Palatable adventure in Binondo

There’s something about Manila that lures me into exploring it. The atmosphere, perhaps?

Traversing the streets of Manila transcends a feeling of going back in time and watching the colorful culture circling the place. Despite the modern structures, moving around Manila feels like living inside a history book, seeing the historic capital described in it firsthand.

As part of my urban exploration, my friend and I visited the oldest Chinatown in the world—our very own Manila Chinatown in Binondo. Established in 1594, Manila Chinatown offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

How to get there

Well, I can only talk about how we got there, but this is still useful information.

From any southbound station, take the MRT and get off at Taft Avenue station. Then, take the LRT and alight at Carriedo station. We walked from the station going to Binondo, but I’m sure there are jeepneys headed that way. We just navigated the route through Google Maps and decided to walk since it’s a short distance. It took us 7 minutes or less to reach our first stop.

Ying Ying Restaurant

It was lunch time when we arrived and the two-story diner was full. There’s nothing spectacular about the interior. In fact, it’s akin to a school cafeteria. But it being jam-packed hinted that an exciting feast awaited us. The intervals between people coming out and going in were short.

We ordered braised beef noodles, fried pork dumplings, shrimp hakaw, and black gulaman. While waiting for our food, we helped ourselves with the house tea that sat waiting for hungry souls on the table. It was newly brewed, as the tea pot was hot.

A few minutes later, food was served. And indeed, it was an appetizing meal!

Braised Beef Noodles

Satisfying food experience at Novotel Manila

Food plays a big role in our overall hotel experience.

One of the greatest things I looked forward to at this year’s Blogapalooza was our two-night stay at Novotel Manila—a first for this annual event since its inception in 2011. The relatively new hotel, which is part of Accor Hotels, is located at the Araneta Center. It’s perfect for both a leisurely stay and a business-related trip.

The hotel boasts of stylish posh rooms with soft beds, carpeted floors, elegant toilet and bathroom, and a view of the bustling city. I had a rejuvenating comfortable sleep, but truth be told, what I loved the most about the hotel was the Food Exchange Manila buffet breakfast.

The feast was a mixture of Asian (Filipino, Indian, Japanese) and Western (American, English, Italian) cuisines that created a flavorful revelry in my mouth. Even the coffee, which was served in a French press, added fun and excitement to my breakfast experience.

Appetizing salad greens and other colors!

Scenic Sagada

My 2015 planner has this list called “101 Things to do in 2015.” First thing on the list reads, “Enjoy the view in Sagada alone.” When I read that part after I bought the planner in November last year, I thought to myself that it was perfect, because first, I really needed some time alone and was planning to spend it someplace that offers peace of mind, and second, Sagada was my dream destination in the first quarter of the year.

Going to Sagada and appreciating its picturesque views while reconnecting with myself and pondering on things that really matter was the perfect idea to jumpstart the year. The thing is I accomplished neither within the time frame I set.

The amount I was setting aside for my planned Sagada trip was spent on a much higher priority, which was also related to my life as a traveller. Then this relocation thing got in the way and hindered me as well from pushing for the trip due to the load of tasks at hand.

Good thing, a few days before the second quarter ended, an opportunity to finally visit the place knocked on my door, so I grabbed it even without too much of a preparation. I just packed my bags with the essentials and off I went to Sagada—but not alone. That was when I realized that the idea I had in mind wasn’t the perfect idea after all. Travelling with a group was. Enjoying the views of Sagada without the “That Thing Called Tadhana” feeling in my heart was the best experience.

This is the view on the side of the road with the "Welcome to Mountain Province" arc.

One-day feast in Baguio City

One of the interesting things that draw people towards a place is the food it offers. Treating your eyes to all things wonderful is a great experience. But the food we eat in a particular place creates a delicious memory that sticks to our palates.

A tour around Baguio City isn’t about sightseeing alone; it’s also about tasting good food offered by the best diners around.

Have you ever wondered then what your one-day menu in Baguio would look and taste like?

BREAKFAST

Kiwi Bread and Pastry Shop

Mines View

Start your day with a hearty combination of sausages, steak, bacon, egg (sunny side up or scrambled), bread and beans in tomato sauce complemented by a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate with a refill. Good for two to three persons, you can enjoy this authentic breakfast at P420.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Binmaley

Fish from the neighborhood

Fish is a good source of proteins. It is even a good substitute to red meat as it does not contain cholesterol that aggravates hypertension.

Talking about fish, an establishment in Binmaley, Pangasinan focuses on processing a fish variety which is abundant in the province—bangus (milkfish).

When we visited the Binmaley Fish Processing Plant, we were delighted to see the workers (most of them female) busily packing products and preparing their next batch of merchandise. Upon entering, we were much happier to be accorded with warm welcome as shown by their genuine smiles and…the dishes that was waiting for us on the table.

Bangus siomai was an instant hit among the foodies. It's a party in the mouth as its meaty texture and heavenly taste tickle the taste buds.

Rellenong Bangus

The number of products being prepared and the number of workers proved just how successful the business has been. But, the Binmaley Fish Processing Plant isn’t just an enterprise; it is a venture with an advocacy—the advocacy to provide jobs, to empower women and to contribute to the overall development of the community.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Calasiao

The baker and restaurateur in one

A bakeshop and a restaurant—a perfect combination. After eating at the restaurant, diners can go to the bakeshop for some pasalubong , or they can order some bread as well to complement their meal.

That’s what Jech’s is, a bakeshop and a restaurant rolled into one.

