The Island Explorer

Davao is known as the manukan country, there's just chicken everywhere. Fried, inasal, BBQ and the list of chicken variations go on. I was already sick of grilled food, so we searched for an Italian restaurant. After calling a few friends, we ended up in the 5th level of the Gaisano Mall near Rizal, where Picobello was located. Picobello turns out to be a well established Italian resto in an inihaw dominated city. The place looks like an authentic pizzeria, and I was so excited as it is tucked away inside the rundown mall. We started with their freshly baked pizzas. The crust was not thin, but it was soft and hot. We ordered two variants, a Four Cheese, and a Chicken and Olive one. Both were satisfying, though the Four Cheese could be better. The Calzone was huge as you can see. Slicing through it was a pleasure as the aroma of the cheese and flavors burst out. The pasta dishes were nothing special compared to the best Italian restaurants in the country. But what the heck? We were

Catching up on some old pictures like the ones I took of the new NAIA Terminal 3. I usually fly PAL, so I've only been in NAIA 3 twice. The airport holds a lot of promise, but as it is not yet fully operational, it was still bare. Good thing there was Delifrance already. In T2, Delifrance always served as my hangout. There's also Go Nuts Donuts so I can have my fix of Strawberry Donuts before jetting off. The new airport is more spacious and modern looking, but I am weary of its development, given it's been open for almost a year now. I hope it doesn't become neglected, and that improvements continue. I really hope the government sees that this landmark airport can spark the tourism growth that has long been overdue.

Have you tasted the Chocolate Decadent Cake of Blugre Coffee in Davao? It is a simple chocolate cake, heated and bathed in a cream sauce. Simply amazing. Or how about this Revel Bar? I just can't get enough of it. I was surprised to have these wonderful cakes in Blugre Coffee in Davao. It's not my first time to visit Blugre. It's my coffee shop of choice in Davao. They have a Durian Flavored Coffee, but I am not a fan. So, when in Davao, have a break at Blugres, and savor their delicious pastries.

Tucked in a corner and seemingly out of place in a dodgy neighborhood, Kingdom is a surprising new find in Angeles City near Clark. Located at the Ground Floor of the Marlim Mansions (Marlim Road corner MacArthur Highway), Kingdom is the much talked about Thai restaurant of Chef Sau Del Roasario of M Cafe and Chelsea fame. Of course, the first thing that you will notice is the beautiful interior of the place. The restaurant has a gorgeous design. It has the same sophistication of M Cafe. I am a fan of Thai food and I have tasted some of the best in Thailand from the traditional Blue Elephant and the busy My Kitchen. So, after reading that Sau established Luna in Shanghai (which I already visited, but didn't know it was established by a Filipino), I had my expectations set very high. When I got the menu, I immediately asked if they served Thai Iced Tea. They said yes, but I was persistent in knowing if it was the real thing. When the waiter showed me the pack, I was contented. It wa

Fluke means a stroke of luck. I wonder why the owner called her resto this way. Fluke calls its offerings home food. When I was craving for some savory rice dishes, I stumbled upon Fluke. Call that a stroke of luck. Fluke does serve simple comfort homemade dishes. The ambience of this small resto was cozy as well, the type that you would visit over and over again. The wait staff gave us pleasant service, and even though the place was packed during that time, our food quickly came out hot and fresh. I ordered the Beef Salpicao. I was really craving for something garlicky so this was my obvious choice. We were there for lunch after checking out in A. Venue Suites (we had an event in the Event Hall the day before). The beef was well marinated, and at first, I bit into a few tough bites. I was already judging a bad experience, but the rest of the meat turned out better. The next thing I knew, I finished my plate, and wanted more. My colleague ordered a rice bowl of Beef Teriyaki. The servi

I was in the A. Venue Mall for the past three days because of an event in the Events Hall adjacent to it. So I didn't waste time meeting in the hotel, where we stayed and instead, went to the restaurants that I hadn't been too. First up is Focaccia. When I heard that Focaccia "copied" my favorite C Italian Panizza, I was immediately attracted to the restaurant that became my first stop. So when I entered, I immediately asked for their panizzas, which they called Pizza Rolls, which is good, because it explained to the mass market how it's to be eaten. For those who don't know how to eat the panizza, you basically roll the thin crust pizza after putting toppings of arugula and alfalfa sprouts. Then, you dip it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Eat it in one bite and then roll another one. My colleagues tasted it the first time and they had fun rolling. Now for the critique. Of course, I expected C Italian to be better, and that was what I got. I got the Pancett

The word is out, it's the newest kid on the block. When someone tipped me about this bright new restaurant on High Street, I simply couldn't resist. The next thing I knew, I ended up in this much talked about resto after a week of opening. The name, appropriate for the times, the Stock Market. As you can see above, the place is indeed charming. I love the brightness, the white and green scheme. It was a refreshing place. Owned by Del Monte and managed by the group who operates TOSH, I was again excited to try good food. We came in late, almost 10PM for dinner. The menu was short and items were quite pricey. To start, we ordered this flatbread pizza with arugula and smoked salmon. It was surprised that it came out tiny, just good for one. the crust was thin, but not that crispy. The smoked salmon was good though, and who could go wrong with the nutty flavor of the arugula. The first entree was the Smothered Pork Chops with Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I was drawn to this dish because

A. Venue is definitely the next food spot to conquer. It's just a shame that whenever I go there, the place seems desperate for customers. The restaurants, all new, fight for diners as they enter the Makati Avenue mall. There are a few places I would prioritize to try after seeing their menus. Artina Gallery Cafe is one of them. I knew I had to visit the place. It was an art gallery slash restaurant. Again, the good marketing strategy of making it more than just a restaurant. They even named it so close to art but the gallery concept uplifted the ambience, even though the place was small and not that high end. It was a good place to have a meal with friends, not really a date place. So, after a meeting, we decided to finally try this out for lunch. It had the most customers in A. Venue at that time. Here were the orders: Let's start with pasta. This is the Linguini with Seafood in Spanish Saffron and Cream Sauce (P290). The linguini was aldente to begin with. There were fish ch