Discover places you'll love in the Philippines

Have you tried the new Ube Pie of Jollibee?!? I love Jollibee's Peach Mango Pie as well as their Chocomallow Pie plus don't forget about the savory Tuna Pie! That's why when they released this new one, I was so excited and was hoping that it will be good as well! So, when the daughters asked for Jollibee lunch, this momma ordered 3 Ube Pie! I thought, if the pie turns out to be good, at least I would have 2 more to enjoy right away and if not...well, at least I have something for hubby to try Warm and flaky, just like the rest of the Jobi Pie Gang, OMG THESE LITTLE BABIES ARE SO GOOD! If you like Good Shepherd's Ube, these pies have that exact same thing in them. I mean, texture wise and taste wise. Maybe the only difference is the sweetness because these Jollibee's isn't as sweet. The Ube filling wasn't as smooth but I'm not complaining because I think the little lumps made a goos texture contrast to the soft and flaky packet of pie. Definitely worth the calories! Plus 29Php each, not bad at all

Quick Fact: Seven Commandos Beach got its name after the 7 remaining Japanese Commandos who lived there after WWII. Long stretch of white sand, blue colored water, and tall palm trees make Seven Commando Beach the place for relaxing and photo taking. Apparently, the beach was overly crowded when we went there. We couldn't find a good spot to swim because all of the boats were docking near the shore. It was disappointing that this slowly turning into an overrated spot in El Nido. I think they need to regulate the boat or people coming in. I remember three years ago when I went here, we were just the people alone on the beach. We could swam freely and appreciate the sea. It felt like paradise back then. But now, though still pretty, something has already changed. Activities you can do: ▫️Playing volleyball (they have nets provided) ▫️Snorkling/ Swimming (if there are no boats) ▫️Photo taking (for ig!) ▫️Relaxing (while having some fresh buko juice) My love for this place hasn't changed though. This beach is still beautiful and charming like other beaches in Palawan. Hopefully, it won't get ruin as number of tourists boom in the next years. ♥️ Combination Tour Fee (A and C): P1,700

Sarsa's new offering is quite contrasting as they launched Hot Pinoy Ramen and Cold Ice Desserts. As you may have known Sarsa is a Filipino Restaurant that always made a twist out of your the popular dishes. So the addition of these hot and cold mix will definitely make it hard for you fo choose what to eat. So here are the dishes that we tried: Seafood Gata Batchoy - I liked the kick of gata on the usual Batchoy broth. I maybe biased because it's Gata but among the 3 this is the one I liked the most . It has the right seafood toppings. And the Lapu Lapu Fish Cake is so tasty. Batchoy Ramen - the grilled toppings definitely enhanced the Batchoy Flavor. I liked the broth's subtle taste. Of course the toppings they put in it are very generous. Spicy Batchoy - They added Sarsa's very own chili paste on this Batchoy which gives it a spicy kick. I liked this one versus the original Batchoy because I love Spicy food. So after those yummy noodles, the ice desserts were served. Sarsa Halo Halo - this is one creamy and tasty. Indulge with Negrense Flavors. Mango Vanilla Con Hielo - you can find different versions of mango here. It has dried mango and real mango. One thing we noticed is that the real mango is not that sweet. It happens when you're using fresh ingredients. Buko Pandan Con Hielo - buko pandan pairing is still a thing with this dessert. The simplicity of this dessert will make you want to find something extraordinary. Overall my dining experience with Sarsa is fine. I loved how Chef JP is so passionate about cooking and brought with us this nice experience of a Negrense Bistro. The new menu will certainly attracts food lovers. #sarsahotandcold

If you're going on a trip to Baler, I'd have to say that Costa Pacifica is the best hotel to stay in. Located right at the beachfront, you'll get to enjoy a stunning view of the sea from their equally pretty pool area. Plus, you're just a quick walk away from Sabang Beach! I really value the overall experience when it comes to hotels and restaurants - it can't just look good, everything else has to be great as well. Fortunately, Costa Pacifica didn't just have delightful interiors, it also offered quality service. Plus I absolutely love how the restaurant faces the beach, so you can enjoy your food and the view at the same time! The pool & restaurant areas get a lot of natural light, and so did our incredibly comfy room (with a loft!). I also thought the waiters and other staff members were very nice and courteous. Their in-house restaurant also has a pretty good breakfast selection (and a buffet at times). I had the most wonderful time in Baler thanks to this hotel. There weren't a lot of places to visit aside from the beaches and the town, so I was thankful that I greatly enjoyed the time I spent in the hotel as well.

