For so many years, Binondo has been dominated by Chinese immigrants from mainland China. They knew how to tweak their recipes to suit the Filipino palate. Hence, the Chinoys of today grew accustomed to a different level of Chinese cooking. “More malasa, nothing like it in other Chinatowns abroad,” Chinoys overseas would say.

In vibrant Manila Chinatown, a store bearing the name Shin Tai-Shang beckons because food are beyond the usual. Flaky hopia-like balls are colorful, pies are dotted with black sesame seeds,  mooncakes are shaped like animal heads, sausages are stuffed with rice and shelves are filled with Taiwanese products.

“Rice meals that are healthier” (according to owner Christine) catch one’s attention. The vegetarian food I’ve tried are delish, not bland surprisingly.

I went deeper into the store and found unique Asian decor and lots of kitschy stuff such as original Sanrio, Cath Kidston and dancing maneki-neko that made me smile. A laughing Buddha is difficult to find, but they had one that was already reserved .

Along with Japanese Biore facial washes and Taiwanese cosmetics, La Roche-Posay and Vichy moisturizers and sunblock are selling well, according to the SAs.

Shin Tai-Shang on Salazar Street was a revelation. I haven’t even checked out the condiment shelves.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

You might have thought my Davao stories have ended. Well, there’s more conversation-worthy food than one could ever imagine. At Ellen’s eponymous sophisticated carinderia alone, her famous “paksiw na buntot ng tuna” is not the only royalty. I also loved her oily laing! If you know what I mean, rice is so good with just a little of this kind of ulam. The boys at home were happy to see the hand-carried 250 pesos worth of laing (equivalent to 5 servings). The rest of the FoodPrints team bought multiple tuna paksiw.

Tita Ellen cooks Filipino food with flair, like she enlivens her paksiw with this certain herb and incorporates gabi to her sinigang and throws in itlog na maalat to her fish kilawen. I’m Ilocano and I wasn’t disappointed with her version of igado.

I was too engrossed with the food that I failed to note down more details.

Chicharon-like pork paired with suka.

She insisted on letting us try her halo-halo and durian pie. I’m a fan of langka (jackfruit) and ube, so her halo-halo gets a high rating. An excellent panghimagas to cap the very Pinoy food trip. The durian pie is reminiscent of homemade pies, very neat and straightforward. It’s also not too sweet.

At Ellen’s Tuna Queen, you get a lot for your money’s worth. The tag is what it promises.

The new season of FoodPrints with Chef Sandy Daza has started.  Sundays on the Lifestyle Network, folks, 8:30 pm.

Ellen’s Tuna Queen South Street DBP Village, Matina, Davao City CP #: 0922 814 7063

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

The husband took the weekend off to bring us to Baguio. The cool summer weather was gorgeous, but then it’s not the best time of the year to be in the mountain city. Tourists were everywhere, traffic was terrible and parking was far from easy. We’re fortunate to have local friends who know the husband’s uninhibited taste, letting us save time and enjoy more of our brief stay.

For Saturday’s dinner, we were directed near The Mansion House. It so happened, it’s the same Asian-something restaurant that I’ve been trying to locate for more than a year now. It’s the Chef’s Home which closed temporarily before moving back to its original address four years ago.

Malaysian chef Alvin Amuang, who has worked in Phuket, Thailand, likes it so much in Baguio that he never left his post — that is constructing Asian flavors for the Filipino palate. Complementing Chef Alvin, wife Gina (a native of Bacnotan, La Union) backs him up totally. You see them entertaining guests at their humble home of a restaurant.

Chef’s Home was adjudged one of the best new restaurants in 2013 by Esquire Philippines.

I had the privilege of ordering dinner — boneless chicken with 3-sauce and Thai fried rice for picky Alexa and steaming hot tom yum soup, prawns in salt and pepper sauce and smoked oysters drowning in salsa for everyone else.

The hungry husband eats in silence.

Sago Gula Melaka with coconut milk and caramelized coco pandan.

Chef Alvin and Gina offer more soup.

The husband picks up the bill and then he introduces me to Gina as a food blogger. Gina says, “nakakatakot naman.” She meant scary. I told myself, the husband is the better restaurant critic.

We were the last guests before they pulled the doors close. We almost didn’t make it as the chef’s Sundays are sabbatical.

The husband won’t stop raving about the food and he brings it home.

