, soto ayam, murgh korma - dishes that reminded me of my oh-so-short stay in south asia but forever seared my palate with the flavors of exotic spices.

unfortunately, these memories are still relegated to a dusty corner in my mind as i struggle to find any decent place in Cebu that can come close to the experience of eating in a mamak stall in kuala lumpur, or the street food in thanon suan plu in Bangkok or the hole in the wall restaurants in colombo, sri lanka.

dusty roads and car smoke emission probably added more flavor to the food set out on the table, but the flavors definitely made its mark on my palate.

it is understandable then that my anticipation ran high when Zayka opened in juana osmena, downtown cebu with its promise of indian, mediterranean and indonesian dishes.

well, as cliche as it may seem, promises are meant to be broken.

aloo paratha is the indian flatbread made from whole wheat and stuffed with potatoes flavored with herbs and spices. mine got served with a rather "sweetish" mango chutney but had the appropriate flavors from the herbs used. the downside? they used rice flour instead of whole wheat.

sato ayam reminded me of vermicelli noodles infused with the flavors of coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger and lime mixed with a host of other spices and mixed with vegetables, bean sprouts, chicken pieces and chunks of boiled egg. it is also a malaysian dish which is why i was a bit surprised when it was tagged as "indonesian".

i should have trusted my instincts. they used kalamansi instead of lime, i can barely taste the coconut milk, they used flat egg noodles instead of vermicelli glass noodles and more of the chili flavor drowned the flavors instead of the ginger and galangal that should have given it more of a citrus undertone.

the plus side? the serving is huge and could easily fill a bowl for three. i had a small bowl and had the rest for take out.

the last dish i ordered was the murg korma, otherwise known as the ubiquitous chicken curry. if they managed to mess it up then they should close shop. that's probably the most basic of indian recipes, the korma (curry).

thank Gods (well, we are talking about indian/south asian recipes and we have to give praise to a multitude of their dieties), it turned out well. good enough for me to finish the whole portion that could have fed two to three people.

it was good enough to salvage the paratha that i used to wipe off the gravy.

just a friendly reminder that the portions are generous and priced relatively low. information that i should have known as i ended up taking out most of my order. that or call in a two or three friends to share your food.

the moral of the story? nothing really. just another food trip for me :)

Stations of the Cross

2009-06-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

this one's really late. i went up Good Shepherd with my boss who was in town as he wanted to experience some of the filipino cultural and religious activities during holy week. i decided to have him go through the Stations of the Cross in banawa since i haven't been up that trek. it turned out to be a fantastic photo op as the place is gorgeous with rolling hills, trees, blooming flowers and life sized sculptures depicting the stations. the only disappointment is the array of vendors littering the place that turned an otherwise sombre experience into a fiesta. i'll probably schedule a visit when it's all settled down.

enojoy!

Lady of The Caves

2009-06-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

ask any filipino who is the patron saint of cebu and most would answer "Sto. Nino". the Sinulog, arguably the largest and grandest filipino fiesta, is dedicated to Sto. Nino and this reinforces the thought that the Child Jesus is the patron of the province.

which is not exactly right.

The Lady of Guadalupe, a persona of the Virgin Mary, is the patroness of Cebu. last holy week i took my boss to visit the cave in Langub where the original image of the Lady of Guadalupe was found by a local trapper of chicken sometime in the late fifties(?).

the story goes that devout followers of the Lady of Guadalupe kept the image inside a cave up in Kalunasan to ensure that it is not confiscated and destroyed by Japanese invaders. after the war, the image was left to memory until that day that the local trapper stumbled across a cave overrun by shrubs that covered the entrance and the hills that surround it.

if you're planning to do a trek to Langub, you may want to visit the Guadalupe Church Parish instead as the original image was taken down and enshrined in this church. on the other hand, they created a replica of the image that's left in the cave.
pilgrims go through a poor community that line the path leading up the hills to where the cave is found and they form a long line to offer prayers, kneel in front of the Lady and cover themselves under the flowing mantle of the Lady. To Catholics, shrouding oneself with the mantle is a symbol that shows the protection bestowed by the Lady to the devout believers of her intercession to the Lord Jesus.

it was a bit difficult to look for historical information about the specific dates leading up to the establishment of the Guadalupe Parish Church and goes to show how our culture is slowly fading from our memory.

the place itself is very interesting as the cave has a narrow entrance that leads to a cavernous area where fifty people can comfortable sit themselves while meditating. the air somehow automatically becomes cool and the drone of people praying reverberate against the stone walls. right beside the Lady is a stalactite that drips with water that is reported to be miraculous and has healing powers.

as i knelt down to offer my prayers i also gave thanks for all the blessings from the Lord and all the prayers that has gone through the Lady's intercession.

if you're inclined to add this to your schedule, take a cab or a jeep and have yourself dropped off at the Guadalupe Church in Barangay Guadalupe. From there, ask the vendors for directions leading to the take off point. it's very close to the church and it goes straight, straight through the slums, up the hills and to the gates of the chapel that houses the cave.

Tsai

2009-06-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

i wanted to try a new place and judith recommended tsai in crossroads. it was a quiet sunday lunch and there wasn't much people in the restaurant (in fact, it was just the three of us). we ordered salmon and sun dried tomatoes as appetizers. judith got the molo soup while ron settled for the creamy mushroom soup. for main course, i decided to get some bangus belly that's topped with an onion glaze and served with green mango and bagoong on the side. reminded me of recipes by cafe metro.

despite her size, judith is a meat eater and devoured a whole plate of beef salpicao that looked utterly tempting. ron wasn't too happy with his peppered beef steak (it did look a bit dry and overcooked).

i am not sure i'd really recommend the place but it would be nice to sample some of that salpicao!

just in case you're wondering, tsai means tea - and the place serves gourmet tea from the classic darjeeling to the more exotic lipton, errr... gun powder tea. i probably should go back to sample their tea selection.

Tsai
Crossroads,
Cebu City, Cebu
Tel : Can't find it
Price : Around Php 300 / USD 6 / head

Bantayan Island

2009-06-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

i've come full circle. bantayan in cebu is the only "must-visit" place that haven't checked in the four years i've been living in this island paradise. from north to south, east and west, i've practically toured the island. but i never got the chance to visit this "famous" place. the closest i did was on a company outing to San Remigio but i wasn't particularly impressed with the beaches then.

fortunately, i got invited to join a trip to bantayan and although it wasn't really a photographer's trip, i was able to get some interesting pics of the tourist spots in the island. (click on read.more)

if you're planning a trip to bantayan you must catch the 2:30 AM bus trip from the North Bus Terminal to Bogo and San Remigio (Php 70). The bus drops you off at the Hagnaya port by around 6:00 AM, enough time to grab some breakfast and board the ferry that leaves at 6:30 AM (Php 150 aircon section). by 7:30 AM you dock on the port of Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island and you can arrange to get to your resort via any of the tricycle-vans (Php 20 / person).

By 8:00 AM you should be by the beach.

Everyone made for the beach and i decided to plop myself on a long bench to grab some snooze under a cottage in Sugar Beach. By 11 AM everyone boarded a boat that you can rent for Php 2,500 that will take you to the pristine Virgin Island just a little way off from the main island itself.

In case you recently won the lottery or knocked out a british boxer, you can afford to buy the island that's owned by this 70 year old virgin. I really don't know if that rumor is true but the island is a perfect setting for a wedding pictorial.

if you are planning to take the boat back to the main island by 1:30 PM the following day, i suggest you wake up pretty early and take a trike to Ogtong Beach Resort so you can check out the fresh water pool in Ogtong Caves. If it wasn't for the horde of tourists jumping into the water, it would have been a bit freaky dipping into the eerily still pool. The owners of the lot "conveniently" installed lights inside for those that are claustrophobic.

in any case, there's a lot of promise in the island but i would say that camotes island is lovelier. i am planning to do another visit though, this time to really get proper snaps of the place.

tip - bring lots of sunblock. as my other friends painfully realize, eeeeet hurts under the baking sun that is reflected on white sand.

Sunday Pasta

2009-03-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

i wanted something different this sunday. by some stroke of luck, i heard from a friend that the old spaghetti house opened in SM Cebu. i've been a fan of this pasta place in manila so i couldn't miss this chance to go and visit.

for those that are not pure pasta fans they have pizza, desserts, rice combos and pasta combo dishes. i got the Golden Crusted Chicken Ham & Chesse Crepe with Angel Hair Pomodoro and my companion had the Smoked Bavarian Sausage with Fettuccine Alfredo.

feeling adventurous, we ordered a full portion of Garlic Adobo with Ricotta Cheese to share. the pomodoro and alfredo combo meals were excellent and rather hefty but we were a bit disappointed with the garlic adobo dish as it was too watery. 2 out of 3 is not a bad deal.

as a bonus, there was a slight commotion as people turned their head to watch a lovely lady walk through the restaurant. the group came out of a semi private function room at the very end of the restaurant and it turned out to be valerie concepcion.

enjoy the pics of the food, i didn't take pictures of valerie as i'm not really a fan. but you gotta admit she's a lovely lady (i wonder if she ate pasta?)

Golden Crusted Chicken Ham & Chesse Crepe with Angel Hair Pomodoro

Golden Crusted Chicken Ham & Chesse Crepe with Angel Hair Pomodoro

Smoked Bavarian Sausage with Fettuccine Alfredo

arlic Adobo with Ricotta Cheese

Interiors of the restaurant

International Sausage

2009-03-15T00:17:00.000-07:00

when someone tells you "i had german, hungarian and italian in one night." you probably have to bite your tongue before you utter the word "whore!"

but that's exactly what I had, and before you start calling me names similar to the swine variety, i am talking about "sausages".

if you're craving for deliciously grilled sausage with side salad, i recommend you discover Tinder Box along archbishop reyes ave (corner bauhinia road) in cebu city. they have an extensive menu (pricey but good) but the best deals are not written on it.

cheesy hungarian

proceed to go to the deli area and order your sausages (i had st. galer schublig, cheese hungarian and italian garlic) and ask the attendant to have it char grilled and served. they add on a mere Php 38 pesos for the grilling. request for baked potato if you want a bit of variety.

st. galer schublig

germans are big, a tad soft, pale in color but a bit bland, the hungarians are huge and bursting with cheesy cream. italians are plump, short, thick and bursting with the garlicky smell and flavor. i know, the previous line read like a porn article but i'm running out of metaphors.

italian garlic sausages

they charge by the gram and sausages range from Php 47 - 49 per 100 grams. Our bill came up to about Php 600 with two of each variety, two cups of ric and soda (then again, we had to pay for the overpriced cup of rice at Php 50 per serving and soda at Php 60. better yet, get water and forego the rice altogether).

one tip, make sure to tell them NOT to slice the sausages before grilling. they can't seem to understand that concept. you don't want to lick off the cheese from your fingers do you? (uh, now that was really porn-like)

Running In Circles

2009-03-08T00:20:00.000-08:00

Just a quick photo blog entry for the Fluvial Procession for Santa Maria that's held annually in Tuyan, Naga of Cebu Province. There's a long history behind the tradition that won't fit given the short amount of time i have to post this entry. [which means i have to post a follow up entry, darn]

a crew member, looked too young to be doing seafarer's work.

boats go around the constantly moving vessel that carries the image, it is a careful maneuvering process to make sure that no boats collide with each other. miraculously, there has been no reported accident for the past couple of decades in this particular procession. i took a closer snap with our boat dangerously crossing the bow of the main boat.

*This entry was last published in my other blog sometime in December 2008

Eating Big(bys)

2009-03-08T00:03:00.000-08:00

frankly, hotel food sucks. sure, they prepare your dish like it's part of an art show but eating a van gogh is probably going to give you an indigestion. when you're hungry, the last thing on your mind is how nice your food looks like.

if you have a huge appetite, hotels and fine dining restaurants shouldn't be your choice. portions are so micro-infitisimal (i made that word up) that you probably need toothpicks instead of chopsticks to pick up the food.

and if you've imbibed the cebuano penchant for being stingy with money, you can grumble your way through dinner (this bite cost me fifty pesos, this sip of soda six...)

so where do you go for food that's pretty, affordable and huge? grab a bite, no, make that a mouthful in bigbys. enjoy the pics (my personal choice is the rodeo porkchops)

Native Feasts!

2008-11-27T22:03:00.000-08:00

japanese, korean, chinese, mexican - i've munched on a pretty wide selection the past few weeks (there goes the diet) because ivan and darryl are bent on having dinner (practically every night) with family and friends before they fly back to london. good thing i really can't join lunches otherwise it would be an eating binge the whole day.

am just about ready to say "no" the next time they called for an invite but dinner last wednesday was special. you see, they wanted to get together family members and friends in cafe laguna.

local food. i realized i haven't written anything about local restaurants although majority of my favorites are the ones that serve the naytib kind. and cafe laguna is one that no one should miss if they get the chance to visit cebu. the formula is old, the menu a bit of a cliche but it's something you'd want to do again, and again. and again.

start off with crispy kangkong (swamp cabbage leaves) dipped in tartar sauce to whet the appetite then follow up with a slightly tart halaan soup (salt water clam) that has a strong underlying ginger taste. pakbet (local stir fried mixed vegetables) is perfectly bitter and seasoned with bagoong (salted fish / shrimp paste). after getting my "healthy" dose, i got the tagalog bistek (tenderized beef slices simmered in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper corns and topped with sweet onion rings) and enjoyed the tender meat with every mouthful of rice.

the waiter laid down a dish of laing (minced gabi leaves with green and flaming hot chili simmered and cooked in coconut milk) that is best eaten with a bit of the bistek and rice. it visually looks unappealing but the riot of taste that bursts in the first mouthful is guaranteed to make you dip in again. seafood came next with sugpo sa buko (shrimps with young coconut flesh cooked in coconut milk and flavored with long green chili and just a hint of bagoong).

the animal farm is not complete without pandan chicken and lechon kawali to complete the list of animals parading before our plates. if there's any disappointment, the lechon kawali (pork belly cuts deep fried to a crisp) is just so so with the skin not popping up in crackling bits.

i loved the interiors of the place which is a take-off from the usual native or local restaurants that feature bamboo, nipa and wooden furniture. the new cafe laguna spelled luxury and used monochromatic shades of flesh, white and off white.

this is a recommended place for people wanting to enjoy home-cooked meals in a classy laid back environment. call ahead as this place can get really full (click on read.more for restaurant details)

Laguna Garden Cafe
Garden Row 1
Biliran Road, Cebu Business Park
Cebu City, Philippines
Tel #: 032-2338600
Fax #: 032-2338602
email: lgc@cafelaguna.com

Naytib Food! - Conching's

2008-11-25T02:35:00.000-08:00

red, am near SM already, pick you up in front of starbucks, northwing. are you hungry?

very.

i didn't expect red to order sinigang na isda (fish chunks in a chili-tamarind soup base), lechon kawali liempo (pork belly fried to a crackling crisp), sinugba nga liempo (grilled pork belly), sinugba nga nokos (grilled stuffed squid) and torta nga talong (grilled giant eggplant, flattened, soaked in egg, topped with onions, seasoned in salt and pepper and deep fried)

sinugba nga nokos

since he's on a diet he didn't order any rice.

right. i kept asking him if he's really sure about the order and he said: "yup. besides i'm not eating any rice"

i totally forgot his previous answer: "very".

