Visiting Zambales Amidst the Rains (062013) - Day 1

June is the birth month of Hubby and the next month, our anniversary so being the wanna-be-traveler that I am, I planned for a simple get away. Ever since we got married (almost 2 years now) we have not yet traveled alone, always with companions. Last Malaysia - Singapore trip was with college friends and the Bohol - Cebu one was with my folks. Since Hubby is not a fan of getting too many of his VLs, I planned the short vacation to fall on a Friday - Sunday schedule. 

I have a coupon from Belle de Jour that gave me a 30% off on a resort in Zambales and since I also want to visit the Tiger Safari and Ocean Adventure, I emailed Subic Grand Seas Resort inquiring about their rates and my usage of the coupon. They also offer packages that will allow you to visit Tree Top Adventure, Zoobic Safari and Ocean Adventure without the trouble of reserving the tickets yourself as they will take care of that for you but unfortunately, the packages can only be used if I don't use my Belle de Jour coupon. I calculated the rates and because the 30% savings on the coupon is much greater than what we can save using their packages, I opted to reserve the tickets for Zoobic Safari on my own. 

A typhoon has just passed and even though we boarded the Victory bus to Zambales at around 12 in the afternoon sunny, we arrived at a pouring Subic at around 5 pm. We took a jeepney to the resort which was an P8.00 fare away from the bus station. 

The resort was within the populated part of the area and it was near convenient stores, restaurants and beer houses hehe. I was actually expecting it to be in the "quiet" section as was the resort we had in Bohol but I was wrong. Subic Grand Seas reception area and interiors made up for the trouble it caused me to book for a room. I had to email them a few times and even call 3 times a week before our trip because they're not prompt in answering inquiries. Maybe they're just not into emails because the staff was actually polite and friendly. 

Since it was raining when we arrived, we went directly to our room and Hubby just had the chance to take pictures outside when the rained stopped. 

When we had the chance to go outside, we scouted for a diner to eat, and since Hubby googled a diner recommended by others, we went to The Coffeeshop which was a 10 minute walk from where we were staying. It looked like a school cafeteria inside but it was almost full when we entered. They are famous for their humongous serving of Tacos, so we ordered one, (if I remember right) a burrito, and because I was famished, an order of sisig and 2 plain rice. We were not able to take pictures because we forgot to bring the camera with us. The picture below is from travelbook's website. 

The taco was really huge and good but sad for me I didn't have more of it because I started with the sisig and half the burrito. The taco cost us only P90, the burrito P90ish as well so if you're going there, order the two. The sisig tasted like minced porkchop, and was overpriced at P180. It left me disappointed as I was expecting it to be at least as good as the sisig in Supreme's (a local restaurant near the in-laws' house in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga) considering its price versus Supreme's P80 per order. 

After dinner and because it started drizzling again, we went back to our room and had a massage for two at around 9pm. Room accommodations in Subic Grand Seas come with a free massage for one but since I used my coupon, we had a couple massage. :) 

Next day: Zoobic Safari

Eating in an Igloo - Eskimo Bob!

No, we didn't eat in an Igloo, just toying with the title :p We tried Eskimo Bob way back when we were still dating. It was one of our usual window-shopping-muna-kasi-di-pa-sweldo dates in Megamall, we got tired and he wanted to try something new. Eskimo Bob is at the 4th level, Mega Atrium. It's a small diner and one who is not particularly looking for a place to eat can easily miss it. 

Since we were feeling really hungry, we ordered 2 meals, their soup of the day and a pizza His was a porkchop meal and mine was Spaghetti with meatballs. I love spaghetti but only the sweet tasting ones, like how mama used to make for us when my brother and I were kids, so when my order arrived I was actually praying it wouldn't taste Italian. 

But no, the prayer was not answered *sigh*. The sauce was sour. <sad face here> Good thing there was a ketchup in our table. I mixed a tablespoon or two with my pasta and voila, Filipino style spaghetti! Wee! :) But there was another problem. When I started with the meatballs, to our horror, they were raw! They were all pink in the middle and tasted frozen. Hubby just told me to eat the ones which looked cooked so I ended up eating a sort of meatless pasta. 

