Biak Na Bato National Park

Storage Cave

 

             

            I was passionate about spelunking ages ago. Last April 2014, my partner along with our friends decided to embark on a journey in Biak Na Bato located in San Miguel, Bulacan. It was a 2 hour drive from Manila. The easiest way to get there is through North Luzon Expressway via Sta. Rita exit. From Sta. Rita exit head to the national highway to Plaridel, Baliwag and San Ildefonso. It’s quite a drive at approximately 28 kms. When we reached the town of San Ildefonso there was traffic I think it was market day during that time. There is a Y intersection that points to  Biak Na Bato but to be sure I asked for directions.

            We reached a long stretch of highway leading to Biak Na Bato National Park. There is a parking lot before the entrance and they charged us about P50.00 for parking. We were met by a tour guide named Jessica. We decided to visit all the caves that we could possibly hike to and she charged us P900.00 for the package. We paid P30.00 each for the entrance fee.

            Brief overview: Biak Na Bato was declared as a national park by President Manuel L. Quezon in 1937 because of its historical importance. This is the place where Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared the First Republic. The national park has more than 100 caves but we only visited 5 caves namely: the Hospital Cave, Tanggapan Cave, Storage Cave, Bat Cave and the Aguinaldo Cave.

            The trail of the park was relatively easy. We started the hike at about 10 a.m. and ended at around 12:00 p.m. The experience was refreshing. I love the crystalline mineral formations and the cool atmosphere inside the caves.

Hospital Cave

Ambush Cave

Tanggapan Cave

Adventures and Many Firsts in 2014

            As I said, 2014 was a year of adventure and many firsts. I travelled around the country to experience new things and see new places. I should have written all about my adventures but as Sean Penn’s character, Sean O’Connell in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” puts it …”If I like a moment personally I don’t like the distraction of a camera. I just want to stay in it…Right there. Right here”. So, I took a break from writing and embedded all my experiences in my memory. Sometimes we see things and places and we’re a loss for words because the experience is beyond description. 

              Indeed, life is beautiful and it's great to be alive!

Travel in 2014

       2014 ushered in a totally different take on life. My love for adventure and travel came back. Aside from sharing stories about food, I would like to share stories of my travels and things I never thought of doing. Currently, I'm still collating the pictures I've taken during my trips this summer. I loved my short and long trips around the country. It made me realized how beautiful life is and I thank God for every opportunity I could get in seeing his masterpiece.

The House of Wagyu Stone Grill

          I love steaks and it was high time for me and my partner to try The Wagyu Stone Grill at Eastwood, Libis, Quezon City. I ordered the Rib Eye Grade 8 and my partner ordered the Grilled Prawns in Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce. The steak was superb, I could just swallow it without chewing; It melts in my mouth.  On the otherhand, the grilled prawns were just alright. For drinks, I ordered the house iced tea but it tasted like bad medicine, so I ordered a regular coke in can. My partner ordered watermelon shake and it was good. Total bill was P4,575. I must say we got what we paid for.

Matgalne Korean Restaurant

             After my check-up yesterday from my ENT doctor, I asked my partner if we could go to Matgalne Korean Restaurant in Kalayaan Avenue for lunch. We haven’t been there in months and as soon as we entered there was a buffet table. They changed the set-up of the restaurant. We wanted to order ala carte but the selections were limited. The waitress suggested that we try the buffet for P299.00 unlimited pork or the P399.00 unlimited beef and pork. We chose the former.

            Much to our hearts content, the buffet table was enough. They have our fave Croquettes, Kimchis, soup, Chap Chae, Salads, etc. The grilled pork was a lot and we didn’t ask for a 2^nd serving it was just too much.

            We got 10% discount each for posting their food on Facebook and Instagram. Our total bill was P658.00 including 2 Coke in cans. We left the place with a huge tummy!

Papa Johns Pizza

          Since, we were in Makati the other day. I dragged my 3 nephews with me at Greenbelt 3 and we had dinner at Papa Johns Pizza Restaurant.

            I ordered the 12” Pepperoni Pizza and my nephews ordered Chicken Poppers and Penne Carbonara which they shared. For drinks, we ordered the lemon Iced Tea but I didn’t like it so I ordered a glass of Coke. They gave us butter and pickled pepper when the Pizza arrived. I tried my Pizza with a butter dip. I paid P1,140.00 for the whole meal which I think is quite reasonable.

