Birthday Dinner at Abe'

It was my Mom's birthday last week so we decided to go out and have dinner at Abe' in SM Mall of Asia.  Abe' is a restaurant dedicated to the late artist and writer, E. Aguilar "Abe" Cruz, father of the legendary restaurateur Larry J. Cruz.  I was meaning to try this restaurant out for the longest time so I was quite glad that everyone agreed to visit this place.

Couldn't wait for them to grow any bigger

Felymar's Special Bibingka

T wanted Bibingka the other day so we trooped out to our all time favorite Bibingka place at Tayuman candidly called Felymar's Special Bibingka.   This is one of those hole-in-the-wall type of joint that specializes on a single dish, which in their case is Bibingka and they're really REALLY good at it.

Charred top and salted duck eggs

Lola Ely's Tapsilog ATBP.

After our visit at Chades Tapsilog, I asked T if she wants to try another old school eatery in Bambang called Lola Ely's Tapsilog.  This place has also been a favorite chow down spot for me and my classmates back in college whenever we visit the pioneering Ukay-Ukay's in this part of Manila.

Grilled Pork Belly

Wicked Lechon at Chades Tapsilogan

We recently visited a friend who lives in Tayuman so T and I decided to swing by Chades Tapsilog, a small and unassuming place that is frequented by students and blue-collar workers alike who wants to have a quick and delicious meal. The eatery used to be located along Rizal Ave. near the Bambang Station of LRT but it has now moved to Remigio St. which is a block away from its former location.

Crispy Pork Goodness

Everybody's Cafe

After our pit stop at Kabigting's Halo-Halo, we proceeded to Everybody's Cafe in San Fernando for dinner.  This place has been around for ages and is considered an institution when it comes to serving delicious Capampangan fare.  This is the place to be if you want to get a taste of true-blue Capampangan cuisine.

Can you guess what this is?

Kabigting's Halo-Halo

After our short stop at the Historic Camalig Restaurant, we visited Kabigting's Halo-Halo for dessert in the nearby mall.  It was nice that they had a branch in the mall since Arayat, where this awesome dessert originated from is still a 30-minute drive away from where we are.

The Legendary Halo Halo 

The Historic Camalig Restaurant

T's sister, Meg invited us to go on a road trip to Pampanga recently and of course we both said yes.  Who doesn't like road trips anyway?  Well my friend Andy probably, but that is a totally a different story hehe. Anyway, our journey took us to the Historic Camalig Restaurant in Angeles City.

Homegrown Pizza in the heart of Angeles City

Hanging out at PNKY Travel Cafe

It's our last day in the City of Pines and T and I opted to while the time away at PNKY Travel Cafe while waiting for our bus trip back to Manila.  The cafe is actually a part of the lovely PNKY Bed and Breakfast  which is one of the quaintest accommodations that you can find here in Baguio City.

Loading up before the 7 hour trip back to Manila

Good Times at Good Taste Cafe and Restaurant

We're still running around Baguio and our gang decided to meet up for lunch.  The place of choice was Good Taste Cafe and Restaurant near Baguio Central Mall.  This place is one of the most affordable foodie destinations in the city that is why locals, students and tourists alike flock to this place in droves especially during lunch and dinner.

Hot soup, anyone?

Shrimps vs. Sausage at Pizza Volante

While walking the streets of Baguio City, we passed by Pizza Volante,  a small pizza joint located right along Baguio's most famous thoroughfare.  Since T was craving for pizza the other night, we decided to check it out.

The place is small and unassuming with only a few chairs and tables.  The menu is written in a chalkboard decked over the kitchen window where you can see the orders being prepped inside.  The place has this artisanal vibe which we really liked aside from the usual laid back atmosphere of homegrown Baguio restaurants.

