IKOT.PH
After enjoying (and almost abusing) the privilege of being served super fresh India Pale Ales during a short vacation early this year, I’m back to the old routine of drinking IPAs from cans and bottles at least a month old. Balikbayan boxes from California (which take thirty days at least to cross the Pacific and hurdle Philippine […]
Bugis Chomp Chomp offers a surprisingly comprehensive range of Singaporean and Asian-inspired dishes at good value. Come to think of it, any establishment won’t be able to survive the cutthroat competition in Banawe (be it food or vehicle related) if it doesn’t offer fair pricing and good quality. The expected Laksa, Hainanese Chicken and […]
By no means am I well-versed in the nuances of Singaporean hawker food. Truth be told, I haven’t set foot in a hawker place in Singapore. I’ve visited the country briefly only once. I’ve gone to the Makan Sutra hawker area in SM Megamall (If that counts) but haven’t even written about it. That, sadly, […]
Daranak Falls was a surprisingly satisfying last-minute-decision of a day trip. We did the right thing and left Quezon City early, at six in the morning, before the sun was fully up. Travel time to the Tanay, Rizal location was a little less than two hours on a traffic-free Sunday. The place gets crowded […]
We came to The Vibe on a late weekend afternoon for early dinner. Expectations were high. I’ve seen glowing online articles such as this and this about the place. The NYC subway-themed food park has been operating for less than a year, and the spot was a convenient 10-minute drive from where I live (a little more when […]
Straight up masarap. There’s delicious food inside La Chinesca’s admittedly cramped space in Parañaque. The luchador graphic staring at diners from the glass entrance door need not look so stern and grim. My opinion here may be skewed in favor of Bruce Ricketts, La Chinesca’s proprietor, not because I know him personally, but by reason of previous […]
The highlights of our recent Region VII trip to Dumaguete and Oslob, hands down, would have to be the close interactions with marine creatures. I already did the dolphin watching and the swim with the pawikans in 2011 but still eagerly looked forward to experiencing them again when we went to Bais and Apo Island, respectively. I took far […]
Modern Times Mega Fortunate Islands and Bikedog Double IPA Both California IPAs feature the classic, easily-recognizable India Pale Ale grass and pine aromas. I’ve had Mega before, and it’s dangerously drinkable. This Modern Times brew is a gentler, more accessible double IPA for these modern times (ack, I’m truly despicable because of my pathetic […]
Backyard Kitchen at UP Town Center is among the survivors of the “farm-to-table” trend that swept the metropolis back in 2013 to 2015. As is typical, I visit “trendy” restaurants long past their much-hyped openings. I get a better appreciation of the food, service and general vibe of the place after it has settled […]
A land dispute I’m handling brings me an average of thrice a year to Daet, Camarines Norte in the Bicol region for court hearings. It’s a long eight-hour drive (I hitch a ride in the client’s vehicle) which passes through parts of Batangas, Laguna and Quezon, with a hour-long final stretch of winding roads […]