sinugba nga liempo
torta nga talong
tinola nga isda

so there we are, the waitress looking at us like we're escapees from a concentration camp and us getting our giant bibs out to dive into the food laid out in front of us. we didn't even bother to use knives, forks and spoons (well, except for the soup, we can't sip it from the bowl can we? we are not that uncivilized)

throw in three miniature rice pockets (puso) and two cans of coke zero (we're on a diet) and the bill amounted to about Php 565. Yes, that whole feast would probably get you a serving of yakiniku noodles and katsudon in teriyaki boy. without the rice and drinks.

if you're looking for a local spread, best taste for quality and value, check out conchings near white gold in SM. their specialty is grilled manok bisaya (local chicken) but frankly, i prefer my chicken plump, meaty, fatty and juicy.

everything for Php 525

click on read.more for restaurant details

Conching's Manok Bisaya
North Reclamation Area,
Cebu City (near White Gold / SM)

Falling Mists

2008-11-16T06:24:00.001-08:00

i was supposed to travel (by bus) to negros occidental last week but decided to stay in cebu because of the erratic weather. friday night my best friend called up if i wanted to join a trip to kawasan in badian.

that perked my attention as it's one place i've been wanting to tick off from my list but i was having second thoughts because of the weather. in any case, i found myself getting on a v-hire van heading to simala early saturday morning.

it is very filipino to have a religious icon somewhere inside any transportation and i spotted the sto. nino de cebu on the dashboard, i have a bible on my dashboard. perhaps to keep me sane when i get royally pissed at some stupid fellow cutting me off in traffic. i wasn't so sure if it was an omen, but the rain kept pouring outside.

the balikbayans wanted to visit the shrine to offer thanksgiving before heading off to kawasan but i secretly believed they were praying for better weather. you see, one has to trek for a kilometer and a half before you get to the waterfall and getting wet before you even plunge into the waters is not an excursion. ah, yeah, cursing probably. it is a bit odd imagining ourselves walking to the resort under umbrellas. hmmm.

note: iris like set-up of the chandelier set in the middle of the ceiling of the main church in simala. the small panels on the side are crests or symbols of various marian sects.

we headed off to badian via the carcar-barili road stopped over at the molave milk station in barili for ice-cream made fresh daily from the dairy farm just off the hill from the station. we're already getting drizzled with inclement weather, might as well freeze our guts from the inside-out. the ice cream is delicious though and you shouldn't miss that one if you find yourself heading in that direction.

from barili i slept through most of the way to badian and woke up when the driver pulled over the church that mark the entrance to kawasan falls. after getting our stuff we all started the trek and my hands groped for my camera as a verdant green scene unfolded with the road leading towards an evergreen path.

i purposely let everyone else walk ahead as i wanted to toddle along to get some pictures. curiously small but intricate white flowers growing amongst the shrubs caught my attention that would have otherwise been missed by anyone else.

further along the road i saw fighting cocks roosting on man made stilts and wanted to take a snap of the vivid contrast his fiery yellow and red plumage made against the green background.

just around a bend on the road, a small stall sold art work and human head busts carved from bamboo. very very creative :)

eventually, i got to a stone bridge that spanned a wide section of the stream. i wasn't really sure whether to go underneath the bridge and follow the dirt path or go up the bridge. i ended up going up the bridge only to find out it leads to a dead-end occupied by an electric water-substation.

heading back the dirt road, i quickly moved on with the sound of falling water getting stronger with each step. the first sight of the waterfall made me pause to take in the majesty of the scene marred by ugly man-made structures that lined it's side. the falling waters created a shroud of mist that enveloped the basin with a fine cloud.

feeling a bit disappointed, i went ahead and joined the group. i spied rafts moored on the basin shore despite the big sign that said rafting and diving from the waterfall is strictly prohibited.

people use the rafts to go underneath the waterfall and get battered to a pulp. just behind the waterfall there's a small cave curtained by the falling water. i gave in to the invitation to join one and had a jolly good time getting an aqua massage. felt like a troop of elephants walking on your back. then again, i thoroughly whooped it up like a kid so i guess rafts are okay. he he he

note: another macro shot of ants crawling all over the flower buds.

the water was refrigerator cold, i was so tempted to scoop some and mix some instant juice. then again, with everyone jumping in the water and doing their "thing" i wouldn't recommend it.

towards four pm we packed our stuff and headed back to the church. along the way i saw an old lady doing her laundry along the stream and took a snap. would have been a perfect amorsolo scene.

i guess the simala prayers worked. you see, the rain stopped at exactly the moment we parked at the church. divine intervention? you bet. my body is tired, my spirit is refreshed and my feet hurt. ouch.

Another Pork Barbecue Dish.

2008-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

when i eat my pork barbecue i usually leave the end-most portion of the stick for the last bite. yes, that fatty, delicious pork fat that's grilled to charred perfection.

that's why my interest got piqued when judith mentioned what she refers to possibly the "best" barbecue in town. skeptic that i am, i wanted to personally inspect the claim and headed off to BB Joes (The Walk, IT Park) to order the set meal: Two pieces Pork BBQ and a cup of rice for the price of Php 85.

nothing extraordinary upon initial inspection except that the meat is not colored red like every other barbecue place. pinoy barbecue is not complete unless it is basted in banana catsup. the meat looked soft enough and had the oh-so-sparkly glisten of oil coating the meat.

there were no visible fat pieces and i was already a bit disappointed until i realized that they cleverly cut small pieces of fat and inserted it in between the meat cutlets. that way, the pork fat slowly roasts to a crisp and drips its fat on the meat. a simple but ingenious idea of keeping the meat very tender and juicy.

is it the best barbecue i've ever tasted? hardly. a bit expensive even at Php 35 a piece, then again it deserves a good review for the creative preparation. (click on read.more for restaurant details)

BB Joes
The Walk, IT Park,
Lahug, Cebu City

Dimsumting In My Mind

2008-11-09T00:39:00.001-08:00

it was past twelve noon and red was craving for food. we had our stomachs set on teriyaki boy as it recently opened it doors in Ayala Cebu but the line outside waiting to get a seat made us do an about face and troop instead to Harbour city for chinese dimsum.

Dimsum Galore!

i resisted (very badly i think...) to pick on the dimsum that ron and red ordered from carts that waiters wheel around the restaurant. three types of carts go around: fried food, steamed samples and dessert cups. you can also get rice toppings from any of the cart and choose from pork, chicken and beef. everything is priced at Php 40 per serving, the service is fast, easy and convenient as you can pick out your food from the carts without having to wait for orders to be served.

morsels and pieces of the delicious selection disappeared quickly as they worked on the food like piranhas on a frenzy. all along i twiddled my thumb as i resisted the temptation to dig in.

you see, i ordered the combination hotpot that has chicken, pork, beef, chinese sausage and vegetables layered on top of sticky rice and served in a hot hot hot ceramic bowl. added with a generous portion of sweetened soy sauce and spicy chili sauce, it picks up the flavors of the different meats competing for my tastebud's attention. easily, this is my favorite.

priced at Php 90, the dish is a real value for money option. be warned, it takes around 10 to 15 minutes to prepare the dish. believe me, it is worth every craving second.

just in case you're wondering how the table looked like after the feasting frantic frenzy, here's a snap of the empty table:

(click on read.more for restaurant details and contact numbers)

Harbour City
(032) 231-6283
3rd Level, Paseo Ciudad
Ayala Center Cebu

Sweet Nothing

2008-11-09T00:36:00.000-08:00

on our way to badian, everyone had a craving for the fresh ice cream from molave milk station. while everyone lined up for their creamy treat i spied a pack of bucayo on the shelf and ordered one.

bucayo is a sweet and nutty treat that reminds me of days when i used to run the streets with friends and sought shelter from the sweltering heat of the sun in sari-sari stores where we used our 10 cent baon to buy these treats. never mind that it was probably the cause of oh-so-many toothaches way before sweet words caused heartaches.

made from shredded mature coconut meat that is slowly cooked in a syrup made of brown sugar and water, the concoction is allowed to cool and harden before they're cut up into small bite sized pieces. i happily munched away my sweet childhood memories.

--next--

heading back to the parking lot after the morning mass, ron darted across the street to get a package of masareal from manong.

considering that is simply a mashed up mixture of ground boiled peanuts mixed with a clear syrup made from white sugar and water, the grainy powdery texture leaves a cloying aftertaste in your mouth that makes you crave more once you've popped a piece.

masareal has a notoriously short shelf-life and should be consumed within a couple of days once prepared, otherwise the peanut can turn rancid and leave a slightly bitter oily taste. the best ones are the ones we buy across the road from redemptorist church that is manned by manong and prepared a day before the sunday crowd. if you get the chance, try to order his bingka from mandaue. creamy crumbling in the mouth heaven.

Photo Credits:
Me.

The Animal In You!

2008-11-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

Judith Eugenio did it again. After gaining notoriety with her Bloodbath party series, she launched Samhain, a hot hot salvo with a scintillating lingerie show in Loft co-sponsored by Jagermeister that brought the FHM babe Sofie Garrucho within literal grasp of the steaming hot party-peophiles in Cebu!

left to right - Who iszzat gal? (left), Sofie of FHM and Angela (Loft) posing by the photo wall leading to the venue. who needs a doctor? doctor soffie!

models inside a glass cage that wore next to nothing but sexy lingerie seduced the mostly male crowd. the pink and magenta lights lent hot hot hotness sizzle to every pose, twist and turn. the packed crowd shouted their appreciation by gyrating to house and techno music that literally shook up inhibitions for a wild night of fun partying. one can literally feel the thump thump of base music reverberating through your chest - or is it the beastly thump of one's heart getting carried away by the energy that swept through the crowd?

unnamed angel and daniel. if angels dress up like that, i am sure there'd be more GOOD boys.

left to right - unnamed hotties from manila; the kitty cats are out to play!

booze, music, hot girls, rising adrenaline and skin against skin are potent ingredients to volatile tempers but judith and the loft team with the uber glam angela made sure everyone felt safe with bouncers standing alert all over the place. i spotted an eruf ambulance posted outside the bar - you gotta hand it to the team for ensuring the safety of party-peophiles!

let loose, let go and forgo human emotions and let the halloween creature in you howl! for once, it is a compliment when someone says "You are an Animal! Grrrrr..."

side story: we had difficulty convincing this group for a photo op. overheard one girl say "this is embarassing..." - little kitty, the only embarrassing thing is your get up. the other photographer mumbled underneath his breath: ang lakas, ang lakas ng loob nito.

ps

aligned with the (e-hem) general patronage nature of this blog, i would have to keep the sizzling snaps private. :)

Arirang My Be-eell-eels, Arirang My Bells!

2008-10-31T03:12:00.001-07:00

i don't understand why i kept asking the waitress for the name of the dish i was munching on even though i know i won't be able to memorize any of it. you see, my right hand is busy clutching the stainless steel chopsticks and picking up pieces of meat, garlic, kimchi, bean paste, onions and stuffing them inside a lettuce leaf that i held in my left hand. by the time i'm done stuffing the lettuce it resembled a small-sized fist.

to my discomfiture, mr. park (i know, almost half the korean population is named mr. park) kept on insisting that i stuff the whole thing in my mouth as he noisily slurped up his noodles. dyos mio. kahit si darna hindi kakayanin eto! (click on read.more for more pictures and korean gastronomic adventures)

oh... very nice very nice! put more, more! very good for digestion! kim young sil (yes, the remaining population is named kim) coached me in the art of choosing which kimchi compliment each other. except that the often time chili-li-hot-hot kimchi can cause IN-digestion or aggravate your almoranas.

young sil educated me in the art of chopstick hygiene, insisting that stainless chopsticks are much more sanitary as they can be wiped down with alcohol or cleaned with detergent. plastic gets melted when you try to pick up barbecued meats off the flaming grill and wood absorbs the detergent or food sauce. i didn't bother arguing the point that the only wooden chopsticks i use are the disposable ones that almost always don't split in half, leaving you to do a sort of pick-up sticks game with your food. besides, my teeth hurt when i try to bite into my steel chopsticks. a habit that i have when am choosing which food to go for next.

as for korean cuisine, it's all about kimchi. i mean we had more than nine kinds of kimchi (fermented vegetables and meats in chili, vinegar, salt, and baechu spices) that got laid out on our table. seaweed, octopus, potatoes, radish, lettuce, leeks eeeeks and eeeews are just some of the kimchi samplers. but kimchi really is just an extender of the meal. noodle and soup are usual staples as well as rice (though surprisingly, the meal we had didn't have any rice served).

more importantly, koreans are fond of barbecues but their method usually have an open mesh on top of a flame where you throw in assorted meats. aside from the well seasoned and flavored pork barbeque, they ordered pork cutlets that looked like medallions laid flat on an iron skillet that's tilted ever so lightly to let the fat drip into a small dish. these are the assortment of meats that one stuffs inside the lettuce leaf together with the chili bean paste, garlic bits, green chili, onions and kimchi-one-to-a-million.

despite our hearty refusal to order more food (actually, i was on the verge of getting violent) mr. park ordered this curiously black noodle dish that looked suspiciously like spaghetti and topped with onions stewed in oyster sauce, soy sauce and garnished with potato chunks and bits of pork. korean pasta negra. i was hoping that the black color is not a result of anything burning.

i was expecting to sample some jhamphong (not the lucky me version) and bulgogi - korean dishes that very well define the pinoy idea of korean food. in the end though, it was good that we didn't get these dishes as it allowed me to explore other treats.

if you get over the fact that i am just kidding, the food is a real interesting array of texture, flavors and rituals that is the usual characteristic of asiatic dining. i am not sure i'd willingly head back to a korean restaurant, but at least this gives me a good appreciation of our friendly korean colleagues :)

Arira
Corner Banilad Road,
A.S. Fortuna St.Mandaue

Sunbursting Flavah!

2008-10-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

fried chicken and arguably anything dipped in hot fat is the easiest thing to cook. getting the right mix of perfectly spiced crispy chicken skin that hide the succulent and juicy meat underneath is a different matter altogether. people attest to chicken joy (jollibee) as a favorite but few people know that the marination process and deep freezing method used to lock in the flavor is very similar to an embalming process. i mean we all know the chicken is dead, but century eggs only work with eggs and not poultry. on the other hand, jolly bee is a better alternative to some joints that offer breadcrumb and stuffed with what resembles chicken.

in Cebu City, ask anyone for the best friend chicken and they'd probably point you to a Sunburst restaurant. it's not necessarily JUST a chicken place as they serve an assortment of dishes but they are well known for their fried chicken. right, that perfectly spiced crispy chicken skin hiding the succulent and juicy meat is an apt description of how they serve their fried chicken. hot off the cooking tub.

at Php 90 for a single piece served with potato wedges, rice and coleslaw it doesn't come cheap. good thing they stopped using sweet potatoes that can cause certain gaseous emissions and they can probably hold back on the sugar as the coleslaw tasted more like a sandwich spread.

my other favorite is "esol", or commonly known as chicken tail. contrary to ordinary beliefs, the esol is NOT chicken ass. the tail is a fleshy tailbone at the posterior of the chicken. uh. that sounds like "ass". esol is plump, fatty and is made up mostly of chicken skin. When fried to a crisp and eaten with hot steaming rice, it literally melts in the mouth. this dish is a diet buster, so be ready to loosen up your belt when sitting down. order the regular order which is around 6-7 pieces and comes with rice, coleslaw and potato wedges.

beware, the franchise has some consistency issues. avoid the SM branch if you can and head off to downtown, archbishop reyes or one mango for a better experience.(click on read.more for restaurant details and contact numbers)

Sunburst Fried Chicken
247-B Legaspi Street , Cebu City
+63 (32) 2558825

Celebrating Hilton's Third!