The last time i ate at Teriyaki Boy was ages ago...it was 2004 if im not mistaken. I wasnt impressed so i never bothered coming back. I ignored them for x number of years and as time passed, i sort of forgot about them. It sounds bad, i know. Then came a looloo rendezvoos invite. I cant say no to the wonderful human beings of looloo so i gave a hesitant yes to a Teriyaki Boy Rendezvoos at SM Mall of Asia. No expectations whatsoever when i arrived nor when the first plate was served. I didn’t even take my time taking photos. Then came the Make Yout Own Maki Activity. I gotta admit, i got a lil excited. Chef Jhay had my full attention while he was demonstrating how to roll ze maki and how to cut it with precision. We took turns making our own maki. The rolling part is a walk in the park, i finished it in a giffy. The cutting is a lil challenging, yeah...i got lousy knife skills . Everyone was in high spirits after the activity. Hunger set in when they started serving grub. Starters | Regular Gyoza | Cheesy Gyoza | Kani Salad | Philli Cheese Steak | Dynamite Roll I only tried two items for the starters. I like the Dynamite Roll a lot as there is a subtle hint of spice. And yeah, after the MYOM activity i have newfound appreciation for Japanese Rolls. The gyoza is just okay for me. Nothing personal, its just that i aint a gyoza person. I prefer the Chinese counterpart better. Mains | Teriyaki Boy Chicken. This is what placed TB on the map. The holy grail of chicken teriyaki! I love how flavorful the chicken is, the meat is moist and oozing with teriyaki goodness. | Ebi Tempura. Not a tempura person, so yeah, this is just okay. | Tofu Steak. This is my favorite among the mains. According to our wonderful host, they made some tweaks with the recipe. Here’s the lowdown, soft tofu wrapped in beef belly then deep fried to crispy goodness. The beef belly x tofu has a wonderful texture and the flavor is out of this world delish! | Tonkatsu. Well, i am a lil bit flabbergasted...their Tonkatsu is really good! It can compete with the likes of Yabu! The meat is supet tender and moist....one bite is never enough. | Beef Belly Teppanyaki. This is how i want my beef from now on - flavorful and tender. #micdrop | Tuna Tartare. Absobloodylutely awesome. Sweets | Japanese Cotton Cheesecake | Green Tea Cookie Ala Mode The cheesecake is heavenly. Light, not so sweet and a perfect ending to a sumptous meal. Drinks | Milk Tea with Coffee Jelly | Green Tea Milk Shake Green Tea Milk Shake is super awesome. I like the fact that they added adzuki beans as it adds a wonderful contrast to the green tea. This will be 10x awesome if they go easy on the sugar. Teriyaki Boy is a revelation. I am glad that i set aside my biases and gave them another chance. I wasnt expecting to be blown away with how awesome their food is. It makes me so happy that they are stepping up their game to be at par with the other Japanese restaurants. And yeah, this is one of the best rendezvoos i’ve attended. Thank you Roegan T and Peanut D for the invite Nice seeing familiar faces Charlzz C Midz S EJ B Sandy P Marc M and my fellow film aficionado Eboy D Nice to finally meet Jaja R and Salie D Hats off to the wonderful Teriyaki Boy Crew. Cherry for her enthusiasm. Chef Jhay and Jess (Learning and Dev) and the wonderful ladies of Marketing, Peace out! ~Reich

