The Island Explorer

Tucked at an unnoticeable corner at the back of the Ortigas Home Depot Complex (which is going under a lot of development with cheap eats and specialty shops), and beside Pier One, Muruve's lights are dim yet inviting. Talk about being hidden. The newest wine venue, Muruve offers an alternative to wine lovers who frequent Barcino's nearby. I really love this place. I saw one of their roadside ads along Julia Vargas, and being a new resto, I was excited to try it out. Turns that that the place was more of a wine hang out. I was able to visit it one night, and after that, I came back the next night and 2 nights after, bringing in different people. Their food is mostly Spanish and I can commend them for having great dishes at reasonable prices. On my first visit, we sampled the Tapas Platter, which had yummy chorizo bilbao and spanish sardines. In other occasions, I was able to try their Lengua, which was satisfactory like it came out straight from Mom's kitchen. The serving ...

After the Kebab Factory, I head off down Ortigas into the Home Depot complex where another new kebab place makes noise. Welcome to the Persian Square. Persian Square looks nice from outside, with all the adornments. The same ambience is present inside, and I'm guessing people are telling themselves, "well at least they don't look like the old Behrouz". There's a map of Iran in stone on the floor as you enter the door (Persia is the ancient name of Iran). We skimmed through the menu, and found the prices like Behrouz, thus, had it as our benchmark. We ordered this bread, forgot the name but it's the one that's P30. We thought it would be more like roti, but it came out like a toasted thick naan with sesame seeds. As a result we ordered hummus to dip the bread on. My friend ordered a keema, which came out under a bed of long grain rice topped with an unopened pack of fresh Anchor Butter. The butter is usually mixed with the rice, but I prefer to smother it o...

There is truly a Persian invasion. A lot of these restaurants have sprung out and they range from roadside eateries like King Kebab and Mr. Kebab to high end ones like Hossein's. One of the two newest ones making quite a buzz is the Kebab Factory at the brand new Megamall Atrium. Located on the 2nd floor, the Kebab Factory offers Persian cuisine at a casual and modern atmosphere. It looks more of a bistro. We looked over the menu and was happy with the variety. It also had Indian dishes. The shawarma was packed, and had a lot of beef. You'll be already full with this supposed snack. We also had a Lamb Kebab, which was very good. The flavor of the lamb was distinct and its juices were oozing as I sliced through the meat. I wrapped it in fresh pita bread and mixed in some onions and tomatoes. It was one of the best kebabs I ever had, believe me.  We also ordered Grilled Chicken in a yogurt sauce (I just keep forgetting the name of the dish, which I order in most Indian restaurant...

It's a weird name, but Mallberry Suites was named such because it is located beside the Limketkai Center and Robinson's in Cagayan de Oro. It's a great location to be at when in the city of Golden Friendship, having a lot of restaurants and happenings nearby. Mallberry Suites is a relatively new hotel, and thus, looks modern and clean. The lobby is spacious and the staff are warm and friendly. It's more of a business hotel, and you can get wifi in your room, but for a price (which was disappointing). For around P2000 to P3500 a night, you get a comfortable experience with breakfast. Take a look at the pictures of my room: The room was quite spacious, though a bit bare I think. The bathroom was also spacious and even had a tub. Oh, and there is a nice restaurant near the check in area. Rosso serves Italian and American food, which are relatively cheap. I tried their Blue Cheese Burger and it was satisfying. Their pastas look normal. We did order one, I forgot, and I reme...

When we arrived in Coral View in Morong, we didn't plan to go somewhere else. But I saw boats on the shore, and asked the resort staff if they can be rented and where they could take us. They pointed the edge of Poblacion Beach, where another beach can be seen. I didn't hesitate then to take the boats, which cost us P100 per person. We were off to a new discovery. Well, the unknown beach looked great from afar, but as we approached it, we realized it was rocky, although had white sand. The surrounding rocks were also interesting, and it formed a sort of lagoon nearby. When we docked on the shores, I noticed a trail going somewhere inside. We bravely took it, and realized it was a short path to another beach. And lo and behold, we saw something unexpected, the Bataan Nuclear Powerplant. I was surprised that it was just there. I didn't know it was nearby, so it was definitely a treat. I didn't take my camera, since I thought the path was just going to take us somewhere i...