Chef’s Home
No. 13 Outlook Drive cor Romulo Drive, Baguio City CP #: 0916 444 5756
Lunch: 11 AM-2:30 PM / Dinner: 6 AM-8:30 PM Mondays to Saturdays
Accepts cash only

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Can’t have too much coffee ‘coz it shows in my typing. Thank God it’s Saturday! Bought Brandon matcha cream and cheesecake and iced Almond Roca coffee for myself.

I’m liking the new walls of Giannis coffee shop.  My coffee as well. The almond comes out and it’s the good level of sweet.

Giannis is located beside the Pagudpud terminal, at the back of the capitol.

Photographed by Brandon and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

A remnant of a colonial plantation in Davao is now the destination for fusion cuisine. The 1932  house, originally owned by Ker and Co., was rejuvenated by Ms. Cathy Binag to fit The White House.

The White House is a refreshingly homey restaurant, cafe and wine lounge, and yet an air of  sophistication surrounds each and every visitor. Harmonizing with its old meets new design is a state of the art kitchen where a team of chefs prepare stylish creations.

The menu boasts of fresh local and imported produce. On a FoodPrints Season Two shoot, host Chef Sandy Daza explored contemporary dishes anchored on Japanese flavors.

Beautifully prepared uni shooter opened up the taste buds for more equally elaborate halibut, sea bass and pork belly concoctions, followed by a vanilla cheesecake laced with green tea meringue and topped with yamamomo berries, raspberries and strawberries.

Foodistas, don’t fail to visit this house in Davao!

*With special thanks to The White House, Lifestyle Network, FoodPrints and DoT Davao.

The White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge Camella Northpoint, Bajada, 8000 Central, Davao City, Philippines Tel. No.: (082) 2824540 CP No.:  +639154483601  Mon – Sun 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

On a night out with fellow Ilocanos, we sifted the streets of Cagayan de Oro on a tricycad with a non-Tagalog speaking driver. Imagine a charades game inside the jeepney-like trike, several meters away from our trying-to-be-a-translator translator and tour guide Kulas. He found us on hyper Corrales St. and ushered us to the Lifestyle District, one of the trendier places to hit by sundown in Cagayan de Oro.

I sneaked into the first bar, a mango-centric dessert place named Mango Mania. Hembee and Ena followed and we bumped into the Cebu reps with their mango smoothies. After getting stuffed with humba, bam-i, sinuglaw and corn tamales, it was impossible to try all the provocative mango creations in the menu.  I settled on mango smoothie and mango ice with pomelo.

I actually prefer green mango to ripe mango smoothie. I’m not a mango ice cream lover either. I’ve only liked ripe mangoes, plain and with salt sprinkles or homemade bagoong. It’s complicated. Be that as it may, Mango Mania’s mango ice gave me newfound respect for ripe mango sweets. With some thick sauce and mango cubes, the frozen dessert was imaginably sweet. Oh, in a good way!  Imagine mango-flavored yema, with tarty pomelo giving some nice balance and additional texture. The best mango ever, scoop after scoop! I had a tough time rejecting the mango float and tres leches mango cup cake. I tried the mango smoothie for the boys back home. They would have loved it.

Photographed by Carlo and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

You don’t leave a place without bringing home something for friends and loved ones. Food, for me, is the most appreciated representation of the culture of a place.

Cagayan de Oro is the hub for everything in Northern Mindanao, making it so convenient to choose from among the best pasalubong around CDO, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Iligan and other neighboring places.

A wonderful discovery is Joji’s Delights peanut butter by Joji Ferrer. She makes them in Bukidnon. What led me to her creations was the malunggay (moringa) peanut butter. I like the unexpected added flavor which doesn’t rob out the character of quality peanut butter. Really nice, love it in pan de sal. I also bought the creamy variation which the family tried with kare-kare last night.

If you live in Manila, you can also find them at health and specialty shops such as Connie’s Kitchen, Healthy Choice and The Green Grocer.

Biscochos in the south are so much different from those that we have in Ilocos. Theirs are the sweet and creamy kind. The muron (in photo below) is a cross between buchi and suman. A filling made with chocolate and peanuts makes it unique.

Pasalubong places such as Vjandep along the highway going to the airport houses the best food products of the region. They offer a wide selection of Camiguin pastel. You’d be surprised to see buns filled with durian, langka, apple and so much more. I like the yema kind, though buko is also nice.

I got bañadas, a specialty of Bukidnon, which are like broas, but with a thicker layer of frosting. The house cheese sticks are milky and chewy, lovely with a cup of coffee.

Not to mention the Iligan peanuts, which come in different kinds. Toasted cashew nuts are also abundant in CDO.

