The Island Explorer

Now, let's get to business. 2009 was not a highlight year for dining. No new restaurant shook me. It's a good thing I was always in Cebu, so I had a lot of new places to experience. Here is my list for 2009: 1. Maya (The Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu) I have seen new Mexican establishments sprout about in Manila, such as Jalapeno in Ortigas Home Depot. And with the growing popularity of Zapata's in Clark (which I also visited this year only), Mexican was on the up trend. Though among all the new Mexican hotspots, only one caught me on fire. That was Maya in Crossroads, Cebu. Probably the only high-end Mexican establishment in the country, it has been the place to be when it opened. The interiors will transform your mood instantly - exotic and modern. Owned by the Abaca proprietors, their food was top notch as well. And drinking here was an experience as well. I highly recommend a night out in Maya when in Cebu. 2. NY Buffalo Wings (The Food Strip, Ortigas Home Depot) My co

It's the end of the year, and it's time again for me to present my BEST LISTS for the year. This time, I am adding my best music for the year. As some of you may know, I am also addicted to all types of music, from trip-hop, opera, pop rock and metal. As long as the tune is unique and what I call musically superior, they would be repeating in my iPod for a month or more. Here are my best and noteworthy tunes for 2009 in no particular order: 1. Make You Feel My Love by Adele (Album: 19) If last year was Chasing Pavements, this year, I've discovered that Make You Feel My Love is even better. Beautiful and moving lyrics that stir the soul to love without condition. 2. Use Somebody by Kings of Leon (Album: Only by the Night) My rock song of the year. the same way that some electronic beats put me into a trance, Use Somebody mesmerized me with a soothing rock melody if that's even possible. Reminds me of U2. 3. Eet by Regina Spektor (Album: Far) Her new album Far is n

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

Well, since I also write about food in this blog, I am going to sum up the most notable dining experiences I had in the Philippines for this year. As you may notice, I don't call them the best restaurants, since being best is so relative. So, I'm just listing down 8 of the most intriguing, buzz worthy and best tasting. These are the restaurants that created a stir in my frantic search for the best dining experiences. So here goes: 1. Ola Espana (Cebu and Davao) I started with an entry from the South. 2008 was filled with trips to Cebu and Davao, and I just had to savor all the restaurants I could visit in these cities. Ola Espana definitely hit me well, with its coziness and simple yet memorable dishes. Yes, it's a Spanish restaurant, but they serve Italian fare as well. Try the Paella Valenciana and the Lengua. 2. Sala Bistro (Greenbelt 3, Makati City) This is a given. One of my favorite restaurants, Sala, decided to put up a more casual atmosphere to serve up the

2008 was a busy year for me at work, but that didn't hinder me from side tripping to several beach and island destinations. Below are the best escapes I've had for the year. 1. Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu A rediscovery after my first real beach backpacking experience. Bantayan in Cebu undergoes a lot of development, but the natural beauty of the place still remains vivid in sight. A must visit island experience when in Cebu. 2. Anawangin Cove, Zambales One of the star destinations of 2008, since bloggers and adventurers raved about the secret beach of volcanic ash and stone. Indeed, Anawangin is one of the best discoveries of the year, with a surreal and unique landscape, making you feel miles and miles away from the Philippines, when you are in fact just 3 hours away from Manila. 3. Isla Reta Beach, Talicud Island, Island Garden City of Samal After a visit to Babusanta Beach last year in Talicud, I knew the tiny island off the main island of Samal has mu