2008-10-28T19:46:00.001-07:00

for a "Hilton" that has been in Cebu for the better part of three years, the hotel has never been the top of mind choice for most vacationers and corporations wanting to host events. it's always been THAT hotel by the far end for most cebuanos.

i presume things are changing as Hilton is gearing up to invite people to go just a little further down the road for the Hilton experience.

i got the chance to visit the property courtesy of the new marketing communication manager, red catalan, to enjoy the third year anniversary festivities of the hotel. turn out was good with no less than the governor attending together with some of the diplomatic community and tourism honchos enjoying a fabulous night of filipino dances. the fire dancers and spectacular fireworks capped the show and added zing to a hot event.

ho-hum. after the initial dance presentation my interest wandered over to the food array. unless they do an acrobatic version of the tinikling then it's just the same chopstick and grasshopper dance.

my interest really is the lobby. you see, "beauty from within" is true, specially so if one is not visually, uh... appealing. on the other hand, hotels need to make a strong first impression and lobbies often make THAT statement. so, while the other guests oooohhed and aaahhhhed over the dancers, i snuck up to the lobby and went snap snap snap.

mediterranean. that is definitely in my head as i stepped into the overly pink lobby. symmetric. the lobby is split in half by a rectangular tiled fixture that extends almost the length of the space. tiled in shades between white and dark blue, the waters gurgled and spilled over to the pebbles gathered at the base. on both sides are tables and parasols set for guests and lining the sides are restaurants and shops. the archways of both ends are topped by curiously gigantic sculpted leaves that form a latticework that would allow the sun rays to stream in during daytime. some of the rooms overlook the lobby that further strengthens the feel of a vacation enclave where neighbors spy on new arrivals.

GRAND is not an apt description (a.k.a. visions of chandeliers) but rather TROPIC VACATION. That, in my opinion, is something that they accomplished. A resort destination.

Electric Jelly Fish

2008-10-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Marco Polo Hotel, Cebu City
Cafe Marco
Inspired vision of electric jelly fish floating above your head.

Food Trip - Marco Polo, Whetting the Appetite

2008-09-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

Oriente Poliano (Orient of the Polos) chronicled the fantastic travels of the Polo family: the famous Marco, his father Niccolò, and uncle Maffeo. Their travels took them to the heart of Asia and beyond.

What took them decades to do I was able to accomplish in one and half hours, walking, with a plate in one hand, and my nose following the aromatic trail to food bliss. The Cafe Marco buffet has steadily built a reputation as the best buffet in Cebu City with the most extensive food selection arranged in food stations serving chinese, japanese, barbecues and western dishes.

Appetizers

my food trip started with "west lake beef soup" from the chinese food station. a clear soup made from beef stock that curiously tasted like it came from a bouillon cube instead of hours boiling bits and pieces of beef meat and bones. i found it too salty for my liking although the chopped parsley created a decorative accent to the soup.

next is a sampling of chinese siomai - take note that the ones featured has chinese chorizo and shrimp as toppings. i skipped the usual quail egg, mushroom and bacon roll variety.

the japanese station offered an extensive sushi, sashimi and maki menu. unagi (eel) and takoyaki (octopus) are available as well as the usual yellowfin tuna and salmon. and since i was in a meaty mood i decided to skip these delicacies and took a sampling for the photo op. I think the california maki came out pretty nice. just in case you don't know, the orange little thingies that they use to coat the maki is flying fish roe. yup, baby fish eggs. hundreds of them.

here's lonely salmon sushi surrounded by a sprinkling of flying fish roe (in short, i was eating unhatched baby fish eggs. i guess you can classify me as an abortionist. ugh.) click on read.more...

got to have some filipino appetizer alongside the japanese and chinese selection so i quickly grabbed a succulent red slice of tomato and placed it on top of "quesong puti" made from buffalo milk and is characterized by the creamy texture similar to philadelphia cream cheese. a dash of salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and salted egg should have made this the perfect bite.

grabbed a couple of scallops from the cold station and asked the chef to top it with garlic, cheese, chili and grilled till the cheese melts.

the trip has just began as the main course and desserts are still waiting to be sampled... yum yum

Food Trip - Marco Polo, The Main Event

2008-09-28T04:59:00.002-07:00

Main Course

the least visited food station in any buffet is the salad section. not that there's anything wrong with eating your fill of leafy greens but buffets are meant for carnivores. meat chomping sessions rule this experience and the meats section usually have the most traffic.

for a change, i decided for some fish before grabbing any meats and settled for a herb encrusted fish fillet in white sauce. i carefully laid out the fish on top of a lettuce leaf to give some color contrast. the slightly bitter taste of the lettuce complimented the creamy sauce and herbs that crusted the oh-so-tender fish meat.

i was a tad disappointed that they didn't have any lamb kebabs that i loved in a previous visit to this buffet together with some mint jelly. i settled for roasted beef and had it done medium well. the meat was tender and succulent with just the right amount of salt, pepper and spices rubbed all over the roast. one can enjoy the meat in a plain manner or slather on gravy for a richer experience. my advice is to go to the pasta station and have them saute garlic and mushroom in olive oil before adding some white sauce and use it as the gravy. de-leeee-syoos.

lechon, specially lechon de leche is probably one of the dishes that most pinoys will have on the top of their food chain list. in this instance, i find myself uninterested as i have been eating this particular dish in every other gathering that i've attended for the past few months. on the other hand, lechon kawali (fatty pork cutlets fried in deep oil until the skin goes a-crackle) has always been a favorite dipped in soy sauce and eaten with hot steaming rice. the chinese station offered peking duck as well as chinese chorizo that can be cut up and tossed on top of your yang chow fried rice.

click on read.more for more food addictions...

herb crusted fish fillet in white sauce

the beef medallions in jus au red wine sauce did not impress as it was too salty for my taste although the meat is tender.

okay, here's a question: what's the perfect way to end a gorgeous meal? dessert and coffee. do check in for the last installment to this series...

Food Trip - Marco Polo, Just Desserts!

2008-09-28T04:59:00.001-07:00

Desserts

The best things are often called the sweetest things in life, it is not a wonder then that desserts cap a meal to sweeten the palate and wash away the heavy flavor of meat. This post is the last in a series of food review for Cafe Marco, Marco Polo.

after a heavy main course, i made my way over to the dessert selection and got a few samples from the array of sweet lil' angels. if you're diabetic, i strongly suggest you stay away from this part of the buffet - the mere smell and sight of these sugar puffs is enough to induce an attack.

-blueberry mousse cheesecake in a shot glass

i don't like cakes, specially if they're the sponge or chiffon type. i don't crave for chocolates either unless they come in a balikbayan package.

on the other hand, chocolate decadence is anything but airy or spongy and it is packed solid like a brownie - less the flour and more on chocolate. this is the only thing i went back for in the dessert spread.

-chocolate decadence

fruit based dessert is an entirely different matter. this one is an apple crumble topped with vanilla ice cream.

-apple crumble

mango slices in crepe, strawberry jam, caramel sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream. just in case you're wondering, i was just taking the pictures of everyone else's choice. right. i suppose you don't believe that.

-mango crepe

if i were in court, you can definitely sentence me guilty of a foodie's pleasure. time for me to do time and penance in the gym. hmmm.

Food Tripping - Pizza Craving!

2008-08-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

pizza is not really at the top of my craving list but i found myself heading off to Handuraw in One Mango over the weekend. given a choice, i go for extra thin pizza and not the deep dish variety of sbarro or the pan pizza of yellow cab or pizza hut. the dish is sinful as it is without the tubs worth of lard soaked up by the dough.

handuraw special, perfect for meaaaat lovers.

IMAO (in my arrogant opinion) handuraw possibly serves the best thin crust pizza. cebuana pizza (spicy skinless chorizo with kesong puti) is my favourite with handuraw special (meat and cheese loaded) coming a close second. they do have other interesting varieties like the mexican, german sausage, vegetarian and cheese on cheese pizzas. (click on read.more for more pictures)

cebuana pizza - spicy sweet skinless chorizo on top of
creamy kesong puti (cheese made from buffalo's milk)

best part of the deal is that an 18 in diameter pizza (8 slices) will cost you on the average Php 210 - 298. You can ask the staff to have it split into two flavors (which i always do he he he).

the thinnest pizza crust

on the downside, the order can take a while so be prepared to wait. i guarantee you, the wait is worth it.

Ba-chui! - Food Trip

2008-08-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

Batchoy (contention states that the word may have originated from the Chinese (Hokkien) Ba-chui (肉粹) meaning "pieces of meat") is a noodle soup which originated in the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines. As with most noodle dishes in the Philippines, batchoy may have been first concocted by Chinese immigrants.
-Wikipedia

molo soup, lapaz ba-chui. comfort food that bring about memories of childhood on a late afternoon, trooping to a ba-chui house amidst the noise of patrons slurping up the soup. paired with sio-pao, it's a perfect end to a hectic summer day. (click on read.more for more food reviews)

the last time i had really good ba-chui was when i spent the night in kalibo aklan on my way to boracay. ted's, a popular ba-chui house in iloilo has since gone commercial and opened branches in malls. expectedly, the quality has gone down.

The heart of real ba-chui is the soup stock: leg of beef and pork boiled for long periods to extract the sinfully rich bone marrow similar to batangas bulalo stock. healthier versions use shrimp or chicken stock but it does not compare to the rich flavor of beef or pork soup stock.

in cebu, there's only one place that offers ba-chui, or at least a passable version of this favorite meal: carlo's. the original outlet was a rundown joint - the sort of place where you don't know exactly know what's happening in the kitchen except that they serve decent, cheap and flavorful food. the place has become a popular destination for barkadas on a night out and ending up downing a bowl of ba-chui before heading home. disclaimer: the ba-chui, or the soup in particular, is not as good as the original la-paz concoction but is passable to a certain degree.

they recently moved across the road (osmena boulevard, near capitol) to a commercial complex where they have upgraded their restaurant but still serve the same menu, same price, same flavor.

there are days where i finish some work for clients at two in the morning and find myself heading off to carlo's to grab something to eat. despite a pretty decent menu, my choices are limited to lechon kawali, pancit canton, chicken curry, crispy chicken and of course the ba-chui. beware, i have attempted to order the molo soup a number of times and have always been told that it wasn't available. either it's that good or i suspect that they are just too lazy to prepare the dish that is a bit meticulous in its preparation.

Lechon Kawali - taken from the pork belly section, the cut is not the usual loin cubes that has generous layers of fat with meat. this version is the "dieter's" choice with very little fat.

Pancit Canton - despite it's unappetizing color, it easily is the most delicious dish served with the unmistakable soy-sauce garlic heavy flavor. though the meat cuts are chunky, they lack the fatty layer that could have made this dish better.

Chicken Curry - the aroma of curry mixed with coconut cream is fantastic as rice topping. The dish literally swims in its sauce. The chicken portions are not that big and suspiciously looked like left-overs.

Price is one of the biggest factors for the popularity of this place. The special batchoy costs Php 45, Php 60 for the lechon kawali, Php 60 for the pancit canton, Php 65 for the chicken curry. Add to that two cups of rice and diet coke and the bill came up to about Php 280.

the food is nothing spectacular, but if you're on a budget and you need a hot bowl of soup in the middle of the night (they're open 24 Hours) to induce heavy-eyelids then this place is definitely worth a visit.

Carlo's Batchoy
The Boulevard, Capitol,
Osmena Boulevard, Cebu City

Bowled in Red - Food Trip!

2008-07-12T23:34:00.001-07:00

venci called up saturday night for a dinner invitation. good finds are usually tucked away in the most unexpected location, labangon is not exactly known for its selection of good restaurants as it is mostly industrial and residential.

red bowl is literally a box, tucked in a building with parking set close by on a vacant lot. done in yellows and reds, the restaurant resembled a jollibee or mc donalds fastfood joint.

that's where the similarity ends. although red bowl serves set meals, they specialize in ala carte dishes - food meant to be shared. the menu is an interesting mix as they serve an extensive selection of standard chinese dishes but threw in popular filipino viands (barbecues, kinilaw, lechon kawali, crispy pata, sizzling pochero, sizzling sisig etc).

more importantly, dishes are served fast, hot, delicious and very reasonably priced. the food we ordered (chowpatchin, steamed fish in soy sauce, yang chow fried rice and spareribs) was served hot in less than ten minutes.

red bowl is owned by one of the partners that own red moon, a favorite chinese restaurant that explains the influence on flavor and pricing for the chinese dish selection.

this is one box i'd be frequenting to discover more of the dishes on the menu!

Jazzy Blues..

2008-07-12T23:33:00.001-07:00

tuesday is not exactly party night but i found myself partying in Jazz and Bluz along F. Cabahug for a dear friend's birthday. I half suspect that i was invited because i am "unofficially" the photographer - i am not complaining, but i sure got disappointed when the waiter took the tiramisu when i stood up to get a couple of snaps of the celebrant visiting guest tables. on a positive note, that's less calories ending up in my gut.

Interiors of the place as viewed from the entrance, a glass wall with flowing water greet you at the foyer.

am not much of a dancer (murdered too many toes as a result) so i decided to take pictures of the place. got some interesting pics of the interiors that complimented the ambiance of the place - perfect for listening to the blues and having chats with friends. (click on read.more for additional pics)

interesting lamp pieces on top of tables, this one is lotus inspired

the bar area, liked the silhouette of the liquor bottles infused with blue

the kids decided to decorate the cake with the exact number of candles corresponding to my friend's age. count it... this is the very same tiramisu cake.

My lovely gorgeous friend!

their catered food is surprisingly very very good. won't be able to give quotes or review for the pricing so i'm including the contact details of the manager at the end of this post.

i left as the people started dancing, swaying to salsa beats sung by a live band. people seem to have forgotten it is a tuesday. i guess you can make an exception for this place.

YUKO I. NAMARE
Manager
27 F Cabahug Street, Ayala Access Road, Mabolo
Cebu City Philippines 6000
Telephone Number: (6332)2322698
Fax Number: (6332)2314373
Mobile Number: (63)9155022219
Email1: info@jazznbluzbar.com
Email2: pyn.tokyo@pep.ne.jp

Sumilon Island, Revisited

2008-06-22T01:27:00.000-07:00

sumilon deserve another break in this blog. the last write-up sometime march 2007 was more of a travelesque-narrative-thing that require a magnifying glass to appreciate the pictures. this time around, am letting the pictures speak for itself:

the docking bay, sumilon island

trekking around the island. resting under the shade of a leafless tree. right. really smart. but nice pic huh?
(click on read.more to see amazing photos of the island)

the sandbar shifts with the season, now you see it, now you don't
Sumilon is 180 km South of Cebu and is about 2.5 hours of reckless head-spinning driving. My companion got to enjoy the scenic view of undulating waves that shimmer in a picture perfect bright day - I had to keep my eyes on the road for the silly kids that dart accross the road out of nowhere, or the slow sleepy tricyle drivers that has forgotten the meaning of time. Oh yeah, the occassional chicken or dog makes an interesting obstacle course.

