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After our Iloilo countryside tour, we spent the following day in Guimaras. Guimaras is a small island province that used to be a sub-province of Iloilo until it was created an independent province 20 years ago. The province is known for producing one of the sweetest mangoes in the world. They even prohibit the entry of mangoes or any part of the mango plant from other places to preserve the pure breed of Guimaras mangoes.

One destination I crossed out on my list is Iloilo. I was dreaming of trying the La Paz Batchoy and Molo Soup, which both were named after places in Iloilo. Aside from Iloilo, a side trip to Guimaras is also recommended. We also squeezed a visit to Bacolod. I wished we had stayed longer, nevertheless, I enjoyed this trip and I'm looking forward to revisiting these places again. We arrived at the Iloilo airport around 5.40am. Iloilo International Airport is located outside Iloilo City. The airport is quite new and can be likened to the NAIA Terminal 3 in terms of architecture. We rode a taxi to Iloilo City proper for Php 350 fixed fare. Not bad, since we have no other choice in the morning. We dropped our bags at Ong Bun Pension House, then walked to La Paz Public Market for La Paz Batchoy. There are lots of  La Paz Batchoy restos around the city, but the ones in La Paz Public Market are open early in the morning. You can ride a jeep to La Paz from Ong Bun, but we chose to

I always have a soft spot for Thai food . Ironically, I'm really not into spicy food, but I could endure the spiciness of Thai dishes. That's why my heart melted when I got an invite through Openrice to revisit Krung Thai. I've been to this place more than a year ago , and this is where my love for Thai food started. An invite to this place shouldn't be missed, at least in my opinion.  I arrived an hour late since there was a public event in Marikina so some roads were temporarily closed. It was the same homey resto I visited last year. Incidentally, I was seated on the same spot I sat a year ago. Call it destiny.

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Singaporean cuisine has always got my curiosity. Its diversity can be likened to Filipino cuisine , which is also a mix of cultural influences. Singaporean cuisine is greatly influenced by Chinese , Malay, and Indian cuisine, making Singapore a food mecca. I first saw Ang Mo Kio at the Podium while dining at Shi Lin a few months ago. It was still on its soft opening back then so I made a mental note to try it when I get the chance. Ang Mo Kio is named after a district in Singapore, which is Hokkien for "red tomato". The interiors of the restaurant are designed to resemble the hawker centers in Singapore with a modern feel. Customers can view the kitchen from their seats. 

This year has been a great year for music enthusiasts like me. Lots of foreign artists have visited our country for concerts this 2012. Since I watched a concert by a foreign artist for the first time , it got me hooked to checking who's coming to Manila in the coming months. Please don't get me wrong, I love and support OPM, but most local acts I wanted to watch were already disbanded (Orange and Lemons, Eraserheads, Sugarfree). I wasn't really planning on watching Creed until I chanced upon a 3-hour online sale, where all ticket prices for the said concert would be half-off. I instantly grabbed the sale, getting Lower Box tickets for Php 2065 , instead of Php 4030. We even got the first row seats!

The challenge is still alive! More than finishing a quota for this year, this challenge makes me realize the value of reading books. I believe that we should really make time for some reading. Maybe you can start at 10 pages a day? That would suffice. As a continuation of my previous post , here are my October books: 31. ABNKKBSNPLAKo?! by Bob Ong Bob Ong's first book is about his memories from Grade School to College, until his return to school as a teacher. He remembers how simple the life of being a grade-schooler is, and contrasts with his struggles when he reached college. He discusses his troubles when he entered college. His personal frustrations and his exhaustion from all the pressures. I couldn't say Bob Ong should be emulated but the book teaches us that one could always correct his/her mistakes and we shouldn't stop learning. 

Note: This establishment is already closed.  A good friend and I were searching for Korean restaurants we can try when she discovered this place on Facebook. They were running a promo at that time that we wanted to try it out. Good thing my friend was available and so was I, and we grabbed that coupon offer on their FB page, printed it out, and headed to KBOB.  KBOB Restaurant and Family KTV is one of the newest attractions in the  Cubao area. Aside from the KTV, they also offer Korean Buffet at an amazingly affordable price.  The buffet area is located on the ground floor. One would mistake the place as a canteen due to its simplicity. The walls are almost bare with some posters and television on display. And yeah, the TV's playing K-pop music videos.

Banking on Filipino’s sweet tooth and penchant for embracing food from around the world, the wildly popular MOCHI SWEETS has made its way into the local food scene and is sure to create a mochi craze as seen in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China. “Mochi” is a well-loved Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice flour pounded into shape. Mochi Sweets has taken this traditional dessert further by creating small balls of luxurious and flavorful cream and wrapping it in chewy mochi skin. Think dessert dumplings with frozen cream or mousse in the center and a mochi covering made with just the right thickness, moistness and stickiness.