Hostels are in nowadays especially for short time travelers and backpackers. Spin Designer Hostel is one of the hostels in El Nido town that offers shared dorms and private rooms that one would definitely love to stay. I booked our private room for two via Traveloka app for two nights. I could say that Spin's rate is higher compared to other hostels in El Nido but I wouldn't mind paying those money when everything here is really worth to pay for. So, here's why I fell in love with Spin Designer Hostel: 🔻Quirky Interior Design The first thing that Spin impressed me is their quirky and colorful interior design from rooms up to the common areas. Everything is well-crafted with art and beauty. The modern and stylish design is very instagram-worthy that you'll run out of pose ideas. The modern and native materials are meticulously constructed to create a very happy space for travelers. Colors are as well homey and pleasing to the eyes. 🔻Common Areas Hostels mostly have shared spaces for everyone. Spin has a lot of open areas for guests who would like to hang out with one another. Near the reception is the common space for gaming and hanging out. On the outside, there's a garden-like place for dining or relaxing. One will absolutely love everything because of the cool ambiance and fun environment. Other common spaces are bathrooms, laundry room, and smoking area. 🔻Our Room We skipped the dorm room for privacy that's why we got their private one. I loved how clean everything was. The bed and blankets are also soft that our mornings were such struggle to get up. Their private room is good for two pax only and has a toilet, bathroom, and sink inside. That's good that they also provided shampoo and body wash in a pump containers rather than in sachets or small bottles, and that, my friend, is eco-friendly and practical. 🔻 Staff We arrived late on our first night but the staff greeted us with smile. Everyone here is friendly and willing to help anytime. They also arranged our trip to Nacpan and recommended us some places to visit in El Nido town. 🔻Night Activities They are offering fun activities every night such as Barbecue Night and Cocktail Night. I think everything started from 6:00pm to 9:00pm only because 10:00pm is their quiet time so everyone could sleep soundly at night. 🔻Garden If you want to breath some fresh air, you can go to their garden areas. The lush greens are perfect to do some stretching or just plain walking. It is not big though. 🔻Accesibility Spin Hostel nestled in El Nido town, few minutes away from noisy streets. I loved the location which is the quiet area, ideal for rest and peace of mind. I saw how drastic El Nido town changed and good thing that this hostel is few meters away from the busy port area. ‼️Improvements: Though we had an amazing time here, there are just some of minor things for improvements. ▫️ Breakfast - They are offering basic breakfast meals: pancake, scrambled eggs, omellete, breads, fresh juices, fruits, coffee, rice and viand. I think they need to make an improvement on their breakfast or add one more meat on their selection. What if you stayed for a week and every breakfast is almost the same? Db? That's hard. ▫️Toiletries Like what I've mentioned above, I loved the idea of how eco friendly their shampoo and body wash in pump bottles. But I noticed that there were no toothbrush provided. Good thing that we brought ours. Though there are little improvements, everything else is excellent. Spin Designer Hostel is one of those places that I'll come back when I visited El Nido again. I had an amazing time during our stay and I loved all my photos that I captured here. ♥️

‼️|ooloo Rendezvoos Sponsored by Teriyaki Boy‼️ I've noticed in the past months that some Teriyaki Boy branches underwent renovation, as it turns out it wasn't just the looks they were trying to change. They also tried to improve their menu while sticking to the ones that have always been their bestsellers. Tempura Tuna Tartare - the star of the night! The soft tuna sashimi with the silky feel of the Japanese mayo is contrasted with Tempura flakes that creates a royal rumble in your mouth. If you're not fond of raw tuna/sashimi, then this right here is your gateway drug. So good. Teriyaki Boy Chicken - the flagship dish. Never changed since day 1. Truly consistent! Beef Belly Teppanyaki - soft strips of beef belly. Great with rice! Walang bubble gum parts! Tonkatsu - this one in my opinion is the most improved! Crunchy crust and tender pork inside! It's actually moist! Even @Peanut pointed out that it can compete with the likes of Yabu and I concur. Also served with cabbage drizzled with sesame cream dressing, not unlimited though Ebi Tempura - pretty standard but a lot better than the quality of it's predecessor that had too much breading. Gyoza - also improved by a mile! But I loved the... Cheesy Gyoza better! Didn't even have to dip in sauce since the Cheese in itself is enough. Shove it in one go for best results. Philly Cheese Steak Roll - a sushi roll made with teppanyaki beef and torched cheese on top. Eat it while it's hot, or the cheese will tend to harden quick. Not that it's hard hard, but it's better when it's gooey! Dynamite Roll - another favorite of mine. Just the right of spiciness from the togarashi that everyone can enjoy. The Japanese Mayo and the rice somehow dampens the spice but you can always slather some good ol' wasabi for some more kick. Tofu Steak - loved this as well! Tofu Wrapped in Beef Belly, breaded and deep fried! Drizzled with their signature teriyaki sauce. Green Tea Milkshake was just so-so. Thanks to |ooloo and the staff at Teriyaki Boy for a night of fun and learning!