Hubby's porkchop came with their Mango Iced Tea. Since I only have the regular Iced tea, I took a sip of his and wow, it was yummy! Yummy enough that I had to order one for myself :) His meal, wasn't that satisfying though. The porkchop was thin and hard to chew. Good thing the mashed potato was good. I'm not really into mashed potatoes, I prefer the fried ones but this one was good even without the gravy. 

The soup of the day was pumpkin soup. I've always loved soup and this one was A-ok. It was creamy and tasted like the real thing, unlike some soups which you'd instantly recognize it came from an instant mix. And then the four cheese pizza! I'm into anything that has tomato sauce and/or cheese with it, but since I've already finished my meatless pasta, I was only able to eat a slice of this gorgeous thing. I could be biased though because of my cheese-tooth. (just like sweet-tooth, yup, I'm trying to be funny lol)

Did I say that we were so full? So full that we had to say no to the calling of the delectable looking desserts (Ice cream!). I couldn't even take one last sip at my Mango Iced Tea. Nevertheless, the desserts alone are reason enough to swing by one of these days. :) 

Eskimo Bob by Icebergs
4th Level, Mega Atrium
Megamall, Edsa Mandaluyong

Flashback: Coron turned Tagaytay and Laguna (102009)

About 3 years ago was my supposedly first airplane ride.I have ridden one when I was four except that it didn't actually fly. It was during a field trip with my mom's kids (she is a teacher) and we were allowed to have photos inside the craft. 

I was with my then boyfriend (now hubby) and our college friends. It was the time when a storm just passed Manila and we were actually thankful that the sun was shining the day we were about to go to Coron. We were a total of 17 and were excitedly waiting at the terminal when we were told twice that our flight will be delayed. 30 minutes or so has passed when they broke my heart saying our flight has been cancelled because a small aircraft like the one we were about to board couldn't pass through rainy clouds in our destination. Still we hoped to continue the trip but having waited in the airport for almost a day, we gave up. The plane tickets were refunded but the hotel we reserved chuck off  P1000 each and returned the rest of the payment after 2 weeks. Some already went home but others, including us, stayed and decided to sleep over at Bai's house which was near the airport. We had late dinner at KKK (Kainan sa Kalye Kanluran) 

Top: Sisig
Bottom: Caldereta

Top: Adobo ni Jake
Bottom: Gising Gising

Top: Bistek Flakes
Bottom: Sinigang na Lechon

Food at KKK were (if not all) Filipino. They were great and I especially liked they're Bistek Flakes and Sinigang na Lechon. 

Trying not to waste the vacation leaves filed, we decided to go somewhere hopefully just by land. Since we were ready to go to the beach, we agreed to go to Batangas. We called a van rental service and waited but it seems that luck was still avoiding us because after waiting for an hour, the service called us telling us that there were no drivers available. *sigh* Not giving up, we headed out of the house prepared for an overnight stay somewhere even if it meant that we needed to commute dragging along our heavy bags. Good thing a Batangas bound van said yes to our pleading of renting the van for the whole day. We planned on passing and seeing Tagaytay then stay at any resort in Batangas. 

First stop was Palace in the sky where leg strength was vital for climbing. 

Next was Caleruega, where you can get lost in their beautiful garden decorated with several koi ponds. At the highest point of the place stood a small church which is often chosen for weddings. 

After, we went to  Sonia's Garden not to eat or stay but to just take pictures haha! 

We then decided to find a place in Batangas to swim and stay.  It was already drizzling when we left the diner and pouring when we were on the road. Since rain and beach was not a good combination, we headed  back to Tagaytay and had our late lunch (this was about 4pm) at Leslie's Bulalohan. I was not able to get shots of the food tho. 

It was back to drizzling again when we finished lunch and Kuya Louie, the van driver, was already talking about going home. We pursuaded him to let us find a place to stay first and so for almost an hour, we stopped at every inn and resort to ask if they can accomodate a crowd like us and more importantly if we can afford their rates. We found a pool resort in Laguna (I don't remember the name) around 7pm and stayed the night there. 

The trip was not as planned but I still had fun because it was the first time I went out with our college friends. My parents were very old fashioned and didn't allow me doing sleep overs so this was actually my first :) (and I was already 26!)