Lazing by the Pool on Top of the Hill

The take off point is Baranggay Mainit in Boljoon, South East of Cebu Province where you can park your car in their mini port (or if you want to be adventurous, take the southern bound bus to Bato from the South Bus Terminal). They have a boat that has regular scheduled trips to the island (15 minutes) - scheduled defined as whenever the fancy strikes.

the boat service from the mainland, a short 15 minute ride

If swimming in the white sand bar is not your desire (about 30 meters off the shore it drops to a cliff and you can do wall diving - note to the scuba freak), you can always dip yourself in an infinity pool atop the hill and take refuge from the blistering sun under a tree that is in the middle of the pool.

view from the infinity pool, for people fancying a midday dip, there's a live, growing tree in the middle of the pool.

From the pool you can walk to the gazebo and have your buffet lunch. Tip to the hungry - go early to the buffet, i thought sharks lurked in the water but apparently the people who did the trip can eat Jaws down to the bone in a matter of seconds.

Laze around one of many outdoor huts and read a favorite book

Sumilon Isle features a lake and you can take a kayak and investigate hidden nooks. Be amazed with the school of fish that follow you around. Don't be too noisy though, the original settlers (three pristinely white ducks) may take offense and take a peck at you. Funny though because the ducks followed me around for an amazing set of photos. They're not as popular as Daffy or Donald, but they're not as noisy either.

the lake

Donald and Daffy left Daisy somewhere...

Kayaking in the Lake - Don't ask me who the peeps are, don't know them.

contemplating the sand-between-the-butt feeling. eet huurts.

trees. around the lake.

sumilon blue flags, in black and white. just liked the perspective..

the lake, again. viewed from the trail around the island.

There are options to go on a trek around the island and it will take you about an hour to complete. Be ready to explore the trail and come up to old ruins in the middle of the forest where an old abandonned lighthouse stands. At the southernmost tip of the island, a lonely bench sits forlornly, inviting the trekker to sit down and ease the pain from walking on coral hardened stones.

shrubs along the trail, done in infrared style. my version of fall in sumilon.

my companions are complaining they want to sit on the bench but not before i get my shot of the "lonely" bench at the end of the southern trail.

you can stay overnight in one of these nice but rather expensive houses in the island.

my wandering feet...

An amazing place that is not widely known and discovered by the population. Go there while the rates are still affordable at Pesos 1,200 for a day trip inclusive of buffet lunch, welcome drink, boat transfers, snorkel gear, use of kayak and resort facilities.

The smile comes free.

watch out for this leetle beerdy thief. he almost got the other half of my slippers.

Resort Address:
Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort
Sumilon Island, Oslob
Cebu 6025
Philippines

Telefax No. (63) (32) 481-0801
(63-32) 492-0100
(63-32) 232-5411
(63-32) 232-5412 to 14
Email Address: sumilonreservations@bluewater.com.ph
URL: www.bluewater.com.ph

Finding White Gold

2008-06-21T03:42:00.001-07:00

white gold in cebu city is a landmark. known primarily as the premiere chinese restaurant during the 70's and 80's before the old structure got burned down and they moved across the street to their new building. with majestic, ching palace and a number of other chinese restaurants coming up in the late 80's, white gold never recovered that prestigious title as "The Chinese Restaurant".

although it has lost it's gastronomic attraction (not the flavor though), the burnt hollow structure of the old white gold is an architectural interest specially with it's curved high walls and windows that frame emptiness - specially nearing dusk or evening. the wide empty space between the walls look like a good location for a fashion editorial project or a good venue for an al-fresco event.
old white gold at night

(click on read.more for pictures of the old and new white gold)

fortunately i got an invite for dinner at the new white gold last week and i decided to take snaps of the facade and a couple of the furnishings and interiors of the new white gold restaurant. opulent reds make the interiors come alive although the huge empty spaces seem to convey a hollowness to the place.

the passing vehicles leave a light trail

horses carved on some sort of colored marble

the rich red interiors of the restaurant

the chandelier

the food deserve another write up but suffice to say that expect for the soup that was a tad too bitter because of the chinese cabbage, the rest of the menu is surprisingly very good. some other time perhaps...

Who Needs Borakay When You Have Badian?!

2008-06-12T03:15:00.001-07:00

who need words when you have pictures to tell a story? at least i have one less place on my must-visit list in cebu.

Badian is roughly about 110k Southwest of Cebu City and you get there via the Carcar-Barili National Highway. From Barili it's a short drive to Badian. interestingly, Badian is the town right after Moalboal, another famous destination for diving enthusiasts. The drive is an hour and a half but can extend to about three hours if you're with uhm... senior citizens. if you start by 7am you'd be on the beach by 9am max.

(click on read.more)
i think we beat the governor in doing the mid southwest suroy-suroy (travel tour), we bought Luis' Chicharon from Carcar, Ice Cream from Molave Milk Station in Barili, Inasal Bisaya Manok (Native Roasted Chicken) and Puso (steamed rice wrapped in palm leaf) in Alcantara, Lechon (Roast Crackling Pig) with Kinilaw nga Nangka (shredded young Jackfruit pickled in coconut cream, vinegar made spicy with chili and other spices)in Badian and liters and liters of coke zero from Cebu City.

if you have fantasies of becoming a human espasol* then badian is your destination. roll around in fine white sand that stretch for more than a kilometer with a relatively unspoiled and pest-free (read: less of the usual tourist) location. we leased the private property of the Gica's for an overnight stay (visit stucklibeach.multiply.com for rates). a word of caution: you have to bring your own food, the caretakers can cook your grocery for a fee. go early to the mercado as the fresh day's catch usually is not-so-fresh by ten am.

if you're lucky, you may catch some fishermen bringing their day's catch along the beach. do haggle for a good price we got barilis (cousins of the yellowfin tuna) and had it grilled together with the pork belly and the squid. dip it in pinakurat (fermented coconut vinegar with pickled and ground spices to give it a zing) and you have the perfect no-frill meal.

This is definitely not the last time i am going to Badian.

Contact Information:
Eric Gica / Stockli Beach
+63927.315.7259

*native sweet made from ground sticky rice rolled in fine powdery sugar

Food Trip! - Ding Qua Qua

2008-06-07T02:02:00.000-07:00

i had it figured out in my head. 200 furious labor-inducing bike pedaling is equivalent to one dimsum. seventy pedals to a minute, total of forty minutes and that would be 2,800 pedals divided by 200 and i'd have made enough space for 14 dimsum dumplings.

blame it on Kung Fu Panda, but today visions of dimsum fueled my craving for lunch.

dimsum platter: pork siomai, quail egg, mushroom and shrimp

before the Grand Majestic Chinese Buffet, Ding Qua Qua is a favorite joint for my MSG fix. They specialize in dimsum and dumplings but their JY Square place offer buffet lunch (Php 188) with a pretty decent spread.

I started off with Fungus Soup (for some reason Athlete's Foot kept popping in my head) that was surprisingly tasty and resembled bird's nest in texture and flavor. I got a portion of stir fried tofu and vegetables, a bit of pata tim, chinese roast pork and beef brisket.

The chili sauce perked up an otherwise bland tofu whereas the beef brisket tasted like beef kaldereta (tomato sauce, carrots, potato stew) instead of the chinese beef brisket recipe (soy sauce-ginger based stew). That's really not part of my agenda for the second (and third, and fourth...) round. Unfortunately, the dry and tough chinese pork roast failed to make love with my taste buds.

pata tim, spring rolls, leche flan, buchi

After a series of disappointments, It would have been an otherwise disappointing meal except for the Pata Tim (pork leg, pressure cooked until soft and stewed in a sweet spicy soy sauce based sauce) and the dimsum selection.

Dessert should cap the meal and i had buchi (ground sticky rice stuffed with black bean paste, steamed, rolled in sesame seed and deep fried) and a slice of leche flan (sweet custard made of egg and condensed milk). The leche flan lacked the cloying creamy sweetness that i expect. Thankfully, the buchi passed my taste test.

restaurant interiors

i liked the design of the interiors although it was a bit dark. perfect for framing a nice silhouette, too bad that lighting fixtures are not edible. hmmp!

It would be unfair to compare Ding Qua Qua with Majestic but if you consider that Ding Qua Qua charges Php 188 versus Php 350 of Majestic then you'd understand that indeed, we get what we pay for.

if i'm going to feel guilty after a buffet i'd rather have one that at least made me happy. this time around, i feel guilty, stuffed AND totally un-happy. darn.

Ding Qua Qua

Add: 2/F JY Square Building, Cor. Salinas Drive, Lahug Cebu City
Cost: Php 188++/head
Tel: naaah, don't bother.
One Dish Must Have: Pata Tim

pictures taken by ME. the food just look tempting he he he.

Food Trip! - Grand Majestic

2008-06-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

i've done the rounds of buffets in the city: from the international selection of Tides Shangri-la Mactan to Indian or Barbecue Themed Marriott spreads (thanks to Moi!), to the more recent choices from El Viento of Marco Polo or the enormous breakfast spread in Waterfront.

The Great Majestic Buffet. Laaaami ah!

there's only ONE place i haven't added to my list of buffet must-try: The Grand Majestic. with the exception of Marriott that regularly serve themed buffets, all the other places offer a selection of international dishes. Grand Majestic is anything and everything chinese.

click on read more for hunger-inducing pictures!

Scallops Dumpling, seasoned perfectly with chili paste, ginger, lemon and soy sauce.
Jelly Fish Salad, tossed in vinegar, pimiento strips and garnished with sesame seeds. I love this dish with century eggs!
Salted Egg and Tomato Salad - red, firm tomato cubes tossed with pickled salted eggs. Went very well with the steamed lapu-lapu fish fillet.
Classic Peking Duck - Whole Roasted Duck, crispy fatty skin filleted and wrapped in a flour tortilla together with sweet hoisin sauce and fresh spring onions.
Taro Mango - grounded root tuber, seasoned and wrapped around bits of ripe mango, crusted with a flour mixture and deep fried. A perfect mix of Sweet and Salty taste that melts in your mouth.
Crispy Golden Pork Spareribs - a perfect slice of pork spareribs spiced and pressure cooked, coated with a batter and deep fried. Perfect with a chili-soy sauce dip and eaten with steaming hot rice.
Steamed Lapu-Lapu Fish Fillet - tender fish meat slightly seasoned and steamed, served with fresh shallots, ginger, fried garlic, soy sauce and blanched with hot hot vegetable oil.
Steamed Shrimps - fresh giant shrimps, blanched until golden-red and served over ice. best eaten with chili paste mixed with black vinegar.
Chinese Biko - Boiled Sticky Rice, layered with sweet black bean stuffing and glazed with melted chocolate.

There are other equally tasty and tempting dishes to sample. Perhaps another day, when the stars align to conspire that I get another invitation to a buffet lunch in Grand Majestic (Happy Birthday Mamu Inday and Ma'am Nits!). :P

The Grand Majestic

Add: G/F Grand Convention Center, Archbishop Reyes Ave, Cebu City
Cost: Php 400++/head
Tel: +6332.231.9815
One Dish Must Have: Everything

Cebu City Lights

2008-05-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

There is a tale of a Welsh man that goes about the coast doing an odd sort of dance with a camera held in one hand. Let's just say that Peter Defty is just an ordinary photographer with an extra ordinary perspective. The results of his work is best described as abstract, he uses the unique characteristics of aperture and shutter speed in photography to paint light pictures. General perception of people about photography is the caught-in-the-headlights look captured in their driver's license, everything in sharp contrast and detail. light painting is all about moving images trailing imprints for as long as the lens is open. I suspect this is how drug induced hallucination must look like, slightly out of focus but certainly a "trip".

Cebu city lights flickered past as I rode a bus coming into the city from Moalboal. Inspired by a write up about this abtract artist in Digital Photographer Philippines, I pulled out my camera to try and capture light impressions of common landmarks in the City.

National Bookstore - Mango Ave corner Juana Osmena. The oldest branch of the bookstore in Cebu. Notoriously known for pimps and prostitutes that call out to cars that pass by. Bloody causes a traffic at night.

Fuente Circle, Cebu City - note how the frost on the windows highlighted the scratches on the surface.

Overpass that connects Robinsons and the Raja Complex. All sorts of vendors sell their wares underneath the steps : from bootlegged DVD's to cute puppies. City vagrants litter this place to ask for alms and food.

Samsung Billboard, Mango Avenue - the cityscape is changing with more billboards lining the main thoroughfare of Cebu City. Mango Ave is closed annually for the grand Sinulog Fiesta Parade.

The pictures showed the garish and bright lights that cannot dispel the sense of darkness that slowly creeps into the streets of this City. It is both the attraction of these lights and the mysteries of the unknown that keeps me wanting to know more about this city.

Food Trip! - Arano's

2008-05-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

By publishing this I am risking the only place where people go for clandestine romantic dates. you see, unless you have the patience of a treasure-hunter, this place is primarily a word-of-mouth sort of establishment. and when i say treasure, i am referring to sinfully spanish comida tesoro!

if you do not look closely, you'll miss the sign right beside the door that says "Arano". Incidentally, that also refers to the family name of the señor that greets you with a huge smile and broken cebuano mixed into spanish - not necessarily in that order though.

tonight he had a reproachful look on his grandpappi eyes, full moustache twitching and scolding us for the long while since we last came back. without missing a beat he ushers us in and promptly engages us in a conversation. i suspect half the people here comeback precisely because of this gentleman. that and the fantastic food. saboroso!

click more for saliva-inducing pictures hmmmm....

succulently soft pork-chops delicately spiced and pan-fried in olive oil. the chunky garlic bits give that additional zing. served with mashed potato. my companion wiped off the last bit of garlic and olive oil with a finger.

shrimp in an olive oil tomato sauce, lightly spiced with chili, topped with garlic on spaghetti.

callos - ox tripe simmered until tender and cooked in a tomato based sauce mixed with spanish chorizo. the dish is surprisingly devoid of the usual carrots, potato and chickpeas. mis favorito!

a shot of the interiors displaying an assortment of odd memorabilia. have a look around and find the handsome portrait of a jai-alai player on the wall. that's your host. :)

the menu selection is extensive with some dishes requiring a day in advance to prepare (paella). the paella is a must try as well as the baked stuffed chicken (ham, rice, spices), tapas, callos, lengua etc etc.. and just in case you're wondering about the price, everything we ate cost us less than Php 350 with extra rice on the side. the only expensive items on the menu would be the steaks and beef selection.

the place is open Mondays to Fridays from 6pm to 10pm only - and make a call to reserve just in case.

Arano's

Add: 31 Fairlane Village, Guadalupe Cebu City
Cost: Php 150++/head
Tel: +6332.256.1934
One Dish Must Have: Everything

Bisdak Siddhartha

2008-05-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

theater is not really something most cebuanos appreciate despite the overwhelming number of talent in this island. blame it on commerce. at its current state, producing a full theater production is just not financially viable and those that foray into the activity end up with more loses than the sound of ka-ching ka-chinging accounts in the bank. you can say that most of these productions are literal labor of love.

painting with light - queen maya and dancers captured using slow shutter speed and deliberately panning the camera like a wave; Siddhartha

Click on Read More...

Siddhartha, the musicale production of Buddha Light International - Cebu Chapter deserve to be written up as a gallant effort to bring cebuanos closer to a theatrical experience and appreciation of the arts. admittedly, some of the actors need to polish their skill at acting - but then again, if you were to act, sing, dance and coordinate with fifty other actors on stage i... i... i quit.

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha on a Lotus

music runs in the veins of cebuanos and this is evidenced by the sheer talent paraded on stage. if you're to ask me to pick just one thing that i loved about the production, it would be the music. duh, it's a musicale. i was about to say that it is amazing to know that this is a 100% local production. then again, i expect nothing less. brava!

the arrangement, composition, lyrics and performance left me wanting an encore after siddhartha and his bride sang the grand-ex-lovers-duet. unfortunately this is not a concert. darn.

any reruns?

