Curry Bee: Japanese Curry for Extending Your Palate

Mr. C and I head to Blue Bay for some errands. I told him I was hungry and he recommended this Japanese Curry place named Curry Bee. Since Japanese Curry is a fairly new dish to me, I grabbed this opportunity to enlist a new discovery.

The place specializes in Japanese Curry Rice (Kare Raisu) dishes. Each curry rice meal costs between 300-500 pesos so prepare at least 300 if you're heading to this restaurant.

IT'S CHOWTIME!

At first I thought that Japanese curry is the same with the familiar curry dishes that we have. I was wrong. It's WAY better. Anyhow, here is the list of food that we tried:

MIXED BERRY (PHP 100), left
Let's start with the drinks. Mr. C orders Mixed Berry shake. It is refreshing!

JAPANESE GREEN TEA (PHP 118), right

I was claiming to drink something healthy so I chose to order hot Japanese green tea. You can also opt to have it served cold.

PRAWN CURRY (295)

I love prawns so this was what I selected. I can't get enough of the crunchiness of this dish. This was  when Mr. C and I discovered that prawn definitely suits with Japanese curry. So if you're a prawn lover like me, you should definitely try this one.

Sasahama: Reasonably Priced Japanese Food at its Finest

If you haven't read our full review of this Japanese restaurant serving value-for-money food in Kawit, feel free to read it here.

Breakfast at Hotel Veneto de Vigan: A Photo Essay

Hotel Veneto de Vigan is the place that me and my colleagues stayed for our team building outing. Of course, one important aspect that we checked out is how their complimentary breakfast fared. Here are some of the photos to show you:

The restaurant entrance

Malen's Restaurant: Cavite's Hidden Gem of Native Marvels

Established in 1994, Malen's has proven its influence but still remains as one of Cavite's hidden gems because of its outlying location in Noveleta, Cavite. The reputation that it has gained not just in the food and catering services but also the architectural aspect cannot be overlooked.

With all the decorations featuring old relics such as newspapers, photos, artifacts, military keepsakes, etc., the interiors of the restaurant will bring you that museum vibe.

Sekitori: Abundant Servings, Horigotatsu and Slow Service

Mr. C and I were with some friends one afternoon exploring Little Tokyo to try out some Japanese chow. We saw Sekitori then I took a peak if the place looked presentable. What caught my attention was the Japanese themed ambiance so I immediately dragged Mr. C and our friends to give it a try.

It is a rare customary for Japanese restaurants nowadays, especially here in Manila to require customers from removing their shoes before going inside the dining area. So this is already one remarkable aspect of Sekitori that makes it interesting to eat there.

A Taste Test: Teavana from Starbucks

Mr. C got enticed by the numerous posters displayed on the walls of Starbucks Robinsons General Trias branch displaying their latest innovation: Teavana. It is a selection of tea flavors, extending their beverage collection.

Sasahama: The humble authentic Japanese restaurant in Kawit, Cavite

Sasahama is that one humble Japanese restaurant which became our favorite food trip spot in Cavite. I say humble because they're not aggressive in expanding their business to other areas even after a decade of success. Moreover, their restaurant vibe only makes you feel like dining in a simple, old home.

Their frequent customers are the Japanese folks living around this area, but they're pretty known by local people too. We are one of the satisfied customers here who keep coming back.

"Irasshaimase!" You will be greeted enthusiastically by their staff upon entering. They wear different costumes every day. This time around, they wore kimono.

 

Oh Poutine: Not French Fries, eh?

After attending the 2016 Philippine International Motor Show held at the World Trade Center last Sunday, our stomach growled and yearned for some good chow. Since we couldn't agree on which food cart to choose in the event, Mr. C suggested that we head to the Petron Gas station at Macapagal to try Oh Poutine.

Hola! Welcome to Gringo!

It's been a while since I've been to SM North.

So when we dropped by here with the fam bam, I got thrilled with all the new restaurants that opened there. The one that caught my interest the most was Gringo because it features two of my favorite things, chicken and baby back ribs. Of course, I had to check what Zomato has to say and good thing it presented favorable reviews.

A Taste Test: Ultimate Churros from La Lola

We first encountered La Lola Churreria through La Lola on the Go, their kiosk located at the SM Mall of Asia. It easily caught our attention because of the flock of customers all lining up to take a piece. Mr. C uttered, "That's  a famous churros bar which, I heard make great churros. They offer matcha dip, too." My eyes flickered upon hearing the "matcha dip". However, the line was too long that time we didn't bother to join the hype. Good thing when we passed by SM North, there was no line at all.

