The Island Explorer

Welcome to Pamana, a family's heritage of Filipino cuisine. Located beside the Boutique Bed and Breakfast in Tagaytay City, Pamana is a striking establishment that adds to the already long list of good restaurants in the city by the cliff. Pamana is charming, having a white facade, that is very inviting. As you enter, there is a small shop that sells local handicrafts and delicacies. The country Filipino home feel extends as you go up the staircase, where a collage of framed memories from the distant and no-so distant past of the Ongpauco family who are the owners of Barrio Fiesta and also The Boutique. You immediately get excited to see where you will be dining. The ambience of Pamana is top notch, as you would notice how much heart has been put in designing the place. There are more picture frames, and more walls that display the family that has preserved this culinary heritage. The place is modern, but has antique pieces to give that old feel. So, in terms of design, it strikes

I have ended my trek in China, and I badly wanted to extend. But I had another upcoming trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in 4 days, so I had to force myself to get on a plane back to Shenzen where I would travel to HK for my flight back to Manila. But before that, I had one more day in Lijiang. So, I decided to spend the entire day relaxing and seeing more of Lijiang. I asked for tips from the receptionist at the International Youth Hostel Lijiang where I was staying. She told me to visit the Shuhe Old Town, which was around 15 minutes from Lijiang Old Town. So, I took a public bus and then a minibus to Shuhe. Shuhe didn't impress me at first, as I entered its gates. I didn't pay an entrance fee, because the Chinese guys didn't know how to ask it from me. I acted ignorant. Shuhe Old Town was very different from Lijiang Old Town. It was breezy, more spacious and had bigger alleys. It was more like a garden town. I was walking around, and saw nothing impressive. I soon realized t

I arrived in Shangrila 8PM, after a two hour bus ride from Qiaotou. I was asleep in the bus and woke up seeing white everywhere. Yes, it was snowing. It was surreal because, 2 hours ago, I was in lush fields. Now, all I could see was a spectacular view of mountains and valleys blanketed with fresh snow. I got off the bus and tried calling my hotel. Unfortunately, there was no answer. The Israeli guy I was with suddenly vanished, so I was standing outside by the road somewhere in town, with an umbrella on hand to shield the falling snow. I was worried, since everyone was hailing taxis and there were a few. My hotel didn't answer. My alternative was to go to the Old Town and find a hostel there. Suddenly, the Israeli guy showed up, looking sick. He told me he vomited, probably from something he ate. He looked really sick, and so we decided to catch a taxi and headed straight for Old Town. Our taxi dropped us off at the entrance of Old Town. Fortunately, we immediately saw the sign, H

Next on the list in the newest restaurants to open at the Eastwood Mall is Buenisimo by Cafe Isabel. Of course, Cafe Isabel is one of the institutional restaurants in Manila, owned by Chef Gene Gonzales. Their new venture is located at the 2nd floor of the Veranda in Eastwood Mall. The place looks expensive, so we were apprehensive at first. But when we entered, the place actually felt homey, sans the clientele who are mostly executives from the offices nearby. I was confused at the menu that they served. I thought Buenisimo offered Spanish or Italian cuisine, but turned out, it presented a whole range of dishes, from pasta, to Filipino favorites, to those normal continental ones. We were given freshly baked foccacia bread with plain butter. We ordered the Calamares (P198) to start. It was firm, not too tender. But the breading was packed, and it held on to the squid. Two sauces were served with the Calamares. One was a garlicky cream sauce, and the other one (red) tasted more li

Now that Red Mango is open in Manila (they also serve great waffles), here's another chain that I wish would arrive in Manila too. Introducing Yogurberry, one of the most popular froyo brands from Korea. I had my last Yogurberry when I was in Kota Kinabalu. It was located at the Warisan Square near the Waterfront. I love their froyo naked, but my companions dressed it with fruits (strawberry, kiwi and mango, which is a real good combination). I realized that 3 years ago, I wanted to bring Pinkberry or Yogurberry badly to the Philippines. I even inquired about the franchise costs and all. That was when Pinkberry boomed in the US. After 2 years, the FroYo craze hit the Philippines. I should have followed my instincts before.

It felt like a movie, this trek. I felt like I was part of a movie set, with new scenes after each trail bend. The next day I woke up at 8AM, hoping get back on the hike by 9AM. My plan was to leave for Shangrila at 2PM, after reaching Walnut Garden where I would have lunch. So, after a heavy breakfast, I went ahead alone. There was still group of young backpackers behind me, but I didn't mind them yet, until I passed the waterfall that flowed right on our path. The waterfall was a sight, as it crashed gracefully onto our path. I stopped to feel the cold yet fresh water. I also got the chance to speak to the group of backpackers that was on my back. Turned out they came from the Tea Horse Guesthouse, the place where I should have stayed. The group was mixed, like almost everyone, except for two from Denmark, were all solo travelers as well. There was a Japanese and an Albanian girl. The rest were all guys from Australia, Israel, and Finland. They told me to join them, as they cont