Plump and juicy shrimps on top of a bed of cheese

Breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins

After our dinner at 50's Diner last night, T and I decided to visit Cafe by the Ruins in downtown Baguio for breakfast.  The place sits inside the remnants of an old theater destroyed during World War II and was converted into a cafe in the late 80's.  It is located in the middle of the city but the place still has that old world charm and laid-back atmosphere which was really nice.

T wanted me to try out their breads and pastries but being the carnivore that I am, I opted for Tita Susie's Crispy Tapa.  The beef tapa is shredded and then deep-fried resulting to a crispy tasty treat reminiscent of Adobo Flakes.

A hearty breakfast in the middle of Baguio City

Running and Gunning in Baguio

T and I had been quite busy these past few weeks so we decided to spend a couple of days off in Baguio with some of our friends.  We planned to visit some of the foodie destinations around the city and savor its cool and breezy weather.  Our first stop was 50's Diner. 

50's Diner new branch along Military Cut-off Road

Back To Basics at Palabokan sa Obrero

T was craving Palabok yesterday and I decided to bring her to an old favorite of mine introduced to me by my friend Jomay.  The place is simply called Palabokan sa Obrero along R.Papa in Manila.  It is basically a fast food eatery frequented by working class citizens who are too busy to prepare a home cooked meal.

The specialty in this joint is Palabok, a noodle dish with thick golden shrimp sauce topped with assortment of toppings depending on the cook's recipe.

Palabok Bihon Special - P48

Noodle Mania at Kanzhu Hand-Pulled Noodles

T and I met with our foodie friends, Mark and China and their baby Mateo for dinner earlier today and we decided to visit Kanzhu Hand-Pulled Noodles along Timog Avenue in Quezon City.  The place is quite small but it has that hole-in-the-wall charm typically found in small restos.

While browsing through the menu, we were given a complimentary starter of crispy Fish Skin Crackers.  It was crispy and the taste was good.  Almost reminiscent of the crispy chicken skin that I used to buy in food stalls at the mall.

Fish Skin Crackers

Otaku Octoblow-out

Don your costumes and prepare for the awesome October cosplay parties, as Karate Kid brings you Otaku Octoblow-out. Gear up and show off your creative creations and get the chance to win fabulous prizes. 

Visit any Karate Kid store on any Saturday of October from 2PM to 5PM.  Mark your calendars and see you there!

See posters and print ads for details

Dried Fish Heaven at Taboan Market

While going around Cebu City, our group decided for a quick trip to Taboan Market for dried goods to bring back to Manila.  As soon as we arrived at the location, we were all overwhelmed by the huge selection of dried items available.  There must have been hundreds of varieties to choose from, some I have never seen before.

Loads of Dried Fish

Barbecue Gone Wild at Larsian sa Fuente

Still in Cebu, after visiting CNT Lechon the previous day, my friend's cousin suggested that we visit Larsian sa Fuente, it is where barbecue afficionados in Cebu go to when they want a wide selection of delicious grilled food.  The place looks like a big canteen with chairs and tables in the middle surrounded by barbecue purveyors.  

Inside the belly of the beast

The Lechon Cebu Overload at CNT Lechon

During a recent visit to Cebu with some of my closest friends, we decided to drop-by CNT Lechon near SM Cebu.  We arrived around 11AM and man the place is already crowded with people, locals and tourists alike are ordering their famous lechon.

The line was a bit long so I decided to take a few pictures around the place while waiting for our number to be called.  I snapped a couple of pictures of the lady chopping the lechons.

Arya Stark is hacking away

Walking Towards Wai Ying

T and I went to Binondo earlier today for lunch and I decided to visit an old favorite, Wai Ying Fast Food along Benavidez St.  We got in 20 minutes before noon and got seated right away, we were lucky to have arrived a bit early since the place filled up in less than 10 minutes after we sat down on our table.

T decided to order their Beef Mami and her fail-safe Pork Siomai. (And yes, she never fails to order the most mundane items on the menu).  The soup was tasty and the noodles were springy.  The beef was soft and tender.  Overall, its good but its quite too common for me.

Beef Mami - P100