Aozora Japanese Restaurant is considered to be the first authentic Japanese restaurant in Tagaytay City. This restaurant is created by Chef Seiji Kamijo Kamura and still getting attention from locals and tourists in the city. You never expected this kind of restaurant wherein mostly local Filipino food are served. Their location in the roof deck of Domicillo has been closed and they transferred to a less crowded place along SVD road, right in-front of Starbucks Coffee heading to Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Here is my experience at Aozora Japanese Restaurant. THE EXPERIENCE and FOOD The place is neat and clean like you are entering a Japanese onsen. Option to seat indoors or Al fresco is available depending on your group. But I prefer indoors as it is well-lighted compared to the Al fresco area which is really dim. Probably they want to set a tone, but it was way too dim for me. We were welcomed by a server who walked us on our table and listen attentively as we begin to order food. | GYOZA (Php 280) The slightly fried wrapper wrapped the perfect mix of ground pork and vegetable. The taste really stand out even without the soya sauce served on the side. The only thing I noticed would be the inconsistent presentation of the gyoza because some of them are easily torn apart. But nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. | TOFU STEAK (Php 235) This healthy protein-packed cuisine is surely not to be missed by health conscious people. Although added with pork, it is served mushrooms, strips of carrots, and chopped green onions for topping. The tofu was created light on the outside but really soft on the inside and sauce was not overpowering. They really did well on this one. | GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD (Php 290) This is one of the most enjoyable treat. This salad is a combination of chicken, lettuce, avocado, mangoes (I think!) dressed with roasted sesame. Surely another treat for health conscious people. | SALMON SASHIMI (Php 310) The orange colored raw fish really looks great and fresh to taste. No foul odor and did not tasted frozen to me. Although this is for personal preference, I would love to have the sashimi to have more thinner slices than like a box-typed one like a wagyu beef cube. But then again, this is a favorite. | CRISPY KANI MAKI (Php 290) This is the complimentary dish they gave us for mother's day celebration. The maki roll really great as the Japanese rice holds well the kani, mangoes and cucumber. On top of it was a combination of cripsy kani and tobiko. However, when you are about to it, either you start first with the roll and then eat the topping or vice versa. It is not a bad thing, they gave you an great serving! They also explained how you can get this for free with your meal, but cannot remember the amount. I think you must have at least Php 2,000 or Php 2,500 in total amount. I will update this if I received a feeback. | JAPANESE OMELETTE RICE (Php 275) Well, this is just a normal offering for me. If you do have kids who love eggs and ketchup, then this would be the best option. You could probably ask the chef to design it for kids to make them interested to eat it. | CHICKEN TERIYAKI (Php 290) This one tasted the same as the one on top of grilled chicken salad. I know the teriyaki sauce is normal, but really enjoyed this eating it with the chicken. The chicken was done well and did not tasted bland. | KATSU CURRY (Php 325) Japanese curry is my comfort food. I even cook this at home when I need to have a dose of it. The rice serving was perfect with some greens on the side. But, what could have work better, would be the katsu size, katsu preparation and curry taste. I felt that the katsu size is too small and thin for the given price. A lot of katsu stores and Japanese restaurants have the same price with a good quality size. About the preparation, the breading is somewhat not sticking to the pork, I am not sure, it could be the pork was frozen when it was cooked so water seeps out which makes the breading a bit untidy. If panko crumbs was used, then definitely was not able to notice it. Lastly, would be the curry taste. It was unique and probably made to match the Filipino taste. It tasted sweet to me with just a small hint of Japanese curry. I hope they make time to adjust the taste to match the authenticity of the Japanese curry. Level of spice is at 0 level but you can request for togarashi if you wanted it more spicy. | CHICKEN KARAAGE (Php 310) This offering perfectly goes well with the Omu rice. It was served with some chips on the side which makes kids eat it immediately. Both my nieces loves the chips on the side. And I have to admit, I also did enjoy it! Overall experience is really enjoyable. This authentic Japanese restaurant in Tagaytay City is definitely a must to visit when you are in the area. My family really enjoyed their food and what a great way to have a post Mother's Day celebration. Jya Mata Ne, Brie Instagram: @nonfoodienetwork | @itsmebrie_

No words can really express how much I love this cafe! It has everything I could possibly ask for: high quality beans, good natural lighting, minimalist interiors, white accents and a logo that appears in every corner of the cafe. I enjoy staying in cafes with eye-catching interiors, and I love how this one in particular manages to blend concrete walls and wooden furniture in such a clean and elegant fashion. What I usually get: Iced Spanish Latte - My fave!! I don't usually like super sweet coffee drinks but this one manages to be sweet without being too cloying. It has hints of this dulce de leche/caramel-type flavor. Americano - Also very nice! Even if the taste is strong & dark, it's also still very smooth. I could gush about this place all day but it's better if you go and see it for yourself! Highly recommended

The Ateneo Art Gallery has found a new home in the gorgeous Areté building! It's much more spacious now since they have like... 3 floors? As always, they have a nice and diverse collection. I enjoyed the gallery on the first floor because of the overall look and how the paintings and interiors complemented each other. They have special exhibits on display right now on the 2nd and 3rd floors. I don't wanna spoil anything, but this place is definitely worth a visit if you love art! They don't have an entrance fee too.