Last year, my company had its Christmas Party in Morong, Bataan, an adjacent town to Subic. Going there meant passing through Subic, towards the Safari and Ocean Adventure to the Morong Gate. From there, several beach resorts line the coast of Morong. We did an impulsive ocular one afternoon, and decided to go with Coral View Resort, which is around 30 minutes from central Subic. I've already talked about Subic Sweetwater and its gorgeous sunset in a previous entry. Coral View Resort is further away, in the town of Poblacion, which is after Anvaya Cove. Poblacion Beach is a long 2-kilometer stretch of light gray sand, and is also known for the Pawikan Conservation Center. Coral View Resort is like one in a score of resorts along that beach. We chose Coral View for its charm and intimacy. The one beside it, White Sands, was huge, and we just didn't feel at home there. Coral View was smaller, but still big for a resort. They have different types of accommodations, from the standa...

I previously mentioned my worst beach experience last year. I have now found the photos of our trip to that beach for me to share to you. But before that, some background. We love Samal, and whenever we're in Davao, we make it a point to explore new places in that lovely island. So, we searched for other beaches in the Internet, and we found Canibad. A lot of bloggers swore that the beauty of the place, and the pictures were amazing. In no time, we were on the dirt road to Canibad, leaping in excitement and anticipation. Canibad is located on the northeastern part of Samal. From the row of beach resorts fronting Davao City, you can hire a multicab to take you there. But we didn't know that, since we heard the road was bumpy and all. After all, it was a "secret paradise". So, we were offered a habal-habal, riding at the back of a motorbike. We were four, so we got two bikes, at P1,000 per bike. Pretty expensive, but we were so excited, so we said, what the heck. The j...

8 Spices is a Thai resto in the newly opened Il Terrazo along Tomas Morato. My first impression was, the interiors looked like it has been plucked out from a province in Thailand. It's not classy, like KIngdom or People's Palace, so it's more of the Chinese looking Asian restos. So I wondered, will their food be authentic? Of course, I enjoy Thai food, so I was very weary in trying another Thai resto in a country where there is no "real" great Thai restaurants. We were there for lunch, and since it was still new, only a few guests were present. But compared to the other restos in Terrazo, they had more luck. So I look at the menu, which was extensive. They offered a lot. Since it was a first time, I had to order the basics to measure the standards of the restaurant. But first up was a relatively new dish for me, a Tofu and Eggplant Salad. This tasted really good and the flavors authentic. The tofu was cooked well, not too flimsy. The eggplant was marinated with bo...

I've always been a fan of hotel buffets. I think I have eaten in almost all noteworthy hotels. I think the top five ones are Spiral in Sofitel, Circles in Makati Shang, Paseo Uno in Mandarin, Seven Corners in Crowne Plaza and Tides in Shangrila Mactan. I wouldn't say the next one is at par with the ones about for the quality of food, but I am beginning to fall in love with this quaint buffet venue in the heart of Malate in Manila. Let me take you to the Market Cafe at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino. Why am I recommending you to go all the way to Malate for a buffet experience? Well, here are three reasons: 1. The Intimacy As it is not a big venue, like Spiral, Market Cafe becomes an intimate escape for a dinner with friends or family. There are never a lot of people, and this makes it more casual and relaxed. You won't feel too uptight. 2. The Service Aside from Crowne Plaza, the service of the wait staff and chefs in Market Cafe is excellent. They treat you like real guests, a...

I'm on a roll summing up lists for the past year, but movies do not fit this blog. But I'm a lover of films, and most of my friends know that. 2008 was a drought for me for movie watching. There just wasn't any time for me to watch. Recently, I bought DVDs and downloaded movies that were shortlisted to be the best of the year. I search for them as well in the Internet, and I try to find these movies for me to watch come awards season. And it is awards season already, and I have watched a lot of the contenders already. Here are the top 10 films of the year for me: 10. Doubt (directed by John Patrick Shanley) Starting off the list is the disturbing drama about a charismatic Catholic priest caught up in a pedophile controversy and battle with the religious and traditional sisters of St. Nicholas in the Bronx. With performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep, who can go wrong? 9. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (directed by Woody Allen) Set against the luscious Me...