Xian Tian Di

            My Mom celebrated her 83^rd birthday this week and at the same time my parents celebrated their 51^st Wedding Anniversary last October 28, 2013.

            I can’t think of a gift so I took my whole family to XinTian Di located at the 3^rd floor of Crowne Plaza in Ortigas Center.

            For starters, I ordered Hakao which is really to die for. The shrimps were fresh. The kids ordered Chicken Corn Soup while my other nephew and I ordered Hot and Sour Soup and my partner ordered the Congee. We had Steamed Mantao and Asado Siopao, the Divine Platter (which consists of cold cuts and barbecued pork, fried suckling pig, etc.) on the side. For the main course, I ordered what they like the most Sweet and Sour Pork, Beef with Broccoli, Steamed Fish with Garlic. Then, I ordered what I like Beef Hofan, Kum Pao Chicken and Assorted Vegetables with Tofu.

            For drinks, it was cheaper to order Carafes of Iced tea. For every 3 Carafes of Iced Tea one will get a free tea pot. We had 5 Carafes so got a free tea pot.

            For dessert they ordered Buchi and Mango Puddings. The total bill was P13, 501.00.  It was quite expensive but it was worth it. The food was really good.

Abe

       The first time I tried Abe was a few months ago when I treated my balikbayan aunt to lunch at the Bonifacio Global City. She's quite familiar with the menu. I let her order our meal: the Liempo Hamonado, Ginisang Mustasa, Adobong Pusit and for dessert, Suman sa Lihiya. I must say they were all good. I paid P1,500 plus for 3  people.

       One Friday night, I brought my partner to Abe in Trinoma for dinner. I ordered what I had before. Too bad, the Adobong Pusit was not available instead we ordered the Kilawing Tanigue. We were disappointed because it was not as appetizing than the one at Bonifacio Global City.  The cinnamon ingredient was too strong it overpowered the Liempo Hamonado. The Kilawing Tanigue had mayonnaise instead of the usual vinegar, salt and pepper.  The dessert ( the Suman sa Lihiya) was the only thing we liked. The total cost for our dinner was P1, 266.84 including tax and service charge.
     

Long Hiatus

  I have been out for quite sometime. The last two months were stressful and alas!  Everything is back to normal.  I have found my laptop a drag these days mainly because I have to plug it in since my battery went out. I don't even know if I could find a replacement since my laptop is already outdated.  So now, I am using my mobile phone to blog. My phone is smaller than my hand so go figure how am I faring right now, lol! My only consolation is it is a touch screen phone and I don't have to get up and plug it. It also has a dictionary that I could just press to complete my sentence. That's very clever, haha! Anyway,  I would blog more about places I have been to during the summer and the past months. I tried Abe, Papa Johns Pizza, Zoricho and many more. I'm quite excited to blog about it.

DOLCELATTE

            My partner and I discovered DOLCELATTE, a café/restaurant just beside C&E bookstore located at 1616 Quezon Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City. From the outside it looks very classy. When we got in the café we were seated comfortably. We chose the couch type at the dining area. We ordered dessert. The waiter suggested that I should try their famous Valrhona Crunch (150 Pesos) while my partner ordered a slice of Almond Rocca (120 Pesos) and a cup of Café Latte accompanied by a Chocó Chip Biscotti (118 Pesos) and I had a pot of Earl Grey Tea (90 Pesos).  

Almond Rocca

            The cakes were delightful though very sweet for my taste. The café/restaurant offers pasta, sandwiches, pastries and the likes some in a medium-priced budget and some in a little more upscale budget.

Earl Grey Tea

Cafe Latte

Valrhona Crunch

Melo's At Burgos Circle

 I am way behind my posts with the busy schedule and things in between. I finally could do this again, thank God!

A million thanks to my sister-in-law who gave me a voucher from Metrodeal for Melo’s at Burgos Circle in Taguig. Surprisingly, The Fort was desserted on a Saturday.
 There were only  2 tables that were occupied when we came in at Melo's.

The staff was courteous. We were immediately escorted to our table and the waiter asked for the voucher. I ordered separately. Since I am cutting down on meat, I ordered the grilled salmon with vegetables. It came with the onion soup which is to die for. My partner had the tenderloin steak and pumpkin soup. They served us toasted bread with liver pate. Another set of freshly baked bread with butter that went along with our soup. We ordered iced tea for drinks.