Food Trip! - Kuya J's

2008-05-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

STK, otherwise known as Sugba (Grill) Tola (clear soup stew) and Kilaw (raw meat marinated and cooked in vinegar) form the base Cebuano culinary method of cooking all sorts of meats.

it's otherwise uninteresting as this is a common cooking method all over the country. but that's exactly the point. Kuya J's is not your usual common STK joint. (click on read more to continue...)

Huge, Fresh Scallops topped with butter, cheese,
and garlic bits grilled over hot coal.

Kuya J started as a grilling station outside the house of the owner specializing in scallops. the usual story goes that patrons eventually requested that they put up makeshift tables so they can feast on this dish served hot off the grill. eventually they converted part of the house into an aircontioned section and set up a restaurant with a complete set of menu. as the cliche goes, the rest is history.

soft, moist, melt-in-your-mouth grilled tuna belly

the walls of the restaurant attest to the number of famous, not so famous and unknown guests that end up in this place. the pictures show smiling faces and stuffed bellies.

make sure to make time and loosen your belt a bit when planning to visit this place. price is very reasonable (though a plate of jumbo scallops has gone up from Php 80 to Php 120 in a course of three years) and the food is excellent.

if you're up for something exotic, try the turtle soup. haven't tried it but the reputation precedes this dish in yumminelicousness.

without any order of preference, i have feasted on crabs in chili, crabs in coconut, fried crispy eel, spicy crispy calamares (fat squid strips cooked tempura style and topped with white cream chili sauce), spicy sizzling tuna sisig, grilled tuna belly and panga (jaw), crabmeat soup, seafood hotpot soup, kinilaw na tuna, scallops, and more scallops. there are a number of excellent vegetable dishes for pretentious people (in short, ipokrito a.k.a .hypocrites) - this is definitely a meat place.

despite the fact that this is literally a house-along-the-road, it has gathered a reputation as some sort of "destination" for foodiphiles. and i don't mean sticking anyTHING aside from fork into your food. it has in fact gotten a place in a HK travel magazine as a food stop in Cebu. no wonder you'd see executives and guests of hotels ending up in this place side-by-side with students on a budget.

don't make the mistake of visiting on a sunday. they're closed that day unless you call ahead and reserve for a minimum of 15 heads. and oh, make sure to say hi to Ate Letlet and Kuya J - they regularly roam around the place for a quick chat with customers.

Kan-anan ni Kuya J

Add: 0394 Orchid St., Capitol Site (near dynasty inn, same area as Cebu Doctors)
Cost: Php 150++/head
Tel: +6332.253.1343 +6332.253.5484
Mob: +639189248992
One Dish Must Have: Grilled Scallops

Travel Bug: Downtown Cebu City

2008-05-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

i was sweaty, my feet hurt and extremely satisfied with myself.

having some free time on a sunday, i decided to head off downtown of this city on a walking-photo-taking-tour. people normally DON'T end up in this part of town - horror stories of traffic and a number of undesirable citizens usually scare people off. then again, am tall, burly, bearded - hopefully something that will scare them instead. hmmm.

my agenda? i wanted to record a part of the Cebuano Architectural Heritage before any of the old structures fall victim to termites, weather, the wrecking ball... or all three.

the guard dog, Cebu Cathedral Museum

Click on Read More for a photo tour of the Sto. Nino Basilica, Cebu Cathedral Church and Museum, Old Parian, Casa Gorordo, Plaza Indepedencia and Fort San Pedro.

Sto. Nino Basilica - My Starting Point

Cebu Cathedral - just a block away from Sto. Nino
bought some pineapple sprinkled with salt for 10 pesos
yummmiiii...

Cebu Cathedral Museum, just across the road from the Cathedral

the picture on the left show the progression of the structure. notice the pre-spanish floor (called... the ground), the spanish coral blocks, the american cement, the japanese cement (again) and the modern tiles (proudly philippines!). the pictures on the right show some of the ancient support beams fortified with cement.

(left) the inner courtyard, classic balay-na-bato design. (right) the original wooden posts that fed armies of termites before the place got rehabilitated.

another short walk and you can get to old Parian, where the first few families of Cebu settled. from here you can see old balay-na-tisa houses (known for terracotta roof tiles) that are variations of the balay-na-bato design. click on the left image for details about the Val-Sandiego Ancestral house, the houses are not as grand as that of vigan or manila that is a testament to Cebuano penchant for frugality, simple life and humility.

got something to drink from this carinderia, across the yap-sandiego abode. just love the way the plants crawl up the gate.

casa gorordo (museum) is a short walk from the yap-sandiego home. didn't bother to go in as i was running a bit short of time.

casa gorordo as seen from the street. the wires hanging about destroyed an otherwise passable shot. this structure has gone through renovations and the original tisa (terracotta) roof tiles are already replaced by some sort of plastic composite material.

from there it was a bit of a long walk to plaza independencia (currently under renovation) and just across that is fort san pedro. arguably one of the oldest forts (older than intramuros) in the country. check the description on the left pic.

Front Gate, the sign says Fort San Pedro 1565 - 1833

Aaaagh! Ayeeee! - if corals could speak, they would have shouted bloody murder to form the walls of this fort. in some areas where it hasn't been covered by cement you can see the intricate coral patterns of various species.

a pathway covered by vines that form the canopy for this lover's lane. interesting concentric square patterns.

back view of the fort gates. you can't see it but there are pigeons on ledges overlooking the courtyard. "this poop is going to land somewhere...."

by that time it was getting a bit dark and i headed off to Cebu Cathedral to catch a jeep back to One Mango in Gen. Maxilom. yup, a jeepney ride :P

Food Trip! - Abuhan

2008-05-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

Abuhan has somewhat a cult following among the ravenous partyphiles wanting to grab something to eat before heading home. There's nothing fancy about Abuhan and there's nothing spectacular about the food.

Except for one.

In my opinionated view, pochero (chunky beef on the leg bone stuffed with bone marrow cooked soup style with cabbage and corn thrown in) is usually the choice for hungry party carnivores to gulp some hot soup and sink their teeth into lusciously soft beef. everyone is a carnivore in Abuhan. You don't go there for vegetables.

then again am not a party carnivore. oh okay, yeah to the carnivore description but not really a party-freak. i find the soup too salty and thin to my liking - if you've had batangas bulalo then you know that cebu pochero is a poor imitation - my guess is that they don't cook the meat long enough (in batangas, the same soup stock is kept boiling for days and fresh batches of bone thrown in. the fat and marrow makes the soup thick) and it lacks the citrus punch of lemongrass and ginger.

so what's the ONE? the one that more than makes up for everything else on abuhan's menu?

sizzling pochero.

take out the soup, the vegetables, slather butter gravy, fried potato chunks and set it on a hot iron plate.

if you desire a beef scented facial, by all means stick your face close to the dish and inhale the devilishly delicious aroma. just make sure you're headed home right after the feast. pochero eau de toilette is not a favorite scent in party places. (that's also the reason why abuhan is the LAST stop for the day)

order lots of rice and prepare for battle to take the bone marrow out of the bone. the way it melts on top of hot rice is consolation enough that you're consuming a lifetime's worth of cholesterol.

go for the soft glutinous tendon and feast on tender beef that literally falls off the bone. for an added extra punch - ask the waiter to give you extra gravy and am sure you'd find tender meat mixed in.

if you've got a weak heart or your blood pressure's shot, make sure to call a hospital in advance for confinement AFTER the trip to abuhan.

it is worth every sinful bite.

Abuhan Restaurant

Add: Abuhan and Abuhan Dos - F.Ramos St. Cebu City
Abuhan Tres - IT Park, Cebu City
Tel:?
One Dish Must Have: Sizzling Pochero. This dish if five star but the rest of the place and food is really nothing. save for the sizzling pochero i would have ranked it one star.

Photo Credits:
Sizzling Pochero - linnor.marikit.net
Pochero - paulbanday / flickr

Food Trip! - Vienna Kaffeehaus

2008-05-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I was supposed to head off to Persian Palate for dinner with the gang. unfortunately, a member is not so hot about persian-indian food and suggested to head off to Vienna Kaffeehaus.

I would have loved to write something, anything about the place. On the other hand, if there's any food god out there - this restaurant is in serious need of REDEMPTION!

the busted light at the front should

have set my radar off.

i ordered the farmer's platter which is supposed to be a set of grilled sausage, chicken and pork. the sausage is a famine victim, the chicken is dry and wrinkled - granny chicken finally croaked, and the pork should be renamed bacon strip - it is that thin and small..

a colleague ordered aoili pasta with specific instructions for less chili. i don't think "MORE" sounds very much like "LESS". back to the kitchen for another try. it came back properly spiced but someone forgot to tell the kitchen we wanted pasta, not huge chunks of garlic with bits of pasta. something like pork and beans where it literally means one tiny piece of pork and a hell lotta beans.

the breaded porkchop came next with mashed potato. i was looking for the pork, all i saw was the chop. and bread. lots of it. lookit the poor lemon - a bit tired looking doesn't it?

pasta "mari" sound interesting. it was actually short for "marinara" (seafood). the problem with seafood is that you have to cook it perfectly. otherwise, you end up with soggy meats or rubberband. the shrimp was pasty (probably exceeded its very short shelf life), the squid rubbery and the pasta passably okay. by the way, parsley is not the same as coriander.

the salad is... is... you really can't go wrong with salad. if you do succeed in messing that dish then you know you're really in big trouble.

i.... i... am not coming back to that place. ugh.

Vienna Kaffeehaus

Add: Gen, Maxilom Ave, Cebu City - across Fooda, but really, who cares?
Tel: Don't bother.
One Dish Must Have: everything... should go.

don't be misled by the gorgeous pics.

Food Trip! - Apurado Chicken Haus

2008-05-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

a set meal in a mid-range cebu restaurant with delusions of uppity ambiance will cost you on the average Php175 - Php250 pesos per person. cheap compared to manila - then again, in a city where cost is a more important consideration compared to quality, that price tag is already considered to be a luxury.

i have been to the swankiest restaurant and places in the metro. on the other hand, my opinionated taste buds are not impressed with expensive interiors. after all, biting delicate china and chipping your tooth on silverware hardly counts as a gustatory experience.

my Php61 meal - crispy chunky chicken thigh,
two pieces pork barbecue, three puso (wrapped rice)

if you want unpretentious, cheap, huge, delicious food then there are places in the metro that's waiting to be discovered. places that serve huge scallops by the plate topped with garlic and cheese, grilled over hot coals till the cheese melt. a joint that thrive on a single signature dish: the heart stopping, artery clogging lechon kawali dipped in pinakurat (pickled onion, chili and garlic in palm vinegar) with the soft fat melting in your mouth as you bite into the crunchy crispy crackling pork skin. grilled buttery soft tuna belly and panga (tuna head) specialties. the barbecue joint where rows and rows of stalls grill chicken, pork, fish and God knows what other meats that induce an aromatic fog that envelope the whole street. the list goes on.

picture: turo-turo, apurado interior

one of the places that i love to visit is Chicken Apurado Haus (see the contact details at the end of the post). chicken is the specialty (duh!), more specifically, fried chicken. the restaurant is what you call a turo-turo joint. turo-turo literally translates to "point-point" - that's precisely how you order, you point at the dish and they serve you a portion. lechon, adobo, tinola, pork barbecue, fried chicken, chicken inasal, bola-bola, guso / lato ensalada - these are the staple dishes. dishes of our childhood.

picture: chunky, sweet smoky pork barbecue

don't expect to get fancy-shmancy dishes. pasta is not on the list, the closest they have to salads would be utan bisaya (mix of vegetables in clear soup made thick by okra and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper). dessert is chocnut that can be bought from the sari-sari (mix-mix) store across the street or grab some fruits from the fruit stands that line the other side of the road.

for Php 175 pesos i would have already gotten the following: 2 crispy fried chicken thighs (i bet they use steroids, they are HUGE), 5 pieces puso (steamed rice wrapped in coconut leaves), nilat-an nga baka (beef in clear soup), about 5 sticks of chunky pork barbecue and softdrink.

that's even less the amount i spent in viena kaffehaus for a dish that made echoes in my tummy. i was soooo tempted to slip the silverware in my pocket - felt like i paid for that!

if you're a creature of comfort, apurado is not the place for you. but if you're a true connoisseur of gastronomic finds, i suggest you visit this little gem. don't worry, if you do get indigestions chong hua hospital is just across the road.

better yet, the doctors and nurses end up having their meals in apurado - that certainly accounts for something.

Apurado Chicken Haus

Add: Beside Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu City (click the picture for a bigger one)
Tel: +6332.412.4079
One Dish Must Have: the friend chicken, duh. for the price, you can get the whole bucket-load.

Cebu Cathedral

2008-05-14T00:09:00.000-07:00

The Cebu Cathedral took about a century to complete because of frequent interruptions. One of three diocese created in 1595 (the other two being Nueva Segovia and Nueva Caceres), Cebu was raised to the status of archdiocese in 1934 with the dioceses of Calbayog, Jaro, Zamboanga, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro as suffragans. During the Spanish period, Cebu had the most extensive territory because Guam and the Marianas fell under its jurisdiction. Only in 1898, because of the Treaty of Paris, did Cebu lose these territories.

Despite it age and status, Cebu did not have a cathedral worthy of it for many decades. The first church was built in 1595 of wood, bamboo and thatch. Although stone walls were added it was in a sorry state according to a 1667 report of Bp. Juan Lopez to the King of Spain. To remedy this, Bp. Diego de Aguilar began a new church but was unable to finish; his successor Bp. Miguel Bayot instead of completing what had been started began a new structure. Again he was not able to accomplish much. Bp. Sebastian de Foronda found the building too small and inappropriate, calling it a "barn." Again work was discontinued.

clouds parting above the bell tower.

In 1719, the military engineer Juan de Ciscara was commissioned to design the cathedral. He opted for a cruciform design with short transepts. He placed the altar mayor at the crossing, reserved the apse for the altar de pardon, and placed the choir stalls for the cathedral canon in the nave. Work on the construction was suspended when funds were diverted to military campaigns against slave raiders. Construction began in 1734, was interrupted four years later, resumed in 1741 under Bp. Protasio Cabezas. The facade was completed in 1786 and in 1811 the cathedral was blessed. The completed cathedral departed from Ciscara’s plans. It was renovated in 1829, 1836 when Bp. Santos Marañon, who designed other churches in Cebu, designed and built the bell tower. The cathedral was improved in 1886, during the incumbency of Bp. Gorordo, and in 1939. Damaged during World War II, architect Jose Zaragosa rebuilt the cathedral in 1959. The cathedral's interior was renovated recently.

Front Detail of the Cathedral

Heritage Features: Because of damage caused by World War II and the recent renovation, nothing of the historical interior remains, however, the exterior remains 18th century. The 21 meter high facade is capped by a pediment shaped like a trefoil. The monogram IHS decorates the upper register pediment while small circular openings decorate the lower part. A pair of griffins and bas-relief floral designs fill the pediment. The two story facade is divided vertically by paired columns on a tall plinth and the cornice over the main door is broken and emblazoned with a coat of arms in low relief.

