Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Creamy Cashew Nuts of Coron Harvest

We were on our way to Kayangan Lake when one of our travel friends brought out some cashew nuts she bought from the town.

I tried it and I fell in love instantly. It’s crunchy and the saltiness and creaminess were just perfect for my taste buds. I immediately asked her where she got it and she said that I should look for Nanay Lita of Coron Harvest once we get back on the town.

And so I did.

Coron Harvest is just a tricycle away from where I was staying. Just hop on a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Coron Harvest. Don’t worry about getting lost since Coron is a small town.

Nanay Lita, has been in the cashew business for quite some time. She was able to raised and sent her kids to school because of her delectable cashew nuts.

She has also been featured in numerous local tv shows in the Philippines.

The process of making a cashew is quite simple based on her explanation.

They start by harvesting the cashew fruit (which by the way most people don’t eat) and then by removing the nuts. They then wash it, split it into two and then fry it on a big pan.

They’re also selling some sun-dried nuts which I didn’t try because they say that it’s a little itchy on the throat.

Next time you go to Coron, don’t forget to say hi to Nanay Lita and buy some Cashew Nuts for pasalubong.

Bistro Coron: Mind Blowing Flavours of Kinilaw

I just want to make a disclaimer first before I start telling you about the Kinilaw. This article is not a paid advertisement for Bistro Coron. Their Kinilaw is just simply mind blowing and I couldn’t get over it.

We started looking for a nice affordable restaurant right after we found the hostel. We walked around and found out that the nearest carinderia was not as cheap as we expected and they didn’t have any seafood during that time. We decided to go to Bistro Coron instead.

We ordered De Mare or Tuna and Calamari Pizza. I just got this information from another blog and the author was raving about it which aroused my curiosity. A small one is around 8 inches in diameter and will cost you around P199.

My bud ordered Tanguige Fillet in Buttered Herb and Lemon Sauce and I forgot how much it cost.
And I ordered Kinilaw which cost me P145.

The Tanguige tasted ok. Not really amazing but just ok. The flavour of butter complimented the tangy taste of lemon and saltiness of the fish.

The pizza was great. I didn’t get to taste the calamari though for some reason I don’t know.

And came the Kinilaw. I was never a big fan of Kinilaw. But I’ve tried it a couple of times in the past and it was just ok. So I wasn’t really excited to try it because I was expecting that it would just taste like the other Kinilaw that I’ve tried in the past. But I was wrong. My mind was blown away by the flavours. I couldn’t even describe it. The spiciness of some chilli peppers complimented perfectly the flavour of coconut milk and vinegar. The meat of the fish was just perfectly cooked by the vinegar. It was indeed “heavenly.”

That was definitely the perfect start for a nice vacation.

Make sure to look for Bistro Coron when you go to Coron, Palawan and try it for yourself.

Boracay's Jonah’s vs Starbucks

Jonah’s Fruitshakes and Restaurant has been in the island since time in memorial. I’m not a frequent visitor of Boracay but even before the first time I set my foot on the island I kept on hearing how delicious the shakes are at Jonah’s.

I remember the first time I visited Boracay last 2005, the first thing that I started to look for was Jonah’s. I did try their famous Mango Shake which I can say is very delicious and I also tried the Banana Choco Peanut that captivated my heart or rather my taste buds.

Last February 2010, I went back to the island and went to Jonah’s again for my sweet treat of Banana Choco Peanut, and as I was walking along the lit beach front of Boracay I noticed a familiar signage... “Starbucks”.

As a consumer and a big fan of sweet concoctions I got confused for awhile if I would go straight to Jonah’s or I would just stop at Starbucks. I decided to walk past Starbucks and head to Jonah’s for my day’s dose of sugar.

While sipping my shake, I couldn’t help but think on how long could Jonah’s survive the business, especially now that they have a very strong competitor when it comes to ice blended drinks.

Boracay does not only have Starbucks, but also other big and established restaurants and fastfood chains from Manila. Boracay became a small city-like island with white sand beaches. What would happen to the small enterprising locals then in the islands?

Well, it’s for us consumers to decide. Whoever you patronize will survive the competition.

Boracay’s Best Kept Secret

Boracay is known to be one of the world’s best beaches. The island offers a nice retreat to all who wants to relax, sunbathe and swim on its crystal clear waters. But apart from the usual beachcombing activities, Boracay also offers a gastronomically adventure for those who loves food.

There are lots of restaurants both beachfront and on the roadside that caters to all budgets. And one of my favourites dish in the island is the Chorizo Burger.

It’s made of grilled longganiza (pork sausages), glazed with sweet and spicy sauce. And to make it more appetizing, they also grill the buns.