Going Japanese

Want Japanese food but on a budget? Why not try Tokyo Tokyo's sumo remix? Well, that's what Hubby and I usually do. Since rice is unlimited, you can go have as many as you want while gulping on their large red iced tea.

Our personal favorites? American Maki (I like it because of the cheese that the California ones don't have)

Tempura and Chicken Karaage with veggies! I love Tempura and how they do their chicken. Soft and juicy with the right amount of saltiness. Their stir fried veggie side dish is also good you can even eat it with rice :) 

Satisfying Japanese meal that is right on the budget. :) 

Itadakimasu!

Tokyo! Tokyo!

2nd Level, Market! Market!

Mckinley Parkway, Taguig

Philippines

North Park Dinner

Wanting some Chinese food, we went and ate at North Park after our window shopping date at Market! Market! It was probably around 7pm and we were 2nd to the list of waiting guest. We didn't wait that long and we were given seats after 5 or 10 minutes. 

The other table occupied by a family of 5 ordered noodles which were tempting but since I wanted rice we went for their Lechon Macau, dumplings and Young Chow Fried rice. 

We've eaten quite a few times at North Park but it has always been at Greenbelt. At the Greenbelt branch, you'd starve first before they serve you your food so I was a bit surprise when ours came in in just a few minutes :) Their Lechon Macau is a must try. It's crunchy and tasty but if you want it with a little vegetable you can opt to get the Lechon Macau with Talong instead. For me, that's their best seller, we just didn't get it this time because we wanted to try the "dry" version. Their dumplings were good as well and the rice was good enough for 3. 

Next time we dine here, I'll try their noodles :) 

North Park Noodle House
Ground Floor,Market! Market! 
Mckinley Parkway, Taguig
Philippines

Amici Dinner Date

After one badminton game, Hubby and I decided to go to Megamall and hear an anticipated Mass. We took the MRT to Ortigas and boy was it I-can-smell-everyone full! I don't take the train going to work but I know  how it gets crowded during rush hour. When we got to the mall, it was already dinner time and unfortunately for us there were no more Mass we could attend so we decided to scout for a diner and eat. A friend told me about Amici before and said that it was like Italianni's but cheaper. I have never eaten at Italianni's so I wouldn't know the price difference but still we went ahead and tried their cooking. 

Amici serves pasta and pizzas. They also have rice on their menu but since I'm not in the mood for rice, Hubby and I chose 2 of their best sellers. 

Their Spaghetti Ai Tesori Del Mare was basically spaghetti in chili oil with tomatoes, scallops, clams and mussels. I like seafood and though I'm more into the red-sauced pasta, surprisingly I liked this one. Though it  had chili oil, it was not that spicy. 

We also had their Pollo Arrostito which is roasted half chicken. Though in their menu, it's indicated that it made their list of best sellers, it's actually not that good as I expected. 

Their servings are good enough for 2 people but it also depends on your appetite. I was already full after finishing my plate but since we didn't want to take the chicken home, we also cleared that one. The food was not that exceptional. Though the pasta tasted great, I was kind of wishing we could have picked something else in place of the chicken. 

Oh and they have Gelato too but we didn't try it. We have no more tummy room for it. :p

Amici:
Atrium, 3rd level, SM Megamall
Edsa corner Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City 
Philippines

Viral Spiral

They say that the buffet in Spiral, Sofitel is the longest buffet we have in the Philippines. I have been to Spiral 3 times already, all thanks to my project's team buildings because I can't afford to spend almost Php 2000 on buffet and even if I can, I don't think it's a smart choice. Being the heavy eater that I am, I still don't think that I could eat that much worth of food. 

The Spiral, as I have mentioned, is located at the ground floor of the Sofitel Hotel. The hosts are dressed in what I think is Thai. There are several tables of food offering various cuisines such as Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Indian and of course Filipino.

My first plate was almost all Japanese. I didn't bother getting any from the Filipino entries for 2 reasons: 1. I can have them anytime I want but not from Spiral of course :p 2. I need a huge amount of tummy space :p

My second plate came from the Italian side of the buffet offering a number of different breads, pasta and pizzas as well as cured meat. Everything on that plate was Italian except for the tempura which I simply must have (again) and the dumpling which I got from the Chinese table full of noodles, dumplings, shanghai rolls and other meat. 