The food was delectable and the service impeccable.

Grilled Salmon with vegetables

            

Cibo

             I had a light dinner at Cibo Restaurant last night before going to a movie marathon in Gateway Mall. I haven’t been in Cibo in ages. The last time was years ago with my ex.

            Since, I am cutting down on carbohydrates and meat. I ordered Tonno Panini if translated in English it would be tuna sandwich. For drinks, I ordered the house iced tea. The staff was highly attentive since I was the only dining at the main area and I think there were 2 or 3 tables that were occupied at the back side which I couldn’t see from where I was seated.

             My overall dining experience was good although the tuna sandwich was a bit dry and I wanted s more chips. The tall glass of iced tea was refreshing. The total cost was 262.51 Pesos.

Nommu Bar

     Once a week, we go to our favorite bar and restaurant called Nommu. We would have late dinner there or just pica-pica with cocktails and drinks.They have good food and good background music.

     I ordered Salmon teriyaki and my partner ordered Chicken teriyaki. Both rice dishes include a bowl of Miso Soup. I ordered my favorite sizzling sausage and it was as tasty as ever. My partner paid 801.90 Pesos for the total bill. 

Beso Cucina Vinoteka

     I bought a voucher for 2 for Beso Cucina Vinoteka at Deal Grocer.  The restaurant is located at UG/F Bonifacio High Street Central, East Superblock, 7th Ave. corner 29^th St., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

     The restaurant has a bar outside. We were greeted by the waiter upon entering and then, we were led to our table. The waiter asked for my voucher and a valid ID.

     After a few minutes the 2 glasses of iced tea were served and while waiting for the appetizer we heard a bit of a commotion. A middle aged lady with her kids was arguing with the waiter then the manager of the restaurant because apparently she wanted to take out her leftover food. The manager explained to her that the food is for dine in only. I guess the lady failed to read the voucher that all food and drinks are strictly for dine in only. She didn’t have to make a scene. Her younger son was hiding his face with his hands in shame. Nevertheless, the manager was accommodating and gave in to the lady’s wishes. Later on, the manager went to our table to apologize for the unfortunate incident with the middle-aged lady.

     Soon after that, our appetizers were brought in. The grilled sardines with rock salt, lemon and parsley was good (my favorite) and the Spicy pork meat balls had a tinge of Indian spices. As for the main course, we had the Ox tail and White Bean Fabada on Fideo and Olive oil it was delicious. For dessert, we had Crema Catalana. All of these were purchased at 695 Pesos. We ordered Apple juice, Café latte and English breakfast separately since it was not included from the deal.

      The restaurant’s service was prompt and the staff was courteous. It was a superb dining experience at Beso Cucina Vinoteka. Thumbs up!

    

     

Casa Vallejo and HillStation Bar and Restaurant

            For the past four years it has been our tradition to go to Baguio City. When we discovered Casa Vallejo that was it for us and we’ve been staying there every visit. The standard room costs 2,700 Pesos. It’s a basic room with a double bed, a writing table, a ceiling fan and a hot and cold shower.

            We love the Hillstation Bar and Restaurant. They offer gourmet food and good wine.

HillStation 

HillStation

HillStation

Gambas with Rice

Grilled Salmon with Mashed Potato and Vegetables

Hotel Celeste Part 2

            I am posting a new set of pictures of Hotel Celeste for the month of December. We stayed here for the second time. We were given a room on the 3^rd floor. The interiors were a bit dull for my taste. We liked the interior of the room at the 2^nd floor where we stayed last November.

            We had a problem with the leaking air-condition in the room. We had to call the maintenance department twice.

            The following day, we ordered breakfast bacon, eggs, bagel and cream cheese and fresh orange and mango juice. It was quite steep for 750 Pesos.

            Our stay at Hotel was awesome for the second time around.

Dinner Buffet at Midas Cafe

            My partner bought dinner vouchers at Metrodeal for Midas Café at P849 each. The food was quite extensive ranging from Pasta, Cold Cuts, Makis, Grilled Seafood, Indian Food, Korean Food, Chinese and American Food. 

Bread Section

            They have a table for different kinds of bread and on the side a pot of Sopa de Ajo. The roast beef readily caught my eye. I haven’t had a good roast beef in a long time and it looked juicy. 

