Cafe by the Ruins and Cafe Veniz

Baguio City, Philippines

"Bagyo sa Baguio"

      Malapit naman na mag August at "Linggo na ng Wika" kaya mananangalog nako ok??? Isa pa, gusto ko mashare ng ayos ang bitterness ko sa bakasyong ito... So eto na nga... Last week pagkagaling namin ni kiko sa La Union eh dumiretso kami ng Baguio. Di na kami ngdalawang isip kasi libre naman ang shuttle papuntang Veniz Hotel mula sa Thunderbird Resorts. Kasabay namin yung mga patron nilang sugalero sa casino dun sa van. Alam na naming may LPA na namumuo pero di namin alam na pag dating sa Baguio eh kasabay din namin dadating si "Ferding". Oh well ang saya ng byahe, ang lakas ng ulan! Sasabayan pa ni manong driver ng pagovertake sa zigzag na daan habang ang hamog eh halos lamunin kami. Grabe para kaming may libreng roller coaster ride sa likod dahil halos tumilapon kami sa bawat pagliko ni manong na di man lang magslow down! Mas nastress ako sa byaheng ito kahit isang oras lang sya kumpara sa pitong oras naming byahe sa bus papuntang La Union! Ayos!

Bumaba kami mismo sa Hotel. Hmm maayos naman sya para sa 1500Php. Di mo sya pwede ikumpara sa isang 5star Hotel dahil malaki ang kaibahan pero pwede na magpahinga lalo pa at umuulan pa din sa labas at nakakatamad maglakad. Buti na lang at may Mcdo sa 2nd Flr ng bldg! Thank you Lord!!!

Etong si kiko, hindi mapakali. Sya kasi ang nagbayad kaya ayaw nya masayang ang lahat. Kaya ayun, kesehodang bumabagyo eh kinaladkad ako para maglakad sa labas! Ang kagandahan sa tinuluyan namin eh malapit sa mga pasyalan at kainan, as in walking distance lang... 

Nagsimba muna kami sa Our Lady of Lourdes at dumaan sa napakahabang hagdan, na may ibang daan naman pla...

Hanggang Baguio, sa Sm pa din ang punta! At ang mga tao nakakaloka kahit bumabagyo eh nakadress up pa din. Kaya kami ni kiko nagmukang yagit dahil nakatsinelas lang kami! Kung alam ko lang sana binaon ko ang trench coat at aking boots with the furrrr! =P

Dahil malapit lang kami sa market, namili na kami ng mga pasalubong. Ang hirap tumawad ha! Pero in fairness honest mga tindera dito, nagtanong ako asan kami makakabili ng taho kasi umuulan, tapos sabi ni ate "wag kana bumili non hindi naman masarap un!"... ah ganon ba teh, sige yung mga bbq at isaw na lang sa burnham park.. " Aysus, wag kayo bibili don, madumi yown!" Dahil sa honesty niya, sa kanya kami namili...

Dumidilim na... Ayoko na maglakad dahil sobrang lamig... at oras na para kumain... =))

Cafe by the Ruins ang on the way na Restaurant pabalik sa Veniz so dito na kami nagdinner. Ang cozy ng place parang ruins talaga haha at nakakatakot dahil ang lakas ng hangin at t-a-g-o-s sa loob! Lol! =) Kidding aside, very pinoy ang ambiance parang kubo na tinubuan ng kainan...

Kamote Bread and Herb Cheese 80Php

Best seller daw nila ito with the spread, ewan ko kung bakit, para saken masarap pa yung tinapay namin sa bakery! Pero yung Cheese spread masarap, mas ok siguro sa pesto pandesal...

Chicken Molo Soup 180Php

Pagdating pa lang ng Baguio gusto ko na humigop ng mainit sa sabaw. Kaya ito ang inorder ko, tamang tama sa bumabagyong panahon! Yung Kamote bread sinawsaw ko dito, pwede! =)

Chicken Arrozcaldo with Tofu 180Php

O san ka pa? Sa Baguio pa talaga dumayo para lang kumain ng Lugaw!haha! May katabangan lang po pero yung tofu ok kasi nifry nila na may breading. Naengganyo kasi sa mga naglulugaw sa daan! Ayan tuloy.. =P

Sana nag O' Mai Khan na lang kami o kaya Pizza Volante... T_T

Pagbalik sa Hotel, sinabayan pa ng pagkatalo ng Brgy. Ginebra...

Perfect talaga...

But wait, there's more! This time pambawi naman... Masarap talaga gumising pag alam mong kakain ka na lang.. Salamat sa Veniz at meron kaming breakfast buffet na nagaantay sa amin.

Kumpleto ang salad bar at napaka fresh ng mga gulay! 3 ang dressing nila, Pesto, Thousand Island, and Tuna. Sabi ni kiko pagganyan, put a little of everything daw. Naweirdohan ako nung una pero pwede pala! yung next refill ko di ko na sinama ung tuna.