The Episcopal Palace of Cebu stands outside the enclosed plaza in front of the cathedral. One of two Spanish colonial episcopal palaces still remaining, the residence is an oversized bahay na bato, Its construction is typical of 19th century domestic architecture: a lower story of stone and an upper story of wood. The palace is being restored to house an ecclesiastical museum. The old altar from the cathedral will be displayed in the museum.

-----------------
Text taken from Panublion
Images by: Me.

Travel Bug: Caohagan Island

2008-05-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

mr. sun is out and about. who can imagine that very same day we will relive The Perfect Storm in technicolor detail?

saturday evening me and ron got an invite from ma'am nits to join them for a day trip to gilotongan the following day. i was a bit apprehensive because of the bratty weather the past few days. it doesn't help that the tail end of a storm is just leaving visayas for mindanao. but i can hear the lechon calling out to me and by ten am we were pushing off the Mactan Olango wharf.

we got an ominous warning from the boatman that hilutungan (marine sanctuary)may not be the best destination given the strong winds and suggested that we try out olango (bird sanctuary). how do i tell the dear peach that bird watching is really NOT "The Plan"? i hardly call snorkels and swim fins accessories to avian observation.

after wasting 30 minutes debating where and what to do, i felt i had to butt in despite the fact that i was just a "guest". i suggested that we proceed to Caohagan island so we can just enjoy the white sand beach and get ourselves some fresh seafood.

from afar, the island stood out like an emerald in the aquamarine sea. i was surprised to see a lot of boats docked pretty near the shore, i can hardly see the white sand bar. mr. peach advised us that we probably don't want to dock by the beach as they are now charging Php 75 pesos per head.

what da heck? it was just a year ago that i visited the place and there was definitely no entrance fee. anyways we docked a pretty good distance from the shore and had a blast jumping into the clear water. i am pretty sure that philippine maritime laws prohibit owning a piece of the ocean.

on the side, the island is celebrating a fiesta of some sort. they took the image of the sto. nino on a small boat and had a fluvial parade that went around the island. couldn't help observing that they are using the same sinulog beat.

jump about two hours around four pm, we were docked by the floating restaurant where mr. peaches dropped anchor so we can do some snorkeling. except that the place he chose is nothing spectacular. the corals are dying and there are hardly any fishes around.

helllllooooo? a floating restaurant nearby that serves fresh seafood? why the hell would fish stay on this part of the island? i forced a smile, knowing that hilutungan is just an island hop away. there, fishes know they have a town ordinance that protect them from being barbecued. they are so fat and friendly that they literally flock to your hand expecting to be fed. i repeat to myself: i am just a guest.

heading back to the wharf, we met strong winds and waves that buffeted the boat front left and center. everyone who harbored fantasies of a leisurely boat trip without having to take a swim ended up salted, pickled and soaked to the skin. through it all, the kids were whooping it up. who can blame them? it's like riding the rollercoaster.

today i caught an article in the newspaper that a boat capsized off Caohagan at around the same time we were navigating the rough waters. and to think that the day started with mr. sun out and about.

an unsolicited tip: try to schedule your trip when there's no storm brewing, cooking or just about done skipping visayas. the best months would be march and april. insist on hilutungan and caohagan. bring your own food, caohagan is EXTREMELY overpriced.

if you don't waste time arguing about pit stops and other nonsensical issues, you can reach caohagan in about an hour and a half, inclusive of the trip from cebu city, negotiating for a boat in olango mactan wharf and loading yourselves on the boat. prices vary.

smile, you're on camera!

no animal was hurt in the filming of this trip, except for the pig that got lechoned. oh add to that the delicious hala-an shells in soup. and the crabs we boiled: alive.

Show Me the Manny! - Another Paking Story

2008-05-08T00:12:00.000-07:00

i'm not a fan of manny pacquaio.

he can stand beside me and i'd literally look past him. can't help the fact that he's very veeeery short and am part of the kapre clan. well, he does look like gimli in lord of the rings. remember the dwarf?

anyways, paking raised a few eyebrows raise despite botox induced paralysis when he said he is from cebu after the fight with marquez. then again, there is some truth to paking's claim.

sunday may 4, 2008. last day of pinamungajan town fiesta and people are buzzing and lining the streets to catch a glimpse of paking making his way to the town auditorium where he is scheduled to accept a shrine dedicated to him that traces his father's roots to guimbawian, a mountain baranggay, in this sleepy southwest town of cebu.

then again, i am not a reporter and that's not MY story.

earlier that day, paking was the honored guest of the mayor in her house where a sumptuous lunch feast was prepared for his visit. my friends kept bugging me to take their pictures with HIM. some sort of proof of purchase i think. am sure the photos will end up in a facebook, myspace, friendster page. sigh.

when he came in, the reporters rushed to take pictures of him alighting from the car, walking to the porch, stepping into hall, moving into the sala, watching pretty boy oscar dela hoya clobber his enemy (paking muttering to himself: "if i had THAT face then things would be really perfect") get pinched, kissed, posed here, posed there, sit down in the dining table, eat, smile in between bites (we can always photoshop the bit of food stuck between the teeth), and on and on and on... i swear he didn't have time to simply... breathe.

i hurriedly took the pictures my friends requested and moved out to the covered area behind the house and gulped down lungful breaths of sea-salted air. too many people in an enclosed space is not good for the nose. i felt claustrophobic for the poor fellow. then again my friends said that he probably expected that. wanted it. craved for it.

everyone asked why i didn't want to get my picture taken with paking. here are the reasons:

1. he is short, veeery short. i am tall - someone's head is gonna get cut out of the frame and am guessing it's mine. either he wears heels or i go down on my knees. am sure neither one of us wants to do that.

2. i don't like lending out my camera to just about anyone - a 30 thousand piece of equipment in the hands of someone who probably don't know how to set the controls induces my panic button. dit dit dit.

3. he doesn't smile in his pictures - i don't want to look like a moron with a huge smile plastered on my face whereas paking is probably thinking to himself: "next...."

4. i am not a boxing fan - am not that enthusiastic about bloody mugs or faces rearranged like a van gogh painting. though in some boxer's case - it probably is an improvement.

5. and i am not particularly a fan of paking - idolatry is banned in my religion.

then again, pokwang is also a featured guest of the mayor and is set to perform at the concert that evening. now... that... is... a completely different story. i'll probably out-box paking himself just to get myself a picture with pokwang.

Food Trip! - Casino Espanol

2008-05-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

the past week i've celebrated fiestas in honor of the catholic pantheon of saints aside from the multiple variations of the Blessed Mother, the Holy Trinity, the Multiracial Jesus incarnation etc. and when there's a feast, there's always food. i shouldn't be complaining, but this is really bad for the diet.

no matter how i repeat the mantra "no more lechon, no more lechon...." my feet scuttle towards the table where the crispy roasted pig calls out my name. eat me. eaaaat me.

a couple of nights back the tempting call of lechon whispered my name and the temptation would have been complete if not for the aromatic smell, no, make that, intoxicating aroma that grabbed my nose ring and led me towards the buffet table.

lengua and callos.

Casino Espanol de Cebu lay claim to being the last bastion of the colonial hispanic conquistadores of Philippines - despite the fact that most of its current members have family names with three letters or less: Du, Yu, Tan, Lim, Kho, etc. ("etc" is not a family name okay?!)

But true to its "heritage", Casino Espanol serve castillan dishes rich with flavor and aroma.

Lengua Estofada - Picture courtesy of
www.marketmanila.com

Callos - Picture courtesy of southbound.ph

Casino is popular for its lengua estofada more commonly referred to as lengua (ox tongue softened and simmered in thick creamed mushroom sauce) and callos (ox tripe, ham, sausages, chickpeas, assorted vegetables cooked slowly in thick tomato sauce). on the down side, the Jamón Serrano and Chorizo de Bilbao used in the callos were sliced veeeerrry thinly. perhaps it is because i joined a catered event, my previous experience in casa usually have generous cuts and servings of these meats in my callos.

in any other place, lechon would have won the battle for my bulge... err appetite. in casino, lechon takes a backseat. had to go back for seconds. that's another hour in the treadmill the following day.

getting to sample this food is a major treat considering that it is a members only venue and the only way to get in is to get invited or work for Casino. am just glad that they haven't decided to replace Jamón Serrano with Ma'Ling and Chorizo de Bilbao with Chinese Sausage. I just hope that kimchi never finds its way in Casino - that would be the day the korean invasion would have succeeded.

Casino Español de Cebu, Inc.
107-109 V. Ranudo Street
Cebu City 6000, Philippines
Phone +6332 253.1260 to 64
Fax +6332 253.3131, 253.1265

Travel Bug: Destination Barili

2008-05-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

Panoramic View - Palalong Place, Barili

that's the early morning view from my room when i woke up from a restful sleep in Palalong Place (PP). PP is a bed and breakfast along the national highway about two kilometers from barili poblacion. situated on top of a cliff, you get an amazing view of tanon straight and the coastal town settled on a natural cove. under the mid day sun the stunningly clear light blue waters reveal coral formations where fishermen go about their activity.

rain clouds over the poblacion as seen from palalong.

barili itself is a destination and not just a roadside town on the way to more famous places like moalboal, badian or kawasan. there is something for everyone in this little gem:

from antique architecture,

to mighty torrential waterfalls (mantayupan),

mountain spring resorts (boloc boloc),

cliff side picnic groves (palalong place) and arguably,

the best vanilla ice cream (molave milk station).

if you're a water baby like me, you'll enjoy the pebbly white coral beach resort Sayaw Beach (owned by alvin garcia) that has some amazing corals 10 meters from the shore. the corals near the shore is already showing signs of destruction because of uncontrolled activities from the locals who pound on the corals to gather slimy wormy creatures that they reportedly use as bait. i hope something gets done before it is tooooo late.

Molave Milk Station

keep your eyes open for this sign along the road from carcar to barili. it is a dairy farm and they sell deleysyusnes vanilla ice cream. and other flavors. and squid balls. and all sorts of snacks. my favorite is still the cheap ice cream. really fresh from the cows grazing on the hills. yumi!

Barili Church - Dedicated to St. Anne

it's interesting to know more about one's faith, and there's one thing that i found out in barili that most people don't even know - the patron saint of the town is st. anne, otherwise known as the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. digging for some more info, i also found out the st. joachim is the husband of st. anne.

a word of caution, the picture simulates an "old" picture whereas the actual facade is an ugly white and yellow. do check out the shrine dedicated to st. anne. just ask any of the caretakers to open the place - it's at the back of the church altar.

Mantayupan Falls

this place can be reached via a 2km drive from the town poblacion, a sign along the national highway shows you where to make a turn.

Sayaw Beach - towards the sunset

went back the following day around 1030 am and the beach was dazzling white, had so much fun snorkeling with multi colored fishes darting in and out of the corals. this is an easy walk along the national highway from palalong place (about 300 meters). if you're inclined, check out the caves along the way. it's a perfect place to hang out, like batman. :P

banca boat bow, detail

a memorial cross on the slope of the cliff from palalong place

this cross marks the spot along the cliff of palalong where the japanese "allegedly" threw the bodies of the people they killed. spooky.

edge of the cliff, palalong

that's the bed and breakfast - from the bottom of the slope.

there are only two places where you can find accommodations in barili: shamrock pension and palalong place. if sharing a bathroom is your idea of "tripping" then shamrock in the middle of the poblacion, right across the bus station is your choice. if you want picturesque scenery, you're better off in palalong. don't mind the howling at night. it's just the wind.

food is reasonable in palalong place (taste and price), if you want an even cheaper selection take a short ride to town and grab your chow in shamrock pension carinderia. better yet, follow my lead and grab flavored sandwich spread (tuna, ham and cheese) and wheat bread.

room rates in shamrock is dirt cheap at Php 350 for al fresco rooms (read: no aircon) good for 4 people comfortable sniffing each other's armpits. aircon rooms are available for Php 450 (i think)

in palalong place, rooms are slightly pricier at Php 750 (2 peeps + 1 extra) or Php 950 (4 + 1 extra) but are airconditioned.

SHAMROCK PENSION HOUSE
National Highway
Poblacion, Barili,
Tel:(+6332 470.9235)

PALALONG PLACE
National Highway
Guibuangan, Barili
Tel: (+6332 516.0878)

Travel Bug: Barili Structures

2008-05-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

barili is just another sleepy town on the way to moalboal, badian or kawasan that people rarely get to appreciate the potential heritage and cultural richness of the town. roughly 65 kilometers south west of Cebu City or an hour and a half drive, one travels all the way to carcar then cut through the mountain to end up in barili.

if there's any frustration on my part it would be the lack of knowledge about filipino design influences specially for old architectures (houses, churches etc). from an uninformed perspective, majority of the houses follow the balay-na-bato (house of stone) design which is a generalization of houses structured like a rectangle with a solid base and a second floor that is usually lined with capiz windows.

a typical facade design

another typical design with a solid wooden base.

first level fortified with hollow blocks

the window slats replaced with solid panels

a window variation that combine capiz
and wooden blinds

sadly, the original structures have been modified probably due to deterioration of the primary material. you see a lot of the solid bases replaced or fortified by hollow blocs or capiz windows replaced by solid wooden slats.

around town, there are other interesting house structures that caught my eye.

detail and full view of a bungalow inspired design

along the national road almost right across the new municipal hall, you'll spy this interesting accent on the wall where a potted tree seem to stick out.

a full frontal detail of the potted tree

Residence, Tony and Liz Uy

the wall hide the ancestral Abad house from passing traffic. there is a strong history attached to this house that was later owned by the Paces family, converted into an academy and eventually bought and restored by the current owners: Tony and Liz Uy.

patterns

aside from the general architectural design themes observed, there are other elements unique to each house. the roof awning (underside of the roof that goes beyond the walls) feature intricate patterns:

click on the images for a bigger picture

another interesting structure can be found along the main road in barangay guibuangan. hospicio de san jose is different in its facade and design influence, featuring pointed turrets as a strong theme. the story behind this home for the aged is very interesting and deserve another tale...

hospicio de san jose

and just in case you decide to retrace my wandering foot in barili, make sure to look for this house that bears the name of Jose Estrada, NFA Rice Dealer.

Pictures by: Me
Equipment: Canon AS650 IS

Peekture Perpek!

2008-04-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Di Tsang - Great Vows
Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple, Cebu
3rd Place, Photo Contest

the greatest joy come from the least expectation.

i wasn't really expecting anything. so it was a bit embarrassing to come up and accept an award specially when i was wearing an old red polo with a tear along the shoulder. must have reinforced the grungy artiste look. the more interesting news is that my entry is totally last minute as it was just an invitation to watch the dress rehearsal for Siddharta in the temple grounds. the fates must have had a hand in the whole affair as it was purely luck that i saw the shrine on my way out.

like a moth, i got drawn to the golden glow of the shrine.

Food Trip! - Kul's Kitchen

2008-04-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Filipinos Love Food. This is the only country where we have snacks in between snacks. My friends who end up in Cebu always ask: "Where can we find good food?"

flashback about two years ago, still working as a vampire in a call center. i usually head off to IT park for lunch around 12 midnight (and no, i don't go hunting for young pretty things to bite). a newly opened restaurant caught my eye as i originally thought that Sunburst finally opened up a branch in asiatown. who can blame me, the logos look the same.

