Category: Restaurants

Around Bicol in 30 Plates – Day 3: Legazpi City

The Oriental Hotel in Legazpi offers one of the best views of Mayon Volcano, the cityscape and the waters of Albay Gulf. This elegant and modern hotel located at the top of Taysan Hill, Sto. Niño, is not a place I would normally get to stay in if I was on my own for a budget backpacking trip. It’s the finest hotel in the Bicol region and the first all-season resort for leisure and business travelers, so I was very grateful for our luxurious two nights here for our Bicol tour. I mean, who wouldn’t want to wake up to this kind of view?

The hotel has its own dining area called Jasmine located at the ground floor lobby, which serves Bicol Cuisine with an Oriental twist, which I got a chance to try the during coverage of the Magayon Festival last year. We got our specially prepared Bigg’s breakfast of hashbrowns, bacon, juicy franks and eggs served in one of the private dining areas.

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Around Bicol in 30 Plates – Day 2: Iriga City

After our action-packed day in Naga City, we checked out early and headed to Iriga City, with a stopover for breakfast at Bigg’s Pili in Camarines Sur. This branch is frequented by a lot of motorists because of its location along the National Highway.

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Ride to an Exotic Restaurant in Laguna

If you’re looking for a decent place to have a bite to eat and relax in the Laguna area, one option is Sierra Hills Exotik Restaurant. Like Balaw-Balaw in Angono, and Everybody’s Cafe in Pampanga, the restaurant has gained fame primarily for serving “exotic” fare, attracting curious foodies and tourists interested in trying out something unusual for novelty’s sake.

Fair warning for those who want to check out the place for themselves – the place is a bit of a tourist trap. Its location along the National Highway in Longos, Kalayaan makes it a perfect catch basin for road trippers, especially those doing a Visita Iglesia tour to churches in Rizal area during Holy Week. Continue reading “Ride to an Exotic Restaurant in Laguna”

Around Bicol in 30 Plates – Day 1: Naga City

While cousins from Manila grew up with McDonald’s, my sister and I often boasted that we had our own burgers and fries place – Mang Donald’s. Back in the 80’s, this was the original name of Bicol’s beloved food chain, an American retro diner, which is better known as Bigg’s today.

The Bigg’s vibe is all about vintage memorabilia, retro music and a cozy ambiance. Dining here offers a taste of nostalgia – a step back in time to the good old days.

I have a lot of fond memories of Bigg’s growing up in Naga City. My childhood barkada and I would often eat merienda here after watching a double feature at Advent Cinema back when the movie ticket prices and popcorn cost about 20 pesos each. If you missed the start of the movie, you had to sit through whatever was its “ka-double” to catch the start, so we would always be extra hungry. Continue reading “Around Bicol in 30 Plates – Day 1: Naga City”

Food Trip: Tawi-Tawi

Tawi-tawi is the Philippines southernmost province. Due to its relative inaccessibility as well as concerns about the peace and order situation in the surrounding areas, the island hasn’t been attracting as many travelers and tourists as other provinces in the country. This is a pity since it has lots to offer in terms of beautiful and historic sights, as well as interesting food.

Since Tawi-Tawi is an island province, I presumed that seafood would be plentiful. I also knew that pork would not be available, as it’s predominantly Muslim. I found out that most of the inns/hotels in Bongao, the capital town, have their own restaurants which serve regular Pinoy fare (mostly beef, chicken and seafood dishes). There are also a lot of carinderias (small eateries) and cafes if you want to try local specialties. If you’re planning a trip to Tawi-tawi, here are some of the dishes you can try out.

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Binondo Food Trip with Ford

Binondo is a vibrant district in Manila and is the world’s oldest Chinatown. This historic Chinese quarter is known for its affordable eats, heritage sights and rich culture. While the place itself is very interesting, getting to and from here and finding a space to park is usually not that pleasant when you have to drive. The traffic in general and congested alleys makes Binondo one of the most difficult places in Manila to drive a car. If I have to go here, I’d rather commute or take a motorcycle instead. But a few days before Chinese New Year, I found myself driving through Binondo’s streets and actually enjoying it.

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Food Trip: Sagada

In recent years, Sagada has gotten a reputation for having lots of great eating places. If you’ve been there, you can probably agree that the cool crisp mountain air and all that walking around surely works up an appetite. Thankfully, there are lots of great restaurants to try out. For those who like to plan where to eat in advance, here’s a list of some of the restaurants we sampled during our five-day trip there, with accessibility ratings and distance on foot from the town center (with the hospital as the starting point).

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A Taste of Baguio: Paseo Rizal Mayagay

From the wide windows of the main restaurant, the grove of pine trees and the rolling hills in the distance looked almost Baguio-like. In one corner of the rustic building made of wood and bricks, was a rocking chair in front of a fireplace. The sound of crickets chirping mingled with the tinkling of wooden chimes swaying with the mountain breeze.

It’s hard to believe that Paseo Rizal Mayagay in Tanay, Rizal is just an hour and half’s drive from Manila. Before we left, I was sweltering in the heat of Quezon City. That same afternoon and evening, I regretted not bringing a jacket. Continue reading “A Taste of Baguio: Paseo Rizal Mayagay”

Kawayan Farm in Pililla, Rizal

One of my favorite dining destinations along the Manila East Road is Kawayan Farm in Pililla, Rizal. Situated on a hilly landscape overlooking the scenic Laguna Bay, this is a popular spot for cyclists, motorcycle riders and road trippers. It’s an easy enough drive to via Marilaque and you can get here in about two hours from Quezon City, making it an ideal stop for late breakfast or lunch during weekend or day trip rides.

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Solo Tripping in Surigao City

It feels strange to be sitting still in front of the computer back in Manila after several days of being constantly on the move. During a very unplanned solo trip last week, I found myself hopping from plane to jeep to boat to van to bus to habal-habal with no clear itinerary, making decisions on the fly, encountering very helpful people on the road, and ending up in places both weird and wonderful.

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