Cafe Via Mare: A cafe of Filipino Classics

Mr. C is not a fan of classic Filipino food because he has a strong belief that you can have it better at home through lutong bahay. Well, I would have to agree with him, because he and my mother-in-law make fantastic home-cooked food. However, since there was a send-off party with his team at work and Cafe Via Mare was the agreed meeting place, we were forced to give it a try.

Mexicali Glorietta: Burrito Quest continues

We frequently pass by this Mexican restaurant because of its proximity to our workplace but we were hesitant to try it here because of our lack of exposure to Mexican food. Thanks to our recent burrito quest, our heart is becoming closer to Mexican dishes. One lunch time when we were so starving, we decided to venture in what Mexicali has to offer and good thing it didn't disappoint. At least not that much. Overall, we can still say that this is a home of quality Mexican food.

The place is a bit small but is fitting to its Mexican theme, with the banderitas, murals and background music.

Seafood Island Imus: A Seafood Feast

As a celebration for our baby's 10th month which fell on a weekend, we decided to go out for lunch. Since my mother-in-law is a balikbayan, she craved for seafood -  the thing that tastes horribly in the States. Hence, we chose Seafood Island located at The District, Imus as the place to eat.

We had a hard time deciding which group meal to choose so each of us ended up with our individual selections.

Even our little one couldn't decide.

Quick stop over at Chopstop

We headed to Robinson's General Trias, the mall nearest to our house, for some errands. As a product of curiosity over their advertisement about their 'crispy kare-kare', we stopped by Chopstop for a quick lunch.

Huma: A Mediterranean escape

When you stroll around the second floor of Conrad S Maison, you will easily notice this restaurant named Huma Mediterranean Cuisine because of its eloquent Middle Eastern inspired architecture.

Entering this restaurant will keep you amazed because of its elegance. With the intricate structure of the high ceiling, curtains, artistic chandelier, table setting, even the background music, the dining experience is comparable to a Mediterranean escape.

NOTE: Do not get bewitched by this place if you don't like Mediterranean food!

From LA to Manila: Pink's Hotdogs and Chilli

We were looking for a place still open at 12:30 am on a Monday morning when our cousin found Pink's Hotdogs and Chilli. Mr. C got excited because he already has heard of this place. It's that one famous hot dog chain that started out as a food cart in Los Angeles. Today, its fame has stretched across Hollywood celebrities where the pictures of them holding their hotdog buns are hanging on their restaurant's wall. They have also been featured in some shows.

Tipsy-fied at Tipsy Pig Gastropub Taguig

My sister-in-law was curious about this pub so we roamed the streets of BGC one night to dine here. It is a restaurant owned by some public figures and because of its celebrity connections, it apparently became a hide-out place by famous celebrities. We did not spot some celebrities during our stay, though.

Entering the restaurant has that 'chillax' vibe - music not too loud, cozy seats and laid back people.

What The Fuss: Real Coffee and Calamansi Muffin Taste Test

With the favorable reviews from Tripadvisor and being called "The Famous", our palate yearned for Real Coffee's Calamansi Muffin. On our last day in Boracay, we took our breakfast at this place after shopping for pasalubong in D' Mall.

The only signage of this restaurant is the plywood below, so you  really have to be alert when looking for it.

Jonah's Milk Shake: A Shakes' Showdown!

When talking about what food or drink to try in Boracay, Jonah's Fruitshake emerges as an A-lister. Their specialty, fruit shakes, has placed its mark ever since the beginning of Boracay's tourism history. Aside from its cheap price and popularity, they also proudly tag themselves as "The Best FruitShake in the Island".

Jonah's Fruitshake served as our comfort drink all throughout our four-day stay in Boracay. We tried different flavors just to see if there were any other creations that could beat that one flavor which we got addicted to.

Boracay Toilet: The Only Toilet in Boracay where you can eat

You do not have to travel to Taiwan to experience that bizarre moment of ingesting food in a toilet-inspired restaurant.

A first in the Philippines, Boracay Toilet will bring you a mini adventure of eating inside a room fabricated like a comfort room.

Right from the stairwell walls going to the entrance, you will already feel like going to a dirty john because of the voluminous vandalism on these walls.

Imagine that effort of having to fill in these walls. Woah!

A Taste Test: Grilled Tuna Panga from Hoy, Panga!

Mr. C mentioned that Youtube sensation Bogart the Explorer owns the Hoy, Panga! so we did a taste test if their Grilled Tuna Panga was anything good.

Their medium grilled tuna panga costs about PHP 350. It's already good for two people. Best to partner it with rice.

VERDICT

A Battle of Burritos: Mañana versus Mayas

I was desperately looking for a good burrito during our Boracay stay for an understandable reason. This led us to find two of the most famous Mexican restaurants in the island: Mañana and Mayas.