Kul's Kitchen just opened and there was hardly any people coming in. The hardest part of choosing a restaurant is that you despise going into a full packed restaurant but you also hesitate to go into one that's almost "empty".

i decided to take a gamble and am glad i made that choice.

the word Kul is a literal translation of the Hindi word that means "Home". That makes the restaurant serve home-cooked meals, just about the description everyone uses when asked what is one's favorite food. what sort of house though serves all sorts of asian dishes alongside american, european and mediterranean in one menu? am sure the united nations cafeteria do, but in this case, the chef said that the dishes served are all his personal favorites. well, make that mine too.

it is hard to choose ANY particular dish as they all appeal to the fickle whims of my taste at any given time. in no particular order try to get the crispy boneless pork knuckles (crispy pata), tender falling-off-the-bone creamed ribs, lusciously fat sizzling bangus (milkfish), creamed chicken (chicken and sausage bits cooked in a garlicky cream sauce), pork belly in mango sauce, hot hot chili chicken wings, thai chicken wings, salisbury steak and on and on and on. some of the other dishes fall short of my expectation but the ones i listed are tried, tested, sampled, digested.

a surprise addition to this is a drink, the cucumber slush. you have to take a sip of this refreshing drink and i am sure you will be the next ambassador of this odd gustatory delight.

the prices are reasonable, ranging from Php 80 to Php 150 and the serving size is enough to satisfy a hungry vampire on the prowl.

creamed chicken	triple beef
sizzling bangus	cucumber slush. ah!

Kul Kitchen

Add: G/F Skyrise Building, Asiatown IT Park
Tel: ?
One Dish Must Have: Creamed Ribs

email or leave a comment, tip, news etc etc if you have ANYTHING to say about Kul Kitchen.

- lamon inc.

Food Trip! - Casa Verde

2008-04-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

Filipinos Love Food. This is the only country where we have snacks in between snacks. My friends who end up in Cebu always ask:"Where can we find good food?"

if you're like me who haven't evolved that far from our cavemen ancestors, you probably have a liking for meat. genormously huge baby back ribs with meat literally falling off the bone, slathered with sweet and peppery tamarind infused barbecue sauce and served with bits of vegetables and garlic rice on top of hotsa-hot sizzling plate is probably your choice of hunt. if this describes your facebook / multiply / friendster profile then pick up your club and head off to Casa Verde along V. Ranudo Extension (details at the end of the post).

This place is probably one of the worst kept secret of Cebu and if you haven't heard of this place, then, you, truly, are, clueless. Miss it and you actually save half your life as the extremely rich food in Verde is decidedly part of my artery-clogging list.

Equally sumptuous is my other favorite the thick, juicy salisbury steak in buttery gravy topped with fried egg (if you're a bit obsessive compulsive like my friend, you can ask the staff to beat your egg, i mean, the egg served with the dish.) and served with the usual vegetable and garlic rice.

if you get the chance to visit for yet another round, make sure to order the baked chicken (boneless chicken stuffed with cheese, ham and herbs in creamy white Béchamel sauce) or Mahi-Mahi Fish and Chips (mahi mahi is another term for dolphin fish, cold blooded, and is not part of any animal rights list. mahi mahi is crusted using buttery egg flour with spices and quickly deep fried to retain the juice. your knife literally sinks into the meat and the flesh melts in your mouth).

if you're heating up after all the eating, cool down with michael's obsession (thick chewy brownie topped with vanilla ice cream) or a genormous serving of death by chocolate (double chocolate ice cream shaped like a cake slice and crusted with melted chocolate drizzled with syrup, what else? chocolate) or it's white version Chill Out.

the best part is that you don't have to rob the bank to order and enjoy your food (unlike Abaca - but that's another review). for the same amount of ribs ordered in manila, you pay Php 500 versus Php 120 in casa verde. the rest of the menu is on the same scale.

it is the VERY reason why this is so popular with the students and hordes of koreans looking for a good buy. for cebuano locals, price is a BIG consideration when choosing a venue and often, food becomes a secondary criteria.

other bits of info: the place itself is an old house converted to a restaurant with nicely decorated interiors. the picture on the left is an annex to the main restaurant, stay here if you want an airconditioned room.

THIS picture copied from another site. This is the main dining hall, notice the old painted map of central visayas that adorn the main wall.

Make sure to add it to your itinerary when visiting Cebu City!

Casa Verde

Add: 69 V. Ranudo Ext., Cebu City
Tel: (032) 253-6472
One Dish Must Have: Baby Back Ribs

email or leave a comment, tip, news etc etc if you have ANYTHING to say about Casa Verde.

- lamon inc.

Surot Surot Sa Sugbu: Dalaguete

2008-04-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

It was a bit unexpected, but it was a welcome event when i got invited to join the summer outing of Nits and Fred together with the kids and some other family barkada to Dalaguete (pronounced with the last "e" as silent compared to Dumaguete). At the back of my head, i was wondering what's interesting about Dalaguete as it looks like any small roadside town south of Cebu.

7:30AM
we all met up in Ramos St. Cebu City. As usual, Ron's running a bit late and Joy went ahead. From there we went on a "caravan" to head off to Ocean Bay Resort.

8:30AM
had to make a MANDATORY stop in Carcar, kids wanted some Jollibee by the rotonda and i grabbed some Chicharon from Tito's.

10:00AM
arrived in Ocean Bay Resort, Dalaguete. I think i drove too fast but i've always LOVED the southern coastal road. the views are just fantastic specially when you get to hilly roads along the coastline with amazing views of the bay. the strips of white hint at the white sand the area is known for. why is it that central cebu beaches are black? just a thought.

11:00AM
happily munching on lechon ears. too hot to take a dip, the kids now look deliciously LIKE lechon. red, shiny and plump! too bad the waters started to go down by noon.

2:00PM
a bit bored. got my camera and dragged ron to go to town. invited the girls and the husbands to take a short 1km drive. men bored, hot, and sleepy after the heavy lunch. we never got far from the evolution of the cavemen. sigh.

2:10PM
went straight to San Guillermo (parish church) - very typical of the structure built during the 1700s. at first glance it looked like Argao with a pseudo-baroque facade. the altar is not that impressive and the murals are not well maintained. interesting glass chandeliers though. as with most churches built that time. supposedly this one got built 1771, same time Dalaguete was declared as a town (based on research, it used to be a barrio of Carcar).

at the back of the church i saw the tombs enshrined along the walls of the church complex (usually, this is reserved for very wealthy patrons or prominent members of the town). cool!

went out to the bay front and got some pictures of the ladies and ron against the church. at least they get some postcards memories. darn. the curse of the photographer. note to self: get a picture of my foot as proof i visited the place.

2:30PM
got some food stuff from the wet market. while the ladies went shopping (i can't believe we are shopping in a remote provincial town - it's a woman thing he he he) i snuck out and went to the main road where i took some pictures of old house structures lining the main street. some locals gamely posed for the pics. the 5 minute claim to fame.

3:00PM
back in the resort. water still far far far far... you get the point. decided to change into my swimming gear and waded through the seaweed and corals to reach where the water started to get deep. i pretended to be Aquano, ala Dingdong Dantes and went snorkeling. Amazing really! except that about ten meters from where i started flopping around, the water turned blue. felt blue and cold inside, theme song of jaws playing at the back of my mind. turned off my ipod. too scary. (and if you think your ipods are WATERPROOF you probably shouldn't be reading this stuff)

3:20PM
trudged back to the shore, the only souvenir i have is the huge squirming sea cucumber i scooped using my diving mask. yey! i can always make kilaw with ginger, garlic vinegar, salt, pepper a bit of chili, tomatoes and chopped up sea cucumber. yum yum...

3:25PM
jumped in the covered pool and created a mini tsunami. the kids found themselves beached on the edge of the pool. i pretended i was orca and tried to grab a bite of the little morsels.

5:00PM
bumming with the group, non-stop eating. this is bad, am supposed to be on a seafood diet. as it turned out, more like SEEFOOD. i see food, i eat. fred came back from the shoreline with a huge barracuda he bought from a fisherman. hmmm... this time, we'll do the biting.

5:30PM
albert set up the grill and fred took the honor of gutting the barracuda. loped off the head and tail for tinola soup and filleted the body for grilling. I took care of marinating it a bit in soy sauce and vinegar. rubbed it down with salt, minced garlic and crushed peppercorn. added a bit of chopped onion and tomatoes and generously basted with tuno (cream of coconut) and drizzled with the only certified virgin of us all - olive oil before wrapping it up in foil and throwing it over the grill. 14 minutes and we are ready to rumble!

6:00PM
the adults jumped in the pool. pinoy big brother mean adult edition, the little tots had no chance at all. after a while we all got out and took a shower - poolside, there was no water in the rooms. Albert lugged the JW whisky while i had a bit (okay, a little bit more than "a bit") of some sweet chilled red wine. time to get the green jokes out. leo and joy were busy covering the ears of the kids as we talked about every possible part of the human anatomy. melanie marquez and alma moreno are definite hits. hmmmm.

8:00PM
i am dizzy, tired and pleasantly buzzing from the red wine, sun and long drive. i can't remember what i said for my grand exit but the call of the bed was just too much to ignore.

5:00AM - THE NEXT DAY!
people asleep. me awake. grabbed the camera to get some sunrise pics. amazing shots. the blazing early morning sky burning with reds oranges and yellows pushing back the cold greys of twilight is always an amazing sight. i feel blessed. the rest are still snoring in bed except for nits and fred.

6:30AM
went back to bed. slept slept and dreamt of a good day ahead.

9:00AM
the group went swimming - i decided to skip this one and took pictures of everyone. the curse of the photographer. at least they get to keep their memories whereas i get to record it. hah! who is the daddy now?!

it's not really an effort to go on a weekend to dalaguete to experience some of this for anyone. most of my friends in Cebu don't even know that this little piece of sunny heaven is just two hours from the city. have some fun this summer!

Surot Surot Sa Sugbu: Dalaguete - Picture Slides

2008-04-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

Walang Simalaaaaa...

2008-04-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

of course i am purposely "misquoting" the famous line delivered by nora aunor in the LA County Jail after her incarceration for drug possession. err i meant the movie "Himala". Regardless whether you believe in miracles or not, Simala (Barangay Lindogan, Sibonga Cebu) is getting foot traffic from pilgrims that wish to visit the miraculous shrine of Mama Mary.

shrine is not probably the best way to describe the place as it has grown from a mere payag (nipa hut) originally built by the Marian Monks to a massive castle-like structure on top of a hill that overlooks the bay and hills. and based on the master plan, the existing edifice is just part of an intricate complex that is currently being developed.

town lore tells of a Penitential Rosary Walk (1998) for the intercession of Mama Mary to halt a devastating plague that claimed lives of children and infants in Lindogan. to honor Her powerful intercession, they gave a plot of land to the Marian Monks to establish a shrine dedicated to Mama Mary in February 7, 2004 which was also the 8th year anniversary of the Monks arrival in Sibonga.

before continuing to go through the pics, please remember that i have only heard of sibonga and simala through stories of my friends who have visited the place. bear this in mind while looking at the pics.

picture on the left taken sometime Feb 12, 2006 and grabbed from this link. The one on the right was taken April 7, 2008. Apparently, the rules have changed because the original sign singled out indecent women attire and loud stereo as a no-no. At least the new one refers to sexy clothes and smoking. Notice that the BIG difference in the complex behind the sign.

the same angel greeting the pilgrims once you reach the top of the steps leading to the shrine. i guess he's pretty much bored after a while. note the walls still under construction behind the picture on the left.

The 30 foot something statue of the Virgin Mary before and after pics.

what's interesting is that a lot of the pictures i took have similar angles and subjects as a point of reference. the most important detail to note is the structure that serves as a backdrop and is shown "under construction" and still "ongoing construction". the Marian Monks depend on contributions and donations by pilgrims that number to a thousand any given day.

i couldn't stop a huge smile as i took the picture on the left. the "drop box" is taller and wider than your average pinoy and looks more like a confession box. should have called it "drop house" instead. on the other hand, this highlights the amount of contributions the Marian Monks receive from patrons on a daily basis. and unlike government contracts, this one is living up to its promise to develop the facility.

expect a big crowd. be careful, there are TWO lines - one leading up to the altar where they keep the shawl (belo) of the Virgin Mary when she manifested miraculous tears and tears of blood in one instance. you get to kneel, pray and wear the belo - the only price you pay are little favors in heaven from Mama Mary.

The OTHER line is just the usual set of tourists / pilgrims wanting to do some votive candle offering and people who want to offer a prayer in the chapel that's currently stacked with pipes and is under renovation.

Enjoy the series of Virgin Mary statues and learn a bit about the history of each Marian icon. The Lady of Rule is particularly interesting as it traces its history in Africa - thus the blackened skin.

a couple of notes about this place: Sibonga is 48 kilometers or an hour's drive from Cebu City and can be reached via a leisurely drive on the southern trail. Simala can be reached from the main highway via well maintained asphalted roads that go up to the mountain complex. watch out for the sign, and i don't mean a new miracle - the board that leads up to the mountain complex is small that you'd miss it if you don't look close enough.

if you plan to commission a tricycle from the main road you probably have to haggle the fare (wild guess is Php 20 per head but that means nose-to-armpit closeness of about ten people packed in the tricycle), parking is available for 40 pesos, don't expect a ticket or receipt.

food and drinks can be bought right outside the complex along with all sorts of religious ornaments. and yeah, that vendor who sold us the special discounted price of Php 100 for three chicharon packs is probably going to burn in hell when we found out that it really costs Php 30 each.

and contrary to la aunor's claim that there is no miracle ("walang himalaaaaaa"), finding this pilgrim destination coming home from dalaguete (will post another series of pics on this fantastic little town) is a small miracle that i will carry with me until my next visit with prayers of my own.

...picture set...

tip: hover your mouse and turn on the caption feature to see notes about the pictures taken.

Surot Surot sa Sugbu : Carcar

2008-04-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Carcar is bad for the HEART.

It is home to the heart-stopping, artery busting chicharon (pork rind) that is cooked to a crackling crisp with a thick layer of fat dipped in pinakurat (fermented vinegar with exotic spices) that melts in your mouth and goes directly to your hips or tummy.

we groan and complain that fat always deposits itself on the most inconvenient space (gathering above the belt line of tightening pants or cramming itself on our cheekbones) but we continue to pop another piece of this devilishly scrumptious delicacy.

add jollibee to chicharon and you would have the basic answer of a typical cebuano when they are asked about Carcar. i don't think it is purely chance that jollibee is situated right at the bustling town rotonda and a hop right across Luis' Chicharon. Insider tip: if you're cute and nice enough, you can pick and pack your own chicharon pieces - don't forget to get chummy with the tindera.

interestingly, Carcar is one of the newest city of Cebu (July 3, 2007) despite the fact that it is one of the oldest town in the province (est 1599 by the Agustinian prayles) and perhaps the country. i have this theory that the national government updated the requirements for cityhood (population, land area and income) to include a jollibee outlet.

okay, some standard information: located about 46.3 kilometers south of Cebu City, Carcar is famous for its centuries-old buildings such as the Balay na Tisa, built in 1859 and the St. Catherine Parish Church, which was put up in 1876. not so subtle hint: click the image to display a BIGGER map.

the heritage of Carcar is its hidden charm beyond the usual stopover for jollibee and chicharon on your way to the fantabulous beaches of southern cebu.

St. Catherine's Church is named after the patron saint of the town, St. Catherine of Alexandria and a fiesta is celebrated every 25th of November. The church is typical Roman Catholic byzantine architecture with an interesting roman greco altar. A special feature of the church is its twin bell towers with minarets that are very similar to muslim mosque domes.

i need to plan another trip when the church is OPEN so i can snoop inside and take some pics, it is not a pleasant experience being chased away by the guard just because i look like a terrorist. fashionably outfitted complete with flowered hawaiian shorts and oversized boracay slippers yes, but still a terrorist.

