Balay Dako in Tagaytay City, Philippines

Located on Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway, overlooking Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, Balay Dako serves Filipino food at its finest.

Link to video on YouTube

Makati Shangri-La Hotel Tour and Restaurants, a 5-Star Luxury Hotel In The Philippines

Some clips from our 2-week stay at Makati Shangri-La Hotel in the Philippines. Link to video on YouTube. 

Makati Shangri-La - Breakfast at Circles Event Cafe

A wide array of delicious breakfast dishes to choose from and very friendly service. A big shout out to the entire crew.

Link to video on YouTube

Los Angeles, USA to Manila, Philippines via Cathay Pacific with Layover in Hong Kong

Traveling from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Manila (MNL) with layover in Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). 

Link to video on YouTube

Halo-Halo

... which literally means mix-mix is a popular dessert in the Philippines.

A mix of sweetened banana, sweetened jackfruit, sweet palm fruit, macapuno, gelatin, flan, shaved ice, evaporated milk and a scoop of ube ice cream on top.

Yum!

Off to the Beach

In my little hometown we have beautiful white-sand beaches. 

Today, we drove down south passing green rice fields with some white herons feeding on the ground, a small trail, an estuary with some mangrove trees...

... then about half hour later we're here.

Hammock on the Beach

There's nothing more relaxing than laying on a hammock, a bottle of beer on one hand, while listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

Life is beautiful!

"The Green Green Grass of Home"

I have Tom Jones song running in my head as I look at my grandparents rice field and walk down memory lane.

 ♪ ♫  "Down the road I look ♩♫♭... there goes the green, green grass of home."♫

Yes, this is home.  This is where we spent beautiful childhood memories.  I used to walk on this rice field on our way to the other side where there's a river we used to swim and play.

That middle house, the green & white house, my Dad built that just this past year as sort of a "weekend house." But on the same spot used to be my grandparents' house.  And right in front runs a street I used to chase Dad on his way to work in the morning.  Then there's a star apple tree I would sit and wait for him in the afternoon. 

My mom used to teach in this village.  We lived here on weekdays until I was about four years old.  Then we moved to our house by the beach.

Oh yeah, the old hometown still look the same... green and beautiful!

Manila Welcomes 2015

My first blog post of the year... a spectacular fireworks display as Manila welcomes 2015.

Cheers to the New Year!  Let it be a happy one!

Gingerbread Man Decorating

 

... with cousins decorating gingerbread man on Christmas day...

 

Cupcakes at The Royal Touch

The Royal Touch was founded by Chef Carolyn Robb -- Executive Chef to Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the royal family.

Oh cupcakes, my sweet indulgence.

Mesa Filipino Moderne at SM Aura

 

After some snapshots by the Christmas Tree we took the elevator to the top floor and walked to Mesa.

 

On the table... 

• Crispy Boneless Pata
• Crispy Boneless Tilapia Served with Four Sauces
• Chicken Binacol
• Pato Tim
• Laing 2 Ways
• Baby Squid Adobo in its own ink

 

 

 

 

SM Aura Premier

 

Met a dear friend at SM Aura which is located in a highly urbanized Bonifacio Global City.

 

 

 

Rufo's Famous Tapa

On the table... beef tapa, pork inihaw, danggit, sisig and sinangag

Romulo Cafe

 

Located on Scout Tuason Street in Quezon City, Romulo Café serves Filipino food at its finest.

 

On the table…

 

Gambas -- baby shrimps sautéed in roasted garlic   

 

Sinigang na Salmon sa Miso -- salmon belly cooked in tamarind broth, with fermented soy bean paste, served with mustard greens

 

Tito Greg’s Kare-Kare -- oxtail and tripe stew in a peanut-based sauce, served with steamed vegetables and our house bagoong

 

Flying Tilapia -- deep-fried tilapia with three sauces: chili-garlic, honey-bagoong, and soy vinegar   

 

Lengua - ox tongue stewed in red wine sauce   

 

Meatless Tortang Talong --  eggplant omelet cooked with minced tofu and onions  

 

 

...let the yummy times roll! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner in Antipolo

 

Destination is Antipolo with no specific restaurant in mind.  We just want one with a view.  So the journey started…  it was supposed to be a thirty-minute drive but has turned into a two-hour restaurant hunt.

 

Entered Antipolo City on the GPS and ended up at the city center.  A lady on the side of the road waiting for a ride told us that the restaurants overlooking Manila are in Sumulong Highway next to Robinson’s Mall.  We drove and found Robinson’s Mall but did not see the restaurants --  so we turned around.  Then we asked a traffic enforcer. He said there’s one out there.. pointing to the direction... “um, but I think it’s a resort.  I don’t think they serve food and I’m not sure if they are open.”  Funny!  

 

We continued driving, we passed by the same church twice, by the same gasoline station three times.  Then we asked a tricycle driver.  He gave us directions which unfortunately did not lead us to the place we were looking for.

 

So back to square 1.

 

We stopped by another tricycle driver.  He said, “ this is not the shortest, but the simplest to follow.”  Just drive straight, where it ends turn left, then another dead-end turn right, another dead-end turn left.  Voila, we were in Sumulong Highway.  There’s Padi’s Point on the left and Cloud 9 on the right.  We drove to Cloud 9 which is perched on a hilltop overlooking Manila.

 

On the table… sinigang na hipon, kare-kare, pork sisig, tokwa't baboy and pinakbet

 

 

 

SM Megamall

 

Where we met up with husband’s high school classmates for a mini-reunion before they head out of town/out of the country for Christmas break.

 

I snap this shot as we sprinted through the crowd.

 

 

 

Bangus

 

Time to revisit Bangus, a small restaurant in Greenhills, for some traditional Filipino breakfast.

Bangus or milkfish is Philippines national fish.

 

On the table… daing na bangus, sizzling bangus belly and coffee.

 

 

Seafood Island

We drove to SM Mall of Asia (MOA) for a late night dinner at Seafood Island.

 

On the table..

 

Salted fish rice, steamed crabs, steamed shrimps, fried tilapia, grilled squid, kinilaw na tanigue, crispy dilis, adobong kangkong, tinolang manok sa buko and tortang talong.

 

Yum!

 

 

Crab Shells Christmas Tree

This Christmas Tree in front of Seafood Island in MOA is decorated with crab shells.

How pretty!