Unang plate namin ni kiko. Yung crispy bacon namin sa Thunderbird Resort napalitan ng crispy daing!haha! Pero masarap! Gusto ko nga magkamay kaso nakakahiya, tapos mas ok para saken kung garlic fried rice ang kasama. Pwede pala gawing lumpiang shanghai ang tofu? Kung di kasi sinabi saken ni kiko na tofu yun eh hindi ko malalaman! 

Second Plate with Vigan Longganisa! Very authentic, perfect sa sukang Iloko. 

Ang Tower Pancake ni kiko! Ok naman sya, lasang pancake =P. May kasama dapat yan pandesal kaso sinunog ni kiko sa oven. Naglagay ulit kami ng pandesal, pagbalik namin may nagnakaw naman! Ay nako, yung pancake na lang ang nilagyan ko ng strawberry jam! 

Dahil nakakain kami ng maayos may energy na kami maglibot-libot ulit. Kaso yung panahon ang mukang walang energy at sige pa din ang ulan! Wala na kami pakielam at nagpicture picture kami sa gitna ng ulan.. Try niyo, exciting siya promise, habang pinagtitinginan kayo ng mga tao! haha!

Oras na para umuwi... Nagtaxi lang kami papuntang Victory Liner at 50pesos. Pamasahe namin pauwi 445pesos each. Ok na sana eh, matatanggap ko ng binagyo kami.. kung bakit pagbaba ng Baguio... UMARAW BIGLA! T_T

Dining Experience at Olives Restaurant

Thunderbird Resorts, Poro Point
San Fernando City, La Union

Last July 19, 2012 I was able to experience an overnight stay in Thunderbird Resorts, a world-class luxury resort at the heart of San Fernando, La Union. It seemed like you're having a vacation in Santorini, Greece similar to that of Bellaroca that has a mediterranean inspired architecture. I happened to receive this treat as a gift  for my birthday from my special someone and it was a blast! The place is very relaxing, the view is breathtaking, the service is excellent, the food is great, and the experience of it is blissfully satisfying.

Going there took us almost 7hrs by land which I didn't mind at all since I was asleep most of the time. The stay cost us 6300+Php a night that includes a free breakfast buffet for two. If you are looking for a very relaxing weekend getaway then this is the place for you. It's all worth your penny, I really enjoyed the luxurious experience of it away from our busy life in the city. Let me share with you some of our pictures:

We arrived earlier than the check-in time of 2PM. While waiting for our room, welcome drinks were served (Chilled Lemon Grass Tea) that replenished us from that butt numbing ride.

The picture at the center is where they serve their dinner buffet.

We occupied their Deluxe Room that comes with LCD TV, a sound system where you can play your Ipod, a study and dining area.

The bathroom is very spacious with complete toiletries.

In our room, we were also provided with complimentary drinks and fruits which you can enjoy in your balcony. They also had a minibar for your convenience but with charges.

The pool area is only 4ft =). It has a mini bar at the center of the pool where you can order drinks to your liking and other snacks.

The beach area with it's white sand was really inviting, but we did not dare to take a dip as the waves that time were really strong and unfortunately no lifeguard on duty.

And of course, the experience wouldn't be complete without good food... And that's another story to tell.. Thunderbird Resorts houses two restaurants, The Vegas Cafe at the Casino and Olives. Since we're in the main resort we had our dinner and breakfast at Olives;a fine dining restaurant that offers french/mediterranean cuisine. The place is clean and very classy so expect the food to be a bit pricey. The staff is very accommodating and quick in attending with all our needs. 

Olives is known for their wood fire oven pizza and that's what we ordered. At first we can't decide which flavor to go for and the staff told us that we can order the pizza with two flavors in it, well that's a relief =)

Pizza Ilokano (400Php) and Pizza Quattro Stagioni (470Php) + 10% service charge

For this we paid 435Php + 10% service charge. It was Kiks who chose Pizza Ilokano and I'd say, I should have done the same. It's unique flavor with tomato, mozarella, cheddar cheese, vigan longganisa, tocino, tuna and onion really goes well together. On the other hand, the Stagioni was disappointing. I don't like its bland taste at all. 

Fettucine Seafood Alfredo Entree 490Php + 10% service charge

This one is good for sharing and since I love cream based pasta, I have nothing against this one. I asked the staff which is their best selling pasta and she suggested us this one. No doubt about it coz' it tasted really good! =)

Green Mango Shake 140Php + 10% service charge

Don't order this one. That's all.

Now for the best part.. The Breakfast buffet that is included in the package. They say, eat like a king during breakfast to start your day great! And that's what we did...