Something I failed to bring home is the hamon specialty of Cagayan de Oro. They make them real good.

But what I regret not being able buy more of is the seaweed shing-a-ling by Libertad Coast. It’s distinct.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Raine and I headed to Vigan by a Partas bus. The spontaneity of something can be so major.  Like sunshine and rain.

The nice seafood paella, albeit spicy, and beautiful baby brazo de Mercedes at Hotel Luna’s Cafe Luna were incidental. We just took photos and talked for hours.

A BenCab

BTW, they have everyday halo-halo buffet for just 125 and up.

Photographed by Raine and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Found a delicious way to utilize the standard 30 minutes left before the bus leaves Manila for Laoag. Coming from a family that started one of the leading names in carinderia-style eateries in Laoag, Lis is a great eating companion. She eats anything and everything. After depositing our maletas at Fariñas Trans, we jumped on a tricycle to traverse to the far end of UST. Yay, S.R Thai was on the same spot on P. Noval!

The little Thai restaurant was so trendy among UST students and foodistas in the 90s. Not sure if they still have the branch on Katipunan in Quezon City.

The prices of meals are amazingly friendly as ever. I ordered two servings of bagoong (fish paste) rice, tom yum soup and pad Thai to prepare us for the next 10 hours or so.

Making partially deconstructed meals is a wonderful idea. The diner can tame down the spiciness, or sweetness, so nothing is ever put to waste. The bagoong rice looked like it had more hibi (dried shrimps) and mangoes than before. I can’t describe to you how tired and hungry Lis and I were that night. Everything was so yummy.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Domestic air travel has become less horrible lately. You will need to allot cash for food at stopovers. At the NAIA Terminal 3, saw some nice upgrades. Try the ground level for more choices.

The poster of a chipotle crispy chicken sandwich at Army Navy Burger + Burrito was actually working. Got two with an extra order of onion rings, and dalandan juice from Fruitas. The sandwich was huge enough to be a meal. It had bacon, tasty fried chicken fillet, veggies and some nice spicy sauce. I actually tried my luck on this sandwich. I wasn’t disappointed. Even Lis liked hers.

There’s this coffee place called Green Bean at the upper left side of the airport. They use sustainably-sourced artisan coffee beans from Irving Farm Coffee Roasters, popular in New York.

Of course, I’ll never tire of Mrs. Fields cookies.

Don’t starve yourself when traveling. You will need those extra calories.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

These are fresh photos of batil patung from my last visit in Tuguegarao. I have to thank insiders for taking the time to bring me and my good friend to Jovan’s. Like how it was described to me before we went to this panciteria, Jovan’s batil patung does not smell like nuang, even though it’s mixed with loads of carabeef. Not double dead meat I’m very sure.

They make their own noodles in their backyard. The diner is able to witness how the batil patung is being prepared. I was very happy with mine. Indigenous pancit at its best! Perfectly al dente, do you love those words?

So that explains the Filipino terms batil and patung — mix and top. But I wonder when it should be patung batil?

Jovan’s Panciteria Fermin St., Atulayan Norte, Tuguegarao City

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

I love to hang out with locals because it is through them that you learn the ins and outs of a place. Choose well your local guide (there are always signs of a true foodista, hahah), go out with them and eat with them.

And so we had another beautiful merienda in Tuguegarao.

La Luna Grill has so much to offer — it’s a cafe and bistro and the larger space transforms into a KTV and live entertainment place by night. I enjoyed the afternoon ambiance. It’s the only place of its kind in Tuguegarao, says our two pretty guides.

Pasta and pizza were good. I should say the style is homey, like your mom cooked for you. The spaghetti brings to mind the spaghetti Manileña that has influenced the Pinoy taste for spaghetti. La Luna Grill’s twist was the Parmesan and pesto toasts. Pizza crust has so much to do with an overall pizza experience. Theirs was on the crunchy side.

La Luna Grill North Diversion Rd., San Gabriel, Tuguegarao, Cagayan Tel. Nos.: 0783041384 / 0788440438 Open Daily 10 AM -2 PM

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Brandon drove me to Bacarra to scrutinize Petrina’s. Paul, my dear friend from Adams, has been egging me on to visit the shop. A tiny bite of their insane cassava cake left me hanging for quite a while. It was closed on Good Friday when I first went. A few days ago, another guy friend asked me to compare the Petrina’s carrot cake with another one that’s quite popular in Laoag. So in demand right now, from the grapevine, the 14-month old pasalubong shop is the object of desire of a rich and famous personality in Ilocos.