Here's the entire story of who won:

Mama's Fish House at Diniwid Beach

As suggested by Solitary Wanderer, we got curious about Mama's Fish House restaurant, which is located at Diniwid Beach, the quiet beach beside the crowded White Beach. They offer an array of international food that guarantees fresh ingredients, especially their seafood recipes.

After a few hours of bathing and lounging by the beach, we traversed the shore until we reached Microtel Inn, the hotel where Mama's Fish House is tucked in.

It was an early lunch and lean season so this was the scene that welcomed us inside the place. Right. We were the only ones who ate there that morning.

Discovery Shores Boracay: A First Anniversary Dinner

I did not have any idea where Mr. C would bring me for our anniversary dinner. Hence, the thrill of wondering.

My wondering turned into joy when we stopped by Discovery Shores, a luxury hotel in Boracay.

Indigo is the name of the restaurant. The staff greeted us enthusiastically as if they were expecting us. Little did I know, Mr. C made a reservation, something that is usually my job. He even showed his email if his conversation with the staff. I smiled in awe.

Since it's lean season, there were no other guests but us. Mr. C jokingly said, 'Actually pina-reserve ko yung buong restaurant.' I laughed. That was a timely joke.

C to D: Mr. and Mrs. C go seafood shopping at D' Talipapa

Welcome to our first blog post!

Today is a special day for us. Aside from our blog going live, we celebrated our first anniversary as a married couple. We traveled to Boracay as a celebration of our special day. To make our anniversary lunch extra special, we tried something different than our usual routine. We explored D' Talipapa, where we shopped for raw seafood and renting a cooking service nearby.

A tip we learned from the other bloggers is to never get the first item you saw. Try to roam around the entire area first so you can get the best offer. Another tip is to always try to bargain, which is a habit that we only do moderately. We want to avoid excessive bargaining as a concern for the vendors working hard to feed their families. By looking around to get the best offer and bargaining lightly, we saved PHP 70.

Below are the photos of our seafood memories in this little adventure:

SCALLOPS (PHP 300 per kilo)

The average cost of scallops is PHP 300 per kilo but after bargaining, the vendor offered it only for PHP 280. 




PRAWNS (PHP 300 per 1/2 kilo)

The price depends on the size. For medium-sized prawns, it costs around PHP 600 per kilo. We bought half a kilo for PHP 300.




PARROT FISH (PHP 180)

After knowing that I haven't tried eating parrot fish in my entire life, Mr. C went ahead and ordered this.




SEA URCHIN (PHP 50 per piece)

We loved uni sashimi so we included this thorny, scary creature in our seafood adventure. It was alive and moving at its own pace when we bought it! The average cost of this is 100 pesos per piece but we were lucky enough to find this one vendor that only sold it for 50 pesos. I asked why his sea urchin is the cheapest in the area and he said that he's the one catching them, hence no need to pay for a supplier.




The market is surrounded by a number of paluto services. We chose the most conveniently located in the area which is Sababi Boracay. We didn't have any regrets at all! Below is the snapshot of their menu:




Let me reiterate. Choosing Sababi was really worth it. Here are the snaps to show you why:


SEA URCHIN SASHIMI (PHP 180)

It was our first time to eat uni (sea urchin) sashimi with the urchin picked straight from the market so I regarded this moment as a little adventure and even called it "Fear Factor". The fresher is indeed the better! I really tasted the sea salty goodness in it, plus having a scoop straight from the shell is really a one of a kind experience.




SCALLOP IN BUTTER GARLIC SAUCE (PHP 230)

Did we mention that we bought one kilo of scallops? Yes, we consumed one kilo of scallops that day.

This is the best dish we had in our entire anniversary vacation on the island. We are both lovers of butter, hence its buttery wonders paired with garlic and the freshness of the scallops all put together left us wanting more and more.



Oh, wait. The one kilo of scallops isn't over yet. The server handed us another plate.

Tadaaaaa!

SHRIMP IN BUTTER GARLIC SAUCE 

Who could possibly go wrong with shrimp, butter, and garlic? Of course, this is one great dish yet again.




GRILLED PARROT FISH

This is what grilled parrot fish looks like. It is meaty and the fish taste is only mild. Dipping it in soy sauce with calamansi is the combo.

A look on the inside..

WHAT WE LIKED:

• The wonders of saving a lot! The price of one dish we had is tripled if you order it from other restaurants. 
• The thrill of shopping for your own seafood!
• The butter garlic recipe from Sababi is oh-la-la!
• That "Fear Factor" moment of eating live sea urchin!

WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE: 

• The butter garlic shrimp is great, however, the sauce is slathered on the shell. We had to rub the unpeeled shrimp on the rice to get the sauce.

WANNA-CHOW-AGAIN  METER
Yes, we definitely want to go back to Boracay and shop here again! Take us back here!!!