Parking is terrible in that there is no parking space designated for this restaurant. Cars just park along the street. There’s limited space so its best to go early to secure parking space. We had a nice spot beside the window. The staff members were quite accommodating. We went here thinking we would be underwhelmed. We ordered the ribs and the salpicao which were their alleged bestsellers. Both came with black rice. I was pleasantly surprised that the black rice tasted good. The beef of the salpicao was quite tender and juicy. It was seasoned well. I actually liked it and it went well with the black rice. The ribs, at first, smelled like something I would not like. It sort of smelled like curry. But when I had it together with the rice, it tasted good. They mixed something with the rice giving it a brownish color, I can’t quite figure out what it is but it worked! The meat was pretty tender. We also ordered their sisig. It was pretty good making me wish that the serving was bigger. Service took awhile because the place was packed with tourists. We were satisfied with our meal and we would probably go back next time. By the way, they also sell some products there for you to take home such as bottled delicacies, chocolates, native purses and the like. I plan to go back this week to check then out as I was hurrying to leave earlier today.

For the longest time, I've wondered how Balay Dako by Antonios in Tagaytay fares. I've been going to the fine dining spot for more than a decade now, about the same for the breakfast joint. Naturally, there's the inkling to try the new concept by the group. We're not really fans of going to a buffet and it doesn't help that the place is packed to the brim every weekend. It just so happened that on a week day, there was a company trip down in Batangas. On the way home, we would be passing by Tagaytay - so I grabbed the chance. 🍽️ First impressions, like a lot of the restaurants along the highway stretch, you have the parking area right after the gate before the actual restaurant which will have a view of the Taal lake and volcano. They have three levels, the main dining area, the second floor with verandas on the side and the floor doubles as a bar for drinks aside being another dining area. And there's a basement, which they open mainly on weekends for the buffet crowd or for private events. The look and feel of the restaurant is very homey, like when you're entering someone's old ancestral home. As you enter the lobby, 2 waiting areas flank the reception with the kitchen on the right most side, and the deli on the left most side. They have their house lechon chopping station, which you can order by weight, and a house made ice cream chiller for the warm days. As part of my odd-ball questions to the staff which I normally ask receptionists or wait staff (I'm glad that they gamely answered) - What does Balay Dako mean? It's actually Negrense for a "Big House" or "Malaki at Magarang Tirahan" which was the actual answer that was given to me. Now for the meal, you can say that I belong to the part of the dining clientele which doesn't really eat much, but am very choosy with what I eat. Aside from the obvious issue that eating either as an individual or as a couple - we don't get to sample a lot of food in 1 sitting, rather it ends up being different orders on different visits. Items ordered were the chicken inasal, the pork barbeque, sauteed baby squid in garlic and ginger and a glass of sago't gulaman. As expected, every entree was excellent! The chicken and the pork were both tender, grilled very well and not burnt. The squid is actually something very easy to mess up, since if it's under cooked, it becomes mushy, over and it becomes rubbery. As a fan of the garlic flavor, I liked the fact that it was practically over-flowing with toasted / roasted garlic. The flavor was there, tasty but not over-powering. Even the sago't gulaman is very much authentic, you can tell that it's house made and not made from syrup. Perhaps the only other version that I've tasted which trumps this one is the one made by Friends & Family by the Raintree Group. 🥁 Service is excellent, the ambiance is great, value for money - a little pricey, but at the very least, you don't feel ripped off paying for your meal. You have that notion that while you did pay a little extra for what you'd normally pay for - but you know you had a very good meal and you'll still return since you very much enjoyed the experience. In conclusion, you really have to hand it to Antonio's group, they opened their fine dining area before as a way to monetize their farm produce - they just kept growing and growing. I'd perhaps even say that Tagaytay City, if it would be known just for 1 restaurant - Antonio's would surely be part of that discussion. Maybe next time I need to brave the buffet crowd and see how they fare with the buffet setting. - kwokie -