holy week 2010 destinations #1 - casa san pablo

for the holy week of 2010, we decided to go south and explore san pablo city in laguna.

since it was already holy thursday when we travelled, the traffic was heavy at the south luzon express way. the owner was even kind enough to meet us in the way since we took the unusual route.

after around 3-4 hours, and several stops, we finally arrived at casa san pablo, our first destination.

who would have thought that a retreat like this existed in the middle of the city? located inside the former kay inay resort, this is a place for those who wants a quick escape from the noise of the city.

the compound consisted of several rooms of varying sizes (it could accommodate different number of guests), a swimming pool, a large sprawling ground, and a dining area.

the room given to us was number 11. it was a medium-sized room with a loft, and two air-conditioning units. it had four single beds in the main room, and 4 single mattresses and a double mattress in the loft. there were also two showers and two toilets.

food was also good at the casa. based on the literature that you can find in the dining area, the food served were based on the menu and pairings that their Inay used to serve. dishes complimented with one another.

the different colored plates were a delight. i used a different plate each time i ate. ^_^

there were also a lot of unique old stuff around the house. there was this old scooter and a pig made of hay (i think).

we also tried out the swimming pool. the water was nice and cold since it came from the springs in the mountain.

during night, mats were lay down on the ground and candles were placed. one could hang out here and even do star gazing. the owner, mr. boots alcantara, even had a chat with us and shared stories and anecdotes about the place.

overall, we enjoyed our stay here. Boots was very accommodating and was really warm in welcoming the guests. once here, you will forget that you are in fact still in the city.

the price was fair too. to reserve, you have to contact Boots so that you would know if the place is still available on your preferred date, and then deposit your payment so that your slot will be secured.

Casa San Pablo

(Inside Kay Inay resort, San Pablo City)

Contact: Boots Alcantara - 09178126687

www.casasanpablo.com

red mango frozen yogurt

after watching a movie at greenbelt 3, i was looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth so i decided to buy frozen yogurt.

i went to the red mango kiosk and ordered a small green tea yogurt with strawberries and kiwis as topping.

the yogurt was good. it had a slight sweet taste with tang of sourness. the flavor of the green tea was just right and not overpowering. the fruits were a great complement to the yogurt.

if ever i am in greenbelt 3 again, i would try another topping combination.

recipes by cafe metro

3/27/2010 - date day for us. what we decided to do was eat lunch at greenbelt and watch the movie "the book of eli".

after perusing through the various restaurants at greenbelt 3, we zeroed in at recipes by cafe metro. we ordered the rice + 1 meals. these are different choices of viands that is served together with rice and a glass of iced tea (Php 170.00).

we chose bbq short ribs, adobo flakes with egg and green mango + catfish salad (Php 105.00). i opted to change mine to garlic rice for an additional of Php 10.00.

the salad was good, but it could have been better if there was more catfish and the mango have been cubed instead of sliced into strips so that it would have been easier to eat.

the adobo flakes was crisply done, and was a little bit too salty. it would have helped if there was vinegar served on the side.

our total bill was a little less than Php 500.00. the food was worth the price. if you are looking for filipino fares, this is one restaurant you could choose.

Recipes by Cafe Metro

2nd floor, Greenbelt 3

Makati City

omakase

i was hoping to have lunch at banapple, but the place was full when we arrived. since junjun and i (together with his kuya) are already hungry, we decided to skip the place and go somewhere else for lunch (although i did take out cake slices from banapple which will be in a different blog post)

we went japanese and had our lunch at omakase at il terrazzo (tomas morato).

we ordered california maki, katsudon, ika fry and yakimeshi.

the food was good, but nothing to rave about. service was also fast. our bill was around Php 1000.00, which was ok since there were three of us.

the restaurant also offered bento boxes with cute names like naruto and doraemon, maybe i'll try that next time.

omakase

ground floor, il terrazzo

sct. madrinan cor. tomas morato

south triangle, qc

finds in boracay 2 - real coffee & tea cafe

i have heard many raves and read many blogs regarding real coffee's muffins. so while we were in boracay, one of my to-do's was to visit the coffee and get a hold of the famous muffins.