There were also fresh choices: shrimps and oyster. They even have this huge, mean looking crabs but since I thought I was allergic to them I didn't have any. Too bad :(

Now for dessert. I didn't know if taking pictures on the floor is allowed so I just quickly took shots of their long dessert table. :) 

Of all that there is, unfortunately my tummy can only accommodate a few so this was my dessert plate.

My fruit plate. (I know fruits are to be considered dessert, but let this time be an exception :p ) 

And finally, my huling hirit. Ice cream :) (the assorted nuts came from the Italian table. I don't know why they have those but I got them and put on my ube happiness, yey!) 

Needless to say, I had to discreetly unzip my slacks after lunch to relieve my suddenly bulging belly. Haha!

Come to think of it, maybe its worth the spend. Going there one time and saving up for it isn't at all that bad. I might ask Hubby to have lunch there on our anniversary. We'll see :) 

Spiral:

Ground floor, Sofitel Philippine Plaza 

CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd. 

Pasay, Philippines 

One Lazy Evening

Coming home and having to cook is a little bit tiring so one lazy night when Hubby fetched me we decided to just dine somewhere and not wait for the meat to thaw once we arrived from work. My office is in the Pioneer area and since the Go Hotel building is new we checked Tokyo Cafe located on its ground floor. 

 We love Japanese food especially Tempura, which was included in their seafood mix fry consisting of breaded squid, fish and shrimp, so we didn't miss it on the menu. As an appetizer we chose their creamy mushroom soup which was, true to its name, creamy! 

We also ordered Pork Shoga Yaki (sliced pork stir fried in Japanese sauce) which was just ok compared to the must try seafood mix. 

Not that you'd be surprised but yes, we finished them all haha! Trying to digest the food very well, we decided to have some tea and since I couldn't resist it, cheesecake for dessert. I was going for their Blueberry Cheesecake but because of the hour (it was almost 10 pm), the Japanese Cheesecake was the only one available. I took it never the less. If you're into the not-so-sweet-cheesecake you'd definitely love this one. 

Since we were seating at a corner, it was hard for them to see us raise our hands to order or even get the bill. :( Still the experience was satisfying. 

Tokyo Cafe:

Ground Floor, Go Hotels

Edsa, Boni Ave. Cor. Aglipay, 

Brgy. Buayang Bato, Mandaluyong 

Philippines

Zapata Adventure

Hubby is from Sto. Tomas Pampanga and one Saturday when we went to Bale ("bahay" in kapampangan) we decided to drive to Angeles and visit this Mexican themed restaurant - Zapata's Cantina Mexicana. 

The trip took 2 hrs and we were pretty starved when we got there. Their parking was already full so we parked along the road. Zapata's facade was not that all great and so I begin to doubt the look inside and the quality of the food as well. (judgemental, right? :p ) 

I was wrong, because when we went in, it felt like we were in a different place altogether. I've never been to Mexico but this might be how an authentic Mexican restaurant would look like.

I could be wrong though, but still kudos to their effort on decorating their place. Now for the food, I'm actually not a fan of Mexican simply because I don't like curry or anything that tastes like it. Lucky for me, I can have Quezadillas. I adore cheese. :) 

Hubby tried Chili Zapata which is all meat chili served with 4 tortillas, boracho beans and mexi rice. 

Both of us wanted to check their Burritos so we had one each. Too much food for us? Well yeah but

we were there almost 2 in the afternoon and we were really hungry. :p Since the Chili Zapata tasted (to me at least) of curry, it was a so-so for me. Hubby, with an adventurous tongue, was quite happy with his choice and cleared his plate. The Quezadillas were lovely, with just the right amount of spiciness in it. The Burritos were just ok. Maybe it's also because were already full when we tried them, but surprisingly though it tasted so much better being eaten straight from the refrigerator because we took them home and ate them for breakfast. :p 

Over all, I'd say Zapata's was worth the driving time. Feast your eyes with how they decorated the cantina and salivate over a Mexican food of your choice. :)

Zapata's Cantina Mexicana: 

488 Don Jucio Avenue

Angeles City, Pampanga

Philippines

63.45.892.0859