The Bread Station

The Cereals and Drinks Station ( L-R: Lemon Grass Tea, Chocolate, Pineapple, Melon )

The Salad and Cold cuts section

The Omelette Station

For me, though their breakfast buffet is simpler than that of other five star hotels here in Manila, regardless that it's part of the package, it still is gratifying. I enjoyed their moist breads especially the Raspberry Danish bread. Their Bacon is super crispy but not too thin. It's not like the one's you'll buy in the supermarket. They also served English Sausage, Chicken Adobo, Pork Siomai, Siopao and Chicken Pasta Soup. We indulged eating here for almost 2hrs! Lol! =P 

To sum it up, we enjoyed our stay. I would definitely go back here. Maybe by that time the weather would be nicer and we'll have more activities to do. It would be more fun if you'll go with your friends and family so all of you can celebrate how wonderful life can be =)

Cocina Juan

100 Maginhawa St.
Teachers Village, Quezon City.

Cocina Juan is another hole in the wall restaurant which has a Latin American inspired cuisine. It became popular with its tortilla, burritos, chimichurri, chimichanga, and a hefty serving at a very reasonable price. Kiks and I happened to pass by this place and dropped by to have a snack before heading home. We recognized it as being shown in "Ang Pinaka" with their episode on Top 10 Budget-Friendly restaurants in the metro. The place is just small with less than 10 tables which would actually seat quite a few customers. But then, it should not be rated by the ambiance alone for they offer stuff close to what's authentic that's very flavorful and de-li-cio-so!

Nachos Overload 170Php ( good for 3-4 px )

Chicken Burritos Grande 155Php ( good for 2px )

ESTERO FoodTrip

Estero Fast Food/ LGA Fast Food
Ongpin Binondo, Manila

This is the ultimate Binondo Food Trip. If you want to have an authentic Chinese cuisine at a very affordable price, then this is the place for you guys. It's not just the food, but the place itself, having it at chinatown plus the "estero" which means canal in english. Well, don't judge the food by the place coz' if you're in for a foodie adventure then you'll be surprised by it's delicious treat. It has several stores inside that you can choose where to spend your cravings. They had it fresh, name it, and you'll have it!

One of Kiks' friends, "Dorothy" suggested this place to treat us for her birthday. Thanks to her I was able to experience what they called "the food haven of Binondo". But then, it took us ages before we reached the place because of the heavy traffic. And by the time we got there we were all hungry! Good thing the service was quick and we're good to fight! attack! and feast!

Beef And Broccoli

Calamares

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet Chili Prawns

We also ordered for Crispy Frog Legs, Buttered Chicken, and Pancit Canton. The fallback of being starved, I wasn't able to take the photos of the 3set menu as if the foods went down to drain! =P The Food was good and I really enjoyed the frog legs as it's my first time to have one and it tasted like chicken! After eating we went to a Chinese grocery with lots of preserved stuffs then off we go to buy pasalubong like "hopia" at Eng Bee Tin.

The experience was good, the food, the place, and making new friends. It was quick and satisfying making us all wondering where to spend our next stop for a delicious adventure! ^_^

Figaro

SM North Edsa
2/F Sky Garden
02-426-7217

Sometimes things just have to happen to know how you actually feel and see who your friends are when you least expect it...

After a tiring day at work, Friz, Cathy, and I decided to have some coffee and a good talk. Since Cathy had discount coupons at Figaro we opted to go and use it. Honestly, I am not a coffee person but I agreed to the idea just to spend time with them since a break like this doesn't come everyday. Upon entering the place, it was quiet since there were just a few people around. We thought, we can really talk here without minding if we were loud. 

Iced Mocha 119Php, Iced Cappucino 105Php, Taro Milktea (Free)

A lot was going on for the past few days and we wanted to discuss it to clear things out. Doing a stuff like this will help you feel better since you were given a chance to express yourself. I am so happy to know some things which I had no idea, like your worth to other people, and details like this means a lot. To make matters light, we ordered for the house's cold drinks. " Figaro is known for the quality and freshness of the beans used, the expert way these are brewed, and the classic style of the stores, as the name stands for the highest standards of European coffee culture." I don't know how I will rate their coffee since its all the same for me  =P but I still like it for it's not bitter at all. I was also surprised they had milktea here and it 's really good aside from the fact that we got it for free. =)

Ham and Cheese Baguette 139Php

While chatting, we ordered for these snacks to munch on. Eating the baguette is like havin' a ham and cheese pizza. It tasted just ordinary without any trace of herbs in it, but its ok though. For the Five cheese pizza, I'd say, it's a bit disappointing. How can you call this a pizza?? The appearance is not appealing at all and when they say five cheese, they literally mean it. I was like eating a biscuit with cheese on top!

Five Cheese Pizza 169Php

All things considered, we enjoyed our time together talkin' about "Geria" and the silliest of things.. One thing I've learned for this week, " Do not dwell on what others think or say,  just be yourself and do  what makes you happy."