the shop is open from 7am - 7pm and they serve "breakfast" all day. they have omelettes, pancakes, sandwiches, shakes, tea, coffee, cookies and of course, muffin. the cafe is a little hard to find, since it was somehow "hidden" with just a small arrow on the beach pointing to it.

when we first went there, we arrived at around 6:30pm, unfortunately, the store was closed. so i was determined just to go back the next day.

after walking long stretches of sand from station 2 to station 1, hubby and i finally arrived (again) at the cafe. there were a few yuppies hanging around, having their brunch. we sat on the stools around the service station.

we ordered the calamansi muffin, banana-walnut muffin and a funky monkey shake (choco-banana).

the calamansi muffin was indeed unique. there was the play of sweetness and sourness that was just right. the aroma that the calamansi gave was also appetizing. the whole walking thing was worth it for this muffin.

the banana-walnut muffin was also nice. it was not too sweet, you could taste the bananas and the walnuts.

they do deliveries for a charge of Php 50.00. if you want to take home these muffins, they advise that you call a day before (i think they only bake enough for the store per day). unfortunately, since we were leaving that day, i wasn't able to bring some home. maybe next time we're in bora... i would also like to taste their omelettes. ^_^

Real Coffee & Tea Cafe

Station 1, Boracay

(+63) 36 288 5340

finds in boracay 1 - deco's la paz batchoy

just outside the resort that we stayed in at station 2, boracay was deco's la paz batchoy. they claim that they're the original. so on our second night, we tried to taste the batchoy that they offered.

of course, we ordered the batchoy. i chose the miki noodles. together with the noodles, we also ordered puto manapala, pre-war pandesal and pandesal ni pa-a.

the pandesal ni pa-a was a little like what we can buy in our bakeries now. it was soft. it was also said that these were baked in a pugon, or the traditional brick oven. pa-a was the name of the person who made these then.

the pre-war pandesal was more dense and smaller in size.

the batchoy was of course, good. it had chicharon, liver, and other pork bits. you can opt to have hard boiled egg for an additional price. the soup was sweet and salty at the same time. one can ask for more soup if you want.

the price was fair for the serving, and you will really be filled by their batchoy. if you're in boracay and looking for a nighttime snack, this would be perfect.

Deco's Lapaz Batchoy

Station 2, Boracay

http://decoslapazbatchoy.com/d/

romantic getaway at island cove

for valentine's day 2010, junjun and i spent it by availing the package offered by island cove in cavite.

after checking into the room, there were two boxes of chocolate hearts for us to munch on. the room was spacious enough for two people. there was a closet, a veranda, a big bed, and a nice toilet and bath. most of all, there was free wi-fi! ^_^

we ate a box of the chocolate, browsed thru some television programs, then had a nap.

after the nap, at around 6pm, we proceeded to the island spa, where we will be having our massage. it was a nice whole body massage which lasted for about an hour. at the end of the massage, we were given hot tea (with hint of ginger) to further relax us.

we then went back to our hotel room, where we changed our clothes and got ready for the dinner. it was served at the resort's sangley point restaurant. for the package, they had 2 set meals which you could choose from. this comes with a glass of red or white wine for each of you.

first came the seafood chowder. this was very tasty. the soup was creamy and at the same time, you can identify each of the bits of the seafood present in the soup. the soup was accompanied with pieces of garlic bread.

next came the main course. junjun had tuna belly, while i had the lamb with mint jelly. both of the dishes were flavorful and cooked just right. my lamb was very tender, and one could taste the rosemary that was used to flavor the meat.

while having dinner, we were also serenaded by an acoustic band. they sang our song, "till they take my heart away" and "ikaw."

for dessert, we had strawberry shortcake a la mode, which was a perfect ending to our dinner.

our stay also entitled us to use the pool for free, but we decided to just stay in the room the next day until we checked out.

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park
Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite Philippines 4104
(+632) 810-7878