I got stoked to dig deeper into the sweet stuff.

A generous layer of caramel goes on top of pure yellow Ilocos balanghoy, the diket kind, which means there is a kilnet factor that adds up to the special quality of their cassava cake. The challenge is on how to make it stay soft for 7 days even with refrigeration, said Albert Tugade, the husband of baker Coney Orprecio, who was at their commissary somewhere in Bacarra.

Coney got her training in baking, cake decoration and other short courses from prominent culinary figures such as Heny Sison in a span of two years. For 12 years, the business was home-based; she took orders and made cakes for other people, before the husband and wife team put up shop in the balikbayan town of Bacarra.

Petrina’s was given a grant for product enhancement and packaging improvement by the Department of Science and Technology through its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program.

Currently, they are able to grate 1.2 tons of cassava in a month. Other than setting up a bigger store in Bacarra, as they want to preserve the novelty of being a traveler’s pit stop for pasalubong shopping, the couple’s focus is product development.

I bought Brandon his favorite leche flan. It looks rather ordinary from afar. Up close, the  syrup is a beautiful amber color. The texture is unlike jello. It is the real deal, much like tocino del cielo, rich but not too sweet.

A customer at the store suggested the ensaymada, but unfortunately they ran out of them. Another friend swears by the choco-banana loaf.

You might have seen this twist to carrot cake before. Coney likes to add freshly grated carrot. If you like it without stringy carrots like I do, it is as good because she uses only quality ingredients like walnuts, cream cheese, etc. The buttercream frosting has a tempered sweetness.

I’ll tell you about the ensaymada when I go again. Remember Petrina’s on your next trip to the north. You won’t miss the pink flags:)

Petrina’s Pastries & Delicacies National Highway, Brgy. 22 Bani, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte (8 kms north of Laoag City) Contact Nos: 077-676-0161 / 0922-815-9203

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

I have to confess to you, dear readers, I’ve been a biased blogger all these years. Out of my loyalty to the late Nana Carmen Dawang of Dawang’s Place, a favorite carinderia in Ilocos, I turned a blind eye to the other uber popular Lidamero’s on the same side of the road.

I met Jasper Pacapac Dawang of the Dawang’s clan and serendipity made its way. There is always a right time for anything.

After meeting with him at Lidamero’s (I paid my own food, btw), I can slap my own face with my own lechon lard-laden hand. Lidamero’s, or Jamiroze now, is a class of its own.

The Lidamero’s turo-turo (point-point) counter is fillled with very Ilocano dishes like monggo a ginisa, presko a baka (beef kilawen), igado, nateng, dinardaraan with crispy bagbagis, lechon and so much more. Tinuno a paltat (grilled catfish) and sinanglao (or paksiw) are the other bestsellers.

Their not too oily sinanglao is a different version, a very good version with very tender, tasty chunky beef. “Napalukneng a justo,” without the aid of pressure cooker, you’ll just know if you love eating.

I never knew there’s an everyday lechon place in town. That’s a big regret. I like Lidamero’s way of presenting the lechon which is cooked by them. The skin’s color and texture made me drool at first sight. The homemade Ilocano liver sauce and spoonful of lasona stuffing from the very roast pig are wonderful additions.

SinanglaoPresko a baka.

Jasper’s mom, Milagros, a native of Abra province, is hands-on with the eatery. She’s there Mondays to Sundays. Dad Rommel is the Dawang. Their son says, “Lidamero’s is all about the merging of two worlds — the Abreño and Ilocano cultures. He adds, “We build good relations with our customers and try our best to be the best in Laoag.” Lidamero’s is located near the Laoag-San Nicolas boundary.

Grilled catfish.

I recommend Lidamero’s or Jamiroze for authentic Ilocano food. It’s been around for 19 years. You won’t be disappointed. I love their budget-friendly prices too.

Lidamero’s (Jamiroze Eatery) National Highway, Nangalisan-A, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Tossed on to the Filipino chopsuey food culture, the salad bowl known as La Trinidad is a trace of American legacy in Benguet. Surviving the importation of fresh greens, the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post remains an interesting destination in the face of gridlock.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

I am constantly enamored of beautifully crafted cakes. Let’s go back to Davao for this post.

Cake studio Osvaldo’s Cakes has all the right ingredients — an accessible location, avant-garde cakes, a cosmopolitan ambiance, a space to eat the decadent cakes and a friendly, good-looking master baker. Say hello to Joel Rodriguez, graduate of the Wilton School Cake Decorating in Illinois, USA.