Our family enjoys eating hearty Filipino meals whenever we go out. I could say that my family isn't too adventurous when it comes to food since we still have kids at home (who love pizza and other fast food) and it also doesn't help that my parents are becoming more health-conscious. However, my father can't resist eating Filipino comfort food. That's why he loves Gerry's Grill so much. It has been one of our defaults ever since. Gerry's Grill is a large restaurant chain specializing in hardcore Filipino dishes that we always love. They have also expanded internationally, opening branches in the USA and Singapore . We had a family outing at Manila Ocean Park a few weeks ago, we arrived around lunch so we decided to eat at Gerry's Grill, which was unsurprisingly crowded.

Note: This establishment is already closed.  After our Japanese buffet lunch at Kitsho , my friend Lovelee and I roamed Malate to look for a dessert place, but since we both weren't familiar with the place, we ended up going to Robinson's Place Midtown. We found a teppanyaki ice cream stall called Yoshi's. Teppanyaki is originally a Japanese cooking style on an iron griddle to mix different ingredients. For ice cream, they use a cold iron griddle. I had my first teppanyaki ice cream at HEAT, EDSA Shangri-la Hotel , and I was quite amazed at how doing teppanyaki-style on ice cream makes it a lot better. Yoshi's uses homemade ice cream for its teppanyaki and milkshake. They also have coffee drinks. Their ice cream can also be served on Belgian cones.

Teatro Tomasino’s first major offering for its 35th theater season, promises pure entertainment and a different look into the fashion world November signifies the end of the semestral break for college students and the start of yet another semester. But for the members of Teatro Tomasino in the University of Santo Tomas, November also marks the dates of their upcoming theater production entitled “D’Emperor”. Written by 5-time Palanca winner George De Jesus III, it is adapted from the short tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen.

A trip wouldn't be complete without buying pasalubong. It's a Filipino tradition that I both love and hate: I love it because I love buying food and other goodies. I hate it because it can cost me a bunch, haha. Aside from wonderful restaurants, Cebu has a lot of goodies that you can bring home to family and friends. Popular pasalubong shops are Island Souvenirs at Mactan Marina Mall for shirts and other Cebuano products, but if you want to cut expenses, here's a list of the pasalubong spots around Cebu. 1. Tablea Chocolate Cafe My friend and I had dessert at Tablea Chocolate Cafe. But more than the churros, they also sell chocolate-covered cacao (Php 240 - 260 for 250 g). You can also buy Tablea Sampler Box for Php 350 or the Tablea Grand Collection for Php 1650. Tablea Chocolate Cafe Robinson's Cybergate Fuente Osmeña Circle, Cebu City Other locations are Ayala Center Cebu, JY Square, J Centre, and SM Cebu Northwing

My friend and I were supposed to fly back to Manila during that afternoon, but after for some reason (maybe bad weather), our flight was delayed. So instead of waiting at the airport, we decided to kill time at Mactan Marina Mall. Yes, this is the same mall where the following restaurants are located: Da Vinci's Pizza   Krua Thai: Authentic Thai Cuisine   Harbour City Dimsum House   Zubuchon (across the street) We had a quick massage at Nuat Thai first, then decided to have an early dinner before we return to the airport. Since we really need to relax, we chose Cafe de France for its homey ambiance. inside Cafe de France wines

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  I was recently invited by Openrice to try one of the newest hangout places in Greenhills Towncenter called Red Buffalo Wings & Pizza. inside Red Buffalo The place is really impressive, with modern American-inspired decors and awesome lighting. They also have an alfresco area for a more laid-back dining experience. Aside from wings & pizza , Red Buffalo also serves burgers , milkshakes, pasta , and premium beers. list of premium beers

Note: Trader's Hotel is now named Hotel Jen Manila I purchased a voucher from Metrodeal a couple of months ago for an eat-all-you-can buffet at Kitsho, Trader's Hotel Manila. Kitsho ("happiness" in Japanese) is a Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar offering authentic Japanese dishes , and now they are opening their resto for weekend lunch buffet. The voucher also includes unlimited juice or iced tea. We got the voucher for Php 699 (original price is at Php 748). Reservations are required for the voucher. They have 2 batches for the weekend lunch, we chose the 2nd batch, which was for late lunch. I suggest that you take it since it's a bit longer than the first batch. They were also kind enough to cancel our first reservation and move to the next available date, since my friend, Lovelee , and I wouldn't make it since it was raining hard then.  inside Kitsho The place is quite spacious, with a sake bar and rooms for private functions o

It's been a while since I visited Kapitolyo ( last time was in Mad Mark's with college buddies ). I was feeling my usual lousy (and lazy) self that I needed something to jumpstart my day. Gladly, my fellow foodie KC, who has gone there before, was oh-too-willing to have lunch with me at Charlie's Grind and Grill. inside Charlie's Charlie's is one of the most popular restos in the area. It is known for its burgers, chicken wings, milkshakes, and truffle fries. Conceptualized by Chef Rob Goco (of Cyma and Go Greek!), this simple resto beside a car wash station is just a hit for burger addicts and beer fanatics, since they also offer various craft and premium beers. at the counter They have a pay-as-you-order system in their alfresco area, where you can also see their kitchen and catch a glimpse of what they do in the kitchen.