Located in Calasiao, Jech’s Bakeshop and Restaurant let us taste some of its specialty dishes. Regular finds, yes, but undeniably delicious and mouth-watering.

Bibingkang latik making

I am a kakanin (rice cake) lover.

When I was little, every time my mom visited her bestfriend at her office in Malabon, she would bring home a bilao of sapin sapin, a round kakanin with various colors that are pleasing to the eyes and irresistible for the stomach.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Calasiao

Eat like a Don

Not very far from our last stop, Kuya Max, is another diner, this time in Calasiao, offering the usual Filipino cuisine but not forgetting to concoct twists to make a client’s food experience one of the best. Many have tried experimenting on different recipes, but only a few have stood out. Don Armando’s may not ring some bells when others hear about it, but the fact that customers come rushing in and out of the place is proof that it is getting there sooner rather than later.

Evidently, the owners, husband and wife John Paulo and Teng Bauzon, have poured extra effort into this venture. Not to mention the fact that they also cater to customers looking for an American cuisine through Pizza Don.

The Food Tour team

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Dagupan City

Food trip to the MAX

Going beyond and offering more than what others do will surely turn on customers looking for dishes other than the regular fare that can be found in most diners. These are acts put together by Maximo Alexis Tan, the owner of Kuya Max Grill and Restaurant in Dagupan City.

About 15 minutes from Mangaldan, our next stop during the Pangasinan Food Tour 2014 exceeded the satisfaction rating that our stomachs can give. It was lunch time when we arrived at Kuya Max situated along De Venecia Road, Dagupan City. We could hear our stomachs grumble at the sight of food. Add to that the inviting ambiance of a combined stone and wood architecture which gave us the cozy feeling of dining.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Mangaldan

Undying Filipino staple

One of the things that define our mornings as Filipinos is the undying breakfast staple, tapsilog, which stands for tapa, sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg).

Over the years and after several experimental touches, new versions have been concocted served as hearty meals to start the day of the hardworking Filipino. We started eating longsilog (longanisa, sinangag at itlog), tocilog (tocino, sinangag at itlog), bangsilog (bangus, sinangag at itlog) and other combinations dished up by the practical Filipino kusinero.

Mama Cela, however, stuck to tapa and made a living out of this original Pinoy pride. Mangaldan is a town in Pangasinan known for tapa. While others continue to sell the product in the public market, Mama Cela has stood out, established a one-stop shop for her products at the heart of the town, and became an empress of meat products and more.

Tapa, strips of beef, or carabao meat that are salted and seasoned, is what Mangaldan is known for. Ask where you can find the best tapa in Pangasinan and everyone will surely point you to this town.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Alcala

When noodles become a healthy option

Innovations in technology have been prominent these past years. Everyone has always been enlightened on their benefits and the cool features these innovations entail.

What we sometimes miss are innovations being done on food.

We've always known noodles are unhealthy—that's a fact. Despite this, however, we still eat noodles during snack time. Sometimes, we even substitute a pack or cup of noodles to our lunch and dinner. This leads to the conclusion that noodles have been a part of our lives and removing it from our diet, though unhealthy, is a hard thing to do.

But, why do we have to quit eating noodles if something can be done to make it a healthy option?

Tasting Pangasinan

In my last post, I talked about how wonderful it is to learn about stories of people you meet when travelling. Isn’t it heart-warming to feel how comfortable they are in sharing with you, a person whom they’ve just met, some of the most significant fragments of their lives?

This time, though, I won’t be talking about another story I was enlightened on during another travel. But this post is something about one of the most exciting activities you can do when travelling—food trip.

Cela's Tapa and Meat Products' version of the ever famous pigar-pigar. You can find that in Mangaldan, Pangasinan.

Festive atmosphere

8:31 PM

In a few hours, we'll be celebrating Jesus's birthday once again. We're hyped up because of the festivity. The excitement reaches the sky as we wait for the time that we can open our gifts. Our stomachs grumble as we prepare for Noche Buena awaiting in the dining room.

Christmas carols echo in the neighborhood. The Church's bell rings in the background. Christmas lights seem to be dancing, following the beat of every song cheerful children sing in front of every house.

Well, indeed, in a few hours, we'll celebrate Christmas, the time of the year we've all prepared for. When the clock strikes 12, let us all be merry and share holiday cheers with everyone.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2013!

A Blogapalooza Saturday---the event!

It was indeed a fun and jam packed Saturday event at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Aura Premier, Taguig. And I, together with my colleagues, was there to personally experience this annual gathering of bloggers.

Something fishy

Pangasinan, particularly Lingayen, is very famous for its trademark product--bagoong (fish sauce). For health conscious individuals (and those who despise its smell), bagoong should never be on their table, but for Pangasinenses, this is a staple in every meal that can be a perfect match for its salty taste.

So, how is this very famous sauce that every Pangasinense is craving for being produced? That's what I intended to discover as I featured the product on Talk TV Global's Traveldotcom.

Bringing a cameraman (Kuya Rom) and our brand manager (Reg Agsalon) with me, I visited JB Bernal Bagoong's plant and asked the owner and manager, Daniel Jun Bernal, to discuss with me and my team the process of bagoong making.

This is what greets us as we enter the factory. It's clean and doesn't exhibit any sign of grossness. The smell? The bagoong scent is present of course, but it's not a stench that you will surely hate. As Sir Jun puts it, you can smell the fish sauce's "aroma."

Preparing for the taping. That's Reg Agsalon, Talk TV Global's brand manager, on the laptop and Kuya Rom, our videographer/editor