Joel’s cakes look good as well as taste good. Originally from Cotabato City, he has created some of Davao’s most talked about cakes and pies.

Straight after a FoodPrints shoot, the crew hastily dipped their forks into the alluring desserts. So fleeting that I failed to jot down the specifics. I remember a strikingly delicious blue cheese cheesecake. And, of course, the pomelo lemon pie, which actually tastes more interesting than a key lime pie. It has the right balance of the delicate kinds of tart and sweet. One glorious forkful.

Keep Osvaldo’s on your to do in Davao list. Did you watch the FoodPrints Davao episodes?

Osvaldo’s Cakes Ground Floor, Paseo De Legaspi, Pelayo St., Poblacion District, Davao City 0919 291 5007 0932 428 4070 Open Mondays-Saturdays 9 am-10 pm

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Based on firsthand  interviews with visitors who wind up in Ilocos Norte, they want to unruffle, enjoy the fresh air and explore the food.

Ilocano cooking is well-defined because it revolves around three key ingredients, namely native bugguong (fermented fish), suka (vinegar) and bawang (garlic).

The local cooking lexicon is peppered with everyday terms — naprito, linengta, naabraw, natuno, nalauya, na-salad, napakbet, etc.

Over the last few years, hyphenated dishes have lent color to an evolving food culture. The success of pinakbet pizza and its cousins has set a trend for more hybrids.

From a local perspective, certain names in the restaurant scene have become knee-jerk for special family bonding moments.

Among the list are tour guides’ recommendations,  a few personal favorites (based on consistent overall quality), two non-Ilocano restaurants that are a hit with locals and old-timey eateries that balikbayans can’t do without.

1. Dawang’s Place. Known for its wicked dinardaraan (bloodmeat) with chicharon and smoky paksiw, this carinderia type of eatery has reached cult status ahead of the pack. Second-generation patrons chip in for tinuno and the diet-breaking dinardaran. No one, really, to my knowledge, has left the place unsatisfied.

2. Batac Riverside Empanadahan. Agruably the best empanada in Ilocos can be found in Batac’s always crowded empanadahan. Lanie’s or Glory’s, with suka ken sili or banana ketchup, that orange thing, bursting with indigenous longaniza and papaya flavors, will inevitably make a visitor keep coming back for more.

3. Bergblick. One review (from an awarded journalist) at tripadvisor shared the same thoughts I have for this German restaurant in Pagudpud. I bring my guests to Bergblick because I know I won’t be embarrasesd. I’ve practically tasted everything on the menu, so it’s certainly low-pressure. Must-trys (besides German beer): Bergblick pan, sauerkraut platter, fish carpaccio, bihon guisado, German-style crispy pork leg, fried potato skins, and all the desserts.

4. Red 8. Chinoys from Manila rave about the superior quality of hakaw, chicken feet and assorted congees at this tea house inside Fort Ilocandia. Locals reserve Red 8 for special occasions and meetings. Bump into government officials, businessmen, balikbayans and tourists. Other offerings: Cantonese and Taiwanese dishes and assorted roasted meat.

5. Saramsam. Their hybrid pizzas and pastas click with the younger crowd. Service is a bit slow sometimes, but amid a nice and cozy ambiance, it feels fine to linger in this global-eclectic house-turned-resto.

6. Katrina’s. For tourists who don’t mind getting out of their comfort zones is a hole in the wall in the outskirts of Laoag. Located near the Laoag Cemetery and BJMP,  Katrina’s is frequented by Ilocanos who are strict with their food preferences, dyed-in-the-wool Ilocanos who won’t part with tradition. The house lauya a la libre go well with the dirardaraan with crispy bagbagis (deep-fried intestines), inbaliktad, dinakdakan and vegetable specialties.

7. Lidamero’s. According to stories, it’s the breakfast place for Laoag policemen. In this carinderia, there are more authentic Ilocano choices that won’t break your budget. Everyday access to lechon is s plus point.

8. Leni’s in Adams. No other place I know for fascinating mountain-grown food. Nostalgic picnic-style lunch in the midst of nature. Leni will whip up an organic lunch at your request. A basic meal consists of  wild aba (gabi) cooked in coconut milk, balbalusa (wild eggplant) salad, boiled river fish, kinirog a udang (crawfish), adobo or tinuno. The lady will accommodate special requests such as buos  (red ants), tukak, ubog, tree ears pinakbet, depending on availability.

