The Island Explorer

Finally, I was able to find time to visit one of the best kept secret restaurants, the Cookbook Kitchen. Most of you may have heard about the place from other blogs and magazines. It is actually featured now in Yummy's April issue. You must know how to go to there since it's hidden in the middle of the labyrinth of Mandaluyong. But it's actually easy once you know the directions. So here: from Shaw Blvd coming from EDSA, turn right at Torres, the street just before Nissan. Then at the end of the road, turn left to Araullo, then left again to S. Fernandez. It's just beyond the curve. It's beside Explorations as well, a pre-school that's supposedly known for its exceptional instructional scheme that makes kids geniuses. Parking was a problem here, since it really had no parking slots, and you have to park along the road. With the pre-school also there, you have to fight for space. I was surprised to see that there were actually a handful of people having their lun

This is a late post, since I put up Anawangin early on. Pundakit in the town of San Antonio , Zambales is the jump off point for Anawangin Cove. However, from its wide grey sand shores, you could see three islands from a distance. They are the Cameras and Capones Islands. Going back, getting to Pundakit is easy as I have mentioned in my Anawangin post. San Antonio is just after Subic Town and San Marcelino in Zambales which is like 40 minutes to an hour drive from SBMA. In Pundakit, we stayed at the Canoe Beach Resort, that was fully booked during our stay because of the long weekend. Good thing we made reservations. The rooms were small and shabby, but alright for just P1,500 a night. We arrived in the afternoon and decided to head straight to Capones Island which is just 15 minutes away from Pundakit Beach. The waters were rough so it took us more than 20 mins or so to get there. The island hopping experience made me feel I was in the Visayas or Mindanao, so doing it in Zambales is a

Tucked away in the greenery of San Pablo City in Laguna, Kusina Salud offers a unique Filipino dining experience that you should not miss. Hailed as one of the ten best restaurants in the country, I must say that the place has all the elements of a successful restaurant: great food at good prices served in great ambience. I was able to sample Salud's fare when we came home from Camarines Sur. It was already nearing dinner time and I knew that this was the time to experience Kusina Salud. You'll find their signage lighted up on the highway leading to Tiaong, Quezon. It is actually just outside the center of San Pablo City. Once you see the signage, just drive down the road, until you see their quaint entrance to your left. Kusina Salud offers fabulous and unique Filipino dishes. They put a twist into the normal Filipino fare. I wouldn't call it gourmet, but more of comfort food with a twist. It's not really fine dining, but has a more casual atmosphere. It's great ha

There's this website set up by some foreigners who got frustrated at the lack of information at the ferry schedules in the Philippines. So, they put up this site, hopefully to help travelers plan their trips more efficiently. This is great for an island nation like us. Now why didn't we come up with this a long time ago? http://www.schedule.ph/

One by one, I conquer my dream destinations in the Philippines. Those on the list include Batanes (yes, still haven't been there), the Bukas Grande Islands and Siargao, the islands of Jolo and Tawi-Tawi and this one, the Caramoan Peninsula in Camarines Sur in wonderful Bicol. DAY 1 From Naga, we drove all the way to Sabang Port in San Jose and took a ferry to Caramoan before lunch. One must leave as early in the morning as possible to avoid the strong waves. You could also take an FX or van or even a jeep from Naga to San Jose. The ferry ride was one of the worst I have experienced as the boat was small and cramped. I just meditated for 1.5 hours and forced myself to sleep. We arrived at the port safe and was picked up by a van we arranged earlier. We then headed on to the Caramoan Town, where we stayed for 2 nights at the Rex Tourist Inn after surveying the other hotels. Villa Juliana was a good affordable choice, but the house was under renovation when we came. The popular La Cas

I really wanted to get out and drive, and experience the much talked about C Italian Restaurant in Clark. I have been planning to go to C Italian since last year. I have been to Clark several times as well, but I just couldn't find the time to have a nice dinner at the famed Italian restaurant. So after going to Subic, we headed straight to Clark in time for dinner at C Italian, one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever visited. Okay, how to get there. Make your way to Clark. C Italian is located along the Perimeter Road, where all the girlie bars are. Pass the Iglesia and you'll see the castle like restaurant. Make sure you call for a reservation as it is almost always full. Pardon the lack of prices in this post. I was enjoying my meal too much, I forgot to write them down. The place was endearing. It's main dining area is a garden, with a black tent covering it. The place was full when we arrived, and the crowd were mostly foreigners. The staff was pleasant and ver

Whenever I am in Subic, I make it a point to hang out at Xtremely Xpresso Cafe in Subic. It is situated on a corner at the back of the Legenda Hotel, parallel to the boardwalk. I wasn't able to take pictures of what we ordered that afternoon, but it was just cake and coffee. On the other times I have visited the place, I have ordered their huge 22 inch pizza, the Big Ben that included all their toppings. The pizza is so big, that two slices and you're done. It's the perfect meal for sharing, pambarkada. For the pasta, I have tasted their Blackened Chicken Alfredo, the Aglio Olio, and their Parmigiana. For entrees, I recommend their Cordon Bleu and the Chicken Cacciatore. Also try their Grilled Fish in Mango Salsa if you want to have some seafood. The Bacon Cheeseburger is also an excellent choice. The cheese just oozes out of the bun. I also like their Baby Back Ribs, but the taste is inconsistent. I have ordered their ribs 4 times already, and at one time, it tasted excell

I am a fan of Subic. It's my new Tagaytay. And since the SLEX is under construction, it is now the time to head North. Subic is not really a foodie's destination, but there's one restaurant that has probably been there ever since it was an American base. Of course, now it is an institution, and whenever you go to Subic, you must eat here. I'm talking about Meat Plus. Meat Plus is actually owned by the family of a fried of mine. Meat Plus, as the name implies, serves a lot of meat, and is known for their steak. You have roast beef, ribs, burgers and steaks that come with a lot of choices of sides. My friends ordered the Tenderloin ((P225 I think), the Roast Beef and a New York Cut from the menu. Since I was in a Baby Back Ribs stage, I ordered their ribs. The Tenderloin was a good choice. The meat was cooked medium rare correctly and the meat was tender. The meat was flavorful too. The same went for the New York Cut. Though the New York Steak was a bit tougher and the g