Roast Beef Section

            We went around the Grill Bar, the Salad Bar and the Sushi Bar. I decided to try the different kinds of bread, the Chinese Pao and the Sopa de Ajo. It was delicious and I had a second serving. 

Grill Bar

            Next stop was the Roast Beef section. They would cut thin slices and I asked for 2 pieces since it was a small portion. The beef was so tender, yum! I had to go for a second serving.

Juice Bar

            I sampled the other food by getting a tiny piece of each. The Chicken Tikka was a standout. The Pork dish was ok. The Korean Beef Bulgogi was lacking in seasoning. The grilled salmon and shrimp were delectable.    

            Drinks are unlimited which includes sodas, fruit juices, iced tea, coffee and hot tea. The Dessert bar had different kinds of pastries, cookies, cakes and brulees. It was Heavenly.

Dessert Bar

            Indeed, it was a superb dining experience.

National Sports Grill

                  National Sports Grill is located on the 3^rd floor of Greenbelt 3, Makati City. I bought a voucher of P500 from CashCashPinoy with an equivalent of P1,000 worth of food and drinks at National Sports Grill. 

Home Run Sampler

            We ordered the Home Run Sampler (P695); it consists of chicken wings, taquitos, fries, onion rings, tortilla chips, with guacamole and pico de gallo served with marinara, salsa, queso and ranch. I also ordered the Chicken Caesar Sandwich on a French roll with fries (P335); for drinks we had 2 glasses of iced tea (P95).  

Marinara, Salsa, Queso and Ranch

            They give big servings it was really huge and we were not able to finish it. We were very satisfied with the food. I am now craving for it as I write this review.

Chicken Caesar Sandwich

Hotel Celeste

            I bought a voucher for Hotel Celeste at Deal Grocer for P4, 500 for an overnight stay. Hotel Celeste is located at 2 Lorenzo Drive, Corner A. Arnaiz Avenue. San Lorenzo Village, Makati. 
       The hotel room was fabulous. European style furniture and wall paper. We were given 2 welcome cocktail drinks followed by a foot massage. 

The bathroom was literally to die for. Too bad they didn’t have a bathtub. The bathroom supplies were fantastic with L’occitane bath products. What more can we ask for? 

            We dined out during the evening. Apparently, Celis Restaurant was closed. We could order in but the food on the menu was limited and a bit expensive. 

            Hotel Celeste has boasts of a DVD library and only 3 DVDs at a time could be borrowed. We watched the films until we fell asleep.

Deluxe Room

            Breakfast is not included with the deal. Anyway, we slept until 11:00 A.M. It was an enjoyable stay and we’re going back again before Christmas.

Prestige Cruises

            My younger sister gave me and my partner vouchers from ensogo.com.ph for an hour of cruise and dinner buffet along Manila Bay. We finally used our vouchers last Saturday scheduled at 4:00 P.M. but we had to be there at 3:30 P.M. for the registration. There was a long line when we arrived. We waited for almost an hour before boarding the yacht. Upon boarding, the elderly came in first, followed by mothers with children and then our names were called according to the list.

            The yacht needed some maintenance because we could see rusts in the ceiling, etc. We were seated on the second floor of the yacht with monobloc chairs and tables. They charge an extra 100 Pesos if diners would want to sit at the top of the yacht for a better view.  Drinks were not included from the voucher so we have to pay 75 Pesos for a can of soda or bottomless iced tea.    

            After 20 minutes, the buffet was opened to the public which was located at the first floor of the yacht. They served plain rice, pancit (noodles), a chicken dish and pork with tausi. We were told to bring our used plate for a second serving.

            The food was bland but we can’t complain for a 310 Pesos voucher per person. We would just want to enjoy the scenery. My partner and I went for a second serving just for the pancit and chicken dish and then they added little vegetable spring rolls I thought they were Lumpiang Shanghai. A guy in front of me was scolded by the server for getting 2 new plates. The server said to him in a firm voice and a disappointing look: “Didn’t I tell you to bring your used plate? You can’t take that second plate. I will just give you one!”

            When it was my partner’s turn to get a second serving, the chef said “Enough! I don’t want to do this anymore, you guys takeover!” It was a laughing experience. Clearly these people from Prestige Cruises hate their jobs.

             There was also an entertainment. Two women who sang contemporary songs while the other played the synthesizer. They have a sunny disposition in life I must say. I enjoyed their music.

            The cruise was just to see the sunset on Manila Bay. Forget about the dining experience.