Around the church are old structures that have been converted to the old municipal hall whereas some are preserved as heritage landmarks such as the Balay na Tisa. a small plaza fronts the church where lovers make love (what do you expect lovers do? war?) under trees surrounding a sculpture of the madonna holding baby Jesus. look closer and you'll see that mama Mary is wearing the filipino terno. aylabet! - check the picture slide towards the end of this post.

for those looking for a spiritual experience, Carcar is also home to the Theotokos shrine where a 20 foot image of mama Mary stands on top of the hill. This is the same location where the miracle of the Dancing Sun happened sometime in September 9, 1992 while Cardinal Vidal blessed the Lady of the Fatima shrine. again, excessive consumption of chicharon can also induce visions of a dancing sun. (credits to Maan's Pilgrim Site for the pic)

and in case you are wondering what happens to the excess skin that doesn't end up as chicharon, it gets recycled, dried and used in a growing leather sandal cottage industry that the town is getting famous for. of course you understand that i, am, just, kidding - pigs are meant to be eaten not used as foot accessories - weee stilleto hooves! but if you're the sasquatch (e.g. big hairy feet) like me, it is nearly impossible to find sandals that goes beyond size 11 inches.

but as they say, if you have BIG feet, you probably have BIIIIIIG shoes. uh.

and one last piece of advice, don't eat chicharon when you're driving - it can cause dizzy attacks. specially if you lug it down with beer. peace yo!

p.s.

clicking on the image in the picture slide opens up the photo album and picasa. don't forget to turn on the "captions" to learn more about the images displayed. enjoy :)

...peektures...

Moalboal - Not To Be!

2008-03-31T03:45:00.000-07:00

okay, pronounce "mall"+"bowl" and you're probably still not going to pronounce that word right he he he. Anyways, this post is a follow up to my previous post where i was carefully debating the merits of going for a marathon or end up on the sandy beaches of mallbowl.

tough choice isn't it?

yeah right. u-huh, as if i seriously believe that you'll believe that.

here's a short video clip showing the sandy coastline of mallbowl.

but as they say, the destination is just an ending to a trip. boy, what a looney trip it was.

for the visually impaired (click on the image for a bigger pic), err... visually inclined,the map shows moalboal south west of cebu province - that's about two hours drive from Cebu City.

while you're on the trail, don't forget to drop by Carcar (the map, click the maaaap) and get some heart clogging, artery busting meaty chicharon (crackling pork rind) - same feeling you get when you fall in love, less the fat. From there, you cut accross the island travelling through some lovely mountain pass and fantastic scenery. be carefull of chickens crossing the road (why did the chicken cross the road? to run them over duh...), or the habal habal that magically weaves itself in, out, front and back of your vehicle.

habal habal (check the smaller pic) is a local mode of transport used in the mountainous region of the country where dirt roads are literally just that, dirt. a habal habal is a motorcycle where six people hang on for dear life. our people got inspiration from the circus act where they balance a pyramid of midgets riding a bike, except that were talking about full sized adults.

i am not lying, i swear you can fit a full sized adult on top of the handlebar of the motorbike. never mind the driver who has a full frontal view of your ass. yep, truly magical ride indeed.

that aside, make sure to do a stop at the Molave Ice Cream Station in Barili. You won't miss that one, it's along the mountain road and they serve fantastic vanilla ice cream (i'm biased, vanilla is a paborito of mine). well, for one it's also a dairy farm so i won't be surprised. i won't be so enthusiastic about chocolate ice cream though - makes me wonder where they get the "chocolate" color + cows and it makes my mind wonder. i really wonder.

barili has got some interesting sights and i've covered that in a previous entry (Mantayupan Falls, Palalong, old structures in town etc) and some decent white sandy beach front as well. from barili you breeze through the coastal towns of dumanjug, rhonda, alcantara and end up in mallbowl. unfortunately, for this particular part of the trip i was beezee counting sheeps hopping in my dreams.

once you get to mallbowl it is a relatively easy drive using a dirt road to the strip of coast lined with resorts bumper-to-bumper in all sort of budget, design and preference. side note, our service was a bus longer than long. when i say "relative" it really means ad hominem, purely appealing to personal consideration rather than to logic or reason. one advise, bring a regular sized car or truck so you won't get stuck trying to maneuver a corner going to the resort and walk the last hundred meters or so. so close yet soooo far. tall wide buses plus low hanging electrical wires multiplied by trees creeping up the side of the road divided by the narrowest of roads plus cars coming from the other direction is an equation that equals a testy and frustrated bus driver. never heard so many expletives in my life. oh shit, there goes the side mirror. dang, ripped ceiling mean automatic sun roof. feck, the tires went kaput. you of course know these are just exaggerations.

PICTURE SLIDESHOW...

as i said earlier, the destination is just an ending to a trip. and boy it was a pretty nice ending. Club Serena is the posh resort thereabouts and they're developing their lots by phase. We stayed in Phase Out, you know, just beside the resort but nice and quaint nevertheless.

the beachfront is powdery white sand around that area and a few meters from the shore the coral bed starts coming to life with tiny colored fish. About twenty meters from the shore the coast line drops to a pretty decent depth (read: panic inducing darkest blue-while-snorkeling-sort-of-depth). i heard the jaws cinematic theme song playing in the background, i swear.

towards mid afternoon we all got on a boat to head off to the marine sanctuary and saw some interesting islets near the coastline. i had visions of buying one of those and declare an independent state. we never got the chance to drop off (dang) and the boat captain took us to Pescador island - they kept on repeating that it is probably one of the best kept secret for global diving enthusiasts. except that our boat is loaded with kids and we didn't have a single diving equipment around. duh, we should have stayed in the marine sanctuary.

i can't help but notice the structures that lined the coastline. the architecture is a mix of united nations with swiss chalets, balinese inspired, american bungalows, french villas smattered with the pinoy payag (hut) in between. i sort of found it sad, yeah a bit sad.

not to end this entry on a sad note, i really enjoyed the trip and plan on doing another one. this time around, i'll be lugging a tent and settle in the pubic beach area where you can rent a small open-walled hut with a long table and benches for a pittance. fishermen hawk some of their day's catch on the beach and if you're lucky, you'd get a whole load of fish cheap and grilling on hot charcoal for lunch, dinner, breakfast, merienda, midnight snack, sneaking-around-at-two-am-snack. that and the prospect of lying down under a gorgeous span of sky twinkling with glittery stars winking down at you.

ah, moalboal.

Click on this link to view the album

moalboal

I'll Huff and I'll Puff and I'll Blow Your House Down!

2008-03-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

Well, this little piglet is not going to let the big bad hairy wolf blow his house down! I'm going to run and run and run some more, i'd probably be huffing and puffing because i'd be outta breath while trying to complete the 10K Holiday Gym & Spa (HGS) 10K Health Run. and if running fails, i can always lie on the road and roll myself all the way to the finish line - i gotta believe this gut is good for something, they're not called spare tire without a reason mind you.

What da heck, i have a wager with Homer to lose 10 pounds of fat by April 7 - da bounty? i get treated to a japanese buffet lunch in Mikado. i'd probably earn back two pounds, unfortunately am not into the bulimia-tickle-me-throat-purveyor. i intend to enjoy each morsel of food. yam yam yam!

speaking of big bad HAIRY wolf, that actually fits MY description. if you're in Cebu anytime this Sunday (March 30, 2008) why don't you try huffing and puffing with the bunch? meet ya all at the HGS parking lot!

this is one of those "rare" moments i post a picture of me-self in this blog. i'll try to post an "after running torture" pic.

heck, running the marathon is much better than the treadmill anytime. free carcinogens, sweaty armpits and dust mudpack foundation. ah, the sweat life.

King Kong Climbs Naga Mountains!

2008-03-22T03:48:00.000-07:00

I gotta admit, my most recent attempts at climbing is confined to the stepmaster machine in the gym. i haven't even considered going up the tall, reaaalllly tall indoor wall climbing facility in the gym. am skeptical that the ropes tied around my waist is strong enough to stop me from falling. that and the fact that a big, tall, hairy man like me doing the wall thing is too much King Kong for my liking.

so, i did the next best thing and went on a trek up the hills in Naga City (Cebu). It's not like i suddenly woke up with a strong desire to climb a mountain - the occasion is Good Friday and it is a Catholic tradition in the Philippines that we normally do the way of the cross as some sort of "pilgrimage" that traces the carrying of the cross up Calvary by the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, without the whips and nailing part - more like, water jugs, sandwiches and endless tsismis in between "stations" where we pause to say some prayers (silent sigh of relief from all the climbing).

honestly? i am really not into this type of activity - my treks are usually with a small group, not 500 people going the same way as you are. for goodness sake, am supposed to watch the scenery - not a bunch of asses jiggling and trudging on ahead of me. not good if you're downwind. on another note, there were more people who showed up for the activity compared to the group that showed up for Lozada's monologue. aylavet!

well, wherever i go, my camera goes along as well so i took the chance to take some snaps of the trek to commemorate the day my shoes officially died - never to be resurrected via elmer's glue or some epoxy.

to my numerous readers, the set here is really for some folks in London who missed this activity like anything. made a promise to post some family pics so i dumped them all together here..

(this is just a partial post of the pics, try to visit this link again for more pics)

Barili Cebu - A Travel Log

2007-10-24T03:52:00.000-07:00

Barili is a small town Southwest of Cebu City, roughly about 60 kilometers and you can get there in about 45 minutes. That is, if you don't stop over in Carcar to get their artery clogging pork chicharon.

Main attraction of the place is Mantayupan falls that contributes to the electrical capacity of Cebu province. There are fantastic roadside places that overlook the tanyon strait and you can see the majestic kanlaon volcano in negros oriental. the place we went to is on top of a cliff and had an amazing view of the barili-cebu shoreline.

The town itself is an interesting visit as there are old houses that probably date back to the time spaniards ran around the country. we're not complaining, if not for the horny friars and some mestizos, we wouldn't have interesting castillan malay features.

Note, the pictures were taken sometime March 2007

Beachy Things

2007-10-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

Nope, i did not mispell that one - and i'm not referring to that girl who turned down your advances either.

When people talk about beaches they immediately imagine shorelines, cottages and tourists as usual subjects. Well, i've had enough of that - so much so that i decided to take pictures of other BEACHY things in San Remigio Beach Club north of Cebu province.

the series of pictures were taken early morning, i climbed across the private wall separating the private beach resort from a fishing community and stumbled across some really interesting shots of fishermen panning for fish fry, a father and son checking out fishpens made from crude bamboo structures, children sitting underneath a tree that was aflame with green tinges from the early morning sun, a banca floating on top of shimmering flecks of water.

inside the resort, i took a picture of the swing set that made some interesting shadow patterns. using the same theme, i took a shot of some of my colleagues taking a dip in the pool. the two beauties illuminated by the underwater light of the pool was taken the previous evening.

by the way, the place itself is not worth going to. am glad i was able to salvage some pretty decent shots of the place.

Swimming In Stars

2007-10-14T03:54:00.000-07:00

amidst an ocean of stars, i sit still and quiet. i contemplate what lies ahead and just as quickly, i descend into darkness and wake up to another day.

photo 1 : swimming in stars
photo 2 : star struck lovers
photo 3 : a bright idea

location: tops, cebu city

Samsung StyleWatch 2007

2007-10-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

got invited to attend the Samsung StyleWatch series of fashion shows and i took the opportunity to take some pictures. considering that i am seated by the sidelines it's a wonder the pictures came out pretty decent.

Sunday Trips

2007-10-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

like every trying-to-be-good catholic, i go to church on sundays to pray for a better week and ask for forgiveness for some, ok, a looot of things i'm not particularly proud of.

on these days i bring along my camera with the hope that i'd catch something interesting. the churches featured here includes the cebu cathedral and the sto. nino church in downtown cebu. some of the pics are of people littering around the church - beggars that cling to your shirt and merchants that sell everything and anything. the old ladies hanging at the entrance of the churches sell candles and prayers that go along with it. think of it as a deposit for heaven.

in sto. nino church, i saw this very very pregnant lady standing by the arched entrance to the priest's quarters. made me think how religious my family is- my great great grandfather was a friar. 'sus ko po!

sweet potatoes

2007-09-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

off cebu is a group of islands that can rival boracay in terms of pristine white beaches and natural beauty. surprisingly, the place is named after sweet potatoes, otherwise known as camotes islands. here are some pictures i took sometime April 2006 during holy week season. Am sure that Shenny, Moi, Guen and Laila will remember the good old days when we were all based in Cebu. For now, we have to content ourselves with staying in touch via the world wide web. Cheers!

my best friend's wedding...

2007-09-15T03:58:00.000-07:00

wedding abstracts

2007-09-09T03:58:00.000-07:00

photo log - floritz's wedding, reception in chateau de busay, cebu - 19 august 2007.

i didn't want to compete with the horde of photographers taking pictures of the newly wed (randy and floritz) so i pointed my lens to abstract items around the area as my tribute to the couple.

the wood symbolizes age and maintaining the beauty and character in old age, the plants represent youthful energy, new life about to start and new buds in bloom.

Sumilon in My Mind

2007-03-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

Sumilon is 180 km South of Cebu and is about 2.5 hours of reckless head-spinning driving. My companion got to enjoy the scenic view of undulating waves that shimmer in a picture perfect bright day - I had to keep my eyes on the road for the silly kids that dart accross the road out of nowhere, or the slow sleepy tricyle drivers that has forgotten the meaning of time. Oh yeah, the occassional chicken or dog makes an interesting obstacle course.

Sumilon Island; Lazing by the Pool on Top of the Hill

The take off point is Baranggay Mainit in Boljoon, South East of Cebu Province where you can park your car in their mini port (or if you want to be adventurous, take the southern bound bus to Bato from the South Bus Terminal). They have a boat that has regular scheduled trips to the island (15 minutes) - scheduled defined as whenever the fancy strikes.

Detail - Hut; Infinity Pool

If swimming in the white sand bar is not your desire (about 30 meters off the shore it drops to a cliff and you can do wall diving - note to the scuba freak), you can always dip yourself in an infinity pool atop the hill and take refuge from the blistering sun under a tree that is in the middle of the pool. From the pool you can walk to the gazebo and have your buffet lunch. Tip to the hungry - go early to the buffet, i thought sharks lurked in the water but apparently the people who did the trip can eat Jaws down to the bone in a matter of seconds.

Lake with the Invader; The Original Settlers

Sumilon Isle features a lake and you can take a kayak and investigate hidden nooks. Be amazed with the school of fish that follow you around. Don't be too noisy though, the original settlers (three pristinely white ducks) may take offense and take a peck at you. Funny though because the ducks followed me around for an amazing set of photos. They're not as popular as Daffy or Donald, but they're not as noisy either.

The end of the trek around the island; A view of the lake from above

There are options to go on a trek around the island and it will take you about an hour to complete. Be ready to explore the trail and come up to old ruins in the middle of the forest where an old abandonned lighthouse stands. At the southernmost tip of the island, a lonely bench sits forlornly, inviting the trekker to sit down and ease the pain from walking on coral hardened stones.

An amazing place that is not widely known and discovered by the population. Go there while the rates are still affordable at Pesos 1,200 for a day trip inclusive of buffet lunch, welcome drink, boat transfers, snorkel gear, use of kayak and resort facilities. The smile comes free.