9. Evangeline’s Beach Resort. A friend tour guide and I agree on Evangeline’s kind of cooking. Their pinakbet is different, but delightful, without leaving the bounds of authenticity. Evangeline’s is tucked away in a crowded resort area fronting the Saud Beach Cove. Nevertheless, the restobar is casual and warm with a relaxing beachy ambiance. Be ready to explore their binagoongang bagnet sa gata.

10. La Moda Panciteria. Something that will take you to downtown Laoag in the olden times are the eats at La Moda. Flat pancit guisado with pieces of lechon de carajay, fried chicken and pork chop (like your grandma cooked for you) are hot items on the menu. Highly recommended: the La Moda fried rice (with chicharon). Chinese eateries in Laoag like La Moda are on the verge of extinction.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Laoag’s got a new chill place! My congratulations to Pastor Brian Shah and Our Saviour’s Foundation on the opening of City Cup Cafe. Pastor Brian is looking cool and dandy. I like the new sparkle in his eyes. I always bump into him at restaurants around town, so I jokingly told him he now has a very convenient place to eat. The friendly pastor and his wife May love food, as in they cook good food! I remember, they once held a Singaporean food festival event at the old Villa Lydia, when they were starting to establish the ministry. The pastor says, they are slowly introducing more Asian dishes, like Thai, into the current menu. Right now, what City Cup offers are salads, pho, steaks, sandwiches, pastas, a few cakes and hot and iced coffee concoctions. If you loved Front Row before, well, the good news is that Precy Llanes manages City Cup!

I asked Pastor Brian if he sees himself getting old here. “Oh, yes.” We will be all old by then, I told him. Laughs.

The whole block where it is located is quite close to my heart. My mom used to own a dress shoppe right below the Ranada Hospital which is only a couple of meters away from the coffee shop (the space used to be part of a movie house). We didn’t have to go farther for medical attention when I accidentally ran a finger through the sewing machine. My ninang Nancy owned the hotel at the other corner and I would go “ballog” to see her adorable dogs and say hello to the fishes in her pond, hahah. Too many fond memories to mention.

Martine, LA and I had an eclectic merienda — a cray cray fusion of pho, lamb chop in mint sauce, waffle, mocha frost. In the end, I also had to try Pastor Brian’s favorite — the bangus slider sandwich which is a nice ciabatta packed with marinated bangus, greens and black olives. Very delish! The ciabattas and cakes are ordered from a friend in Manila.

I promised Eugene to take him next time, so I can also try the malunggay pasta and perhaps the ribeye steak and more pho. Prices are moderate, pretty affordable for students and office workers

Check out the cute baby. He has grown bigger, so cute!

Vietnamese coffee that many have already discovered and  love.

City Cup Cafe, Ranada Building, Rizal St., Laoag City 77 670 6820 Open Daily 10 am-12 midnight

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Have you been caught in a situation where you want to eat a photo? Seducing me to no end is this rolled whole pork belly glutted with the most essential Ilocano aromatic bulbs and secret indigenous spices. To the eye, moist and sweet fragrant meat encased in teary crackled skin. Yet to be available in Laoag next week (?!)… I died a little inside.

I’m excited to see and taste more of culinary school grad James’s burning ambition.

It’s the perfect feast for my coming birthday! Can’t wait really!

It’s not too expensive like you think. For inquiries, PM James Burn here.

Photos courtesy of James Burn
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Some things in life are not cheap, hahah, they cost time and calories. Like Leehua and Marion love to say, live a little, and so we traveled to Vigan to examine closely the biggest burger north of Manila.

The monstrous R12 Burger, measuring 11 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall, is the attraction of Kusina de Kenyong, owned by Kenley Rodillas Filarca, although the restobar is also known for its Ilocano fusion pastas, highlighting the Vigan longaniza.

The hamburger can feed the whole tourist bus! It’s stuffed with a 1-kilo beef patty that tastes like a flattened meatball. The bread is kinda massive and overwhelms. They grill the bread and meat, so it’s not really soggy. The burger we had is not the biggest burger on the menu.  They also have another one with a 2-kilo beef patty.

You will also see on the menu the tiniest burgers. Hahah, I’m still on the edge. Can’t type much.

We browsed and picked some things at the MC3 store. It’s actually a cool place for fun fashion items.

Kusina de Kenyong Calle Salcedo, Vigan City, Philippines Tel. No.: (77)259 9359 CP No.: 017 558 5256

Photographed by Marion and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014