This dish is usually priced at around P50 ($1) per sandwich but just walk around and you might find a stall that offers it for a cheaper price.

So next time you visit Boracay, don't forget to try the Chorizo burger. :-)

Iloilo and La Paz Batchoy

En Route to Roxas City

After more than 24 hours of waiting, we finally left Masbate for Capiz. It took us around nine to ten hours of sailing thru the mildly rough sea before we reached Roxas City.

The boat stopped on some sandy shores of some small islands to pick up sacks of dried fish. I presumed that those goods were to be sold in Panay Island and maybe it would reach our kitchens sometime in the future.

This is also one thing that I enjoy about travelling. I get to observe how goods are made, transported and sold in different parts of the country and the world.

After countless hours of sailing we finally got a glimpse of Panay Island. We entered a crisscrossing waterway lined up with lush mangroves. The view was amazing because you get to see some water birds such as herons and kingfishers flying near the mangrove trees.

As soon as we reached the port, we immediately boarded a tricycle that would take us to the terminal of vans going to different parts of Panay. Upon reaching the terminal I noticed that they have a direct van going to Boracay, but we didn’t took it yet because we were keen in seeing Iloilo and Guimaras first.

Some facts about Panay Island from Wikipedia

“Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the western part of the Visayas. Politically, it is divided into five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Guimaras, all in the Western Visayas Region. It is located southeast of the island of Mindoro and northwest of Negros, separated by the Guimaras Strait. Between Negros and Panay Islands lie the island-province of Guimaras. To the north is the Sibuyan Sea and the islands of Romblon; to the southwest is the Sulu Sea and the Panay Gulf.”

The Best La Paz Batchoy

After three or four hours on the road we then reached Iloilo City. It was a little late already and we’ve decided to take a jeep that would take us to the center so we could find a place to stay. We walked around the plaza near Nuestra Senora de Candelaria looking for a cheap hostel. Most hostels that we found were charging more than P700 per night for a double room which was way above our budget. We’ve decided to stop by Ted’s for awhile to rest (Ted's and Deco's: recommended by my Ilongga friend) and to try their La Paz Batchoy.

After a few minutes of waiting we finally got a glimpse of the famous batchoy. It’s like a feast for the senses. The smell got me really hungry and the saltiness and spices of the soup were just perfect for my taste buds.

by emzeee

(This batchoy is from Deco's, too bad we forgot to take Ted's batchoy's picture)

After the batchoy treat, we then resumed our hostel hunting activity and went to downtown for a possibility of finding a cheaper hostel, but we didn’t find any. We went back instead to the small hotel we saw along the way and got a good deal.

Vista Inn was a new hotel and their soft opening promotion was only P555 for a double airconditioned room which I thought was a good value for our money compare to the other hostels that we saw. The rooms were really clean and spacious and the staff were really nice and courteous.

One thing that I noticed as well when travelling around the islands was that it’s hard to bargain with the hostels unlike in some Southeast Asian countries I’ve been to. I don’t know why most hostel owners here would rather have an empty bed instead of a discounted bed.

After a long journey over sea and overland, we’ve decided to take some rest.

For more travel information about Iloilo, visit Gigs Ilonggo.

Zip Line and Chili Ice Cream

Kuya Omar, our tour guide in Donsol is well travelled around the Bicol region and he encouraged us to go to Daraga to see the Mayon Volcano and to try the Chili Ice cream in Legazpi City. We were both inclined though in staying overnight with Kuya Rigor prior that conversation and then we changed our minds and went instead to Daraga that afternoon.

The jeepney ride from Donsol to Daraga cost us P55 per person and took an hour and a half. We were then inside the jeepney and decided to transfer on top of it. The two tourists that we met in Donsol also joined us on top of the jeepney. It was such a fun and scenic ride. We passed by some local villages, schools, and markets and after an hour we saw the majestic Mayon Volcano.

It was such a sight to behold. Me and my buddy were just speechless with how beautiful Mt. Mayon is.

We arrived in Daraga around 5PM, and started hunting some cheap hostels around town. We met a tricycle driver that took us to the nearest and cheapest hostel which cost only P250 (around $5) per room with two beds and own bathroom (what a steal right!!!).

We went straight to Lingnon Hills the following morning to catch a nice view of the volcano. We then saw Globe Quest Adventure, an outdoor activities shop offering various tourist services such as rappelling, airsoft, paintball, zip line and ATV ride near the lava flow.

We signed up for the cheapest which is the zip line which only cost P200 per person. It was my second time to do the zip line but the first one was not that high. The zip line ride was exciting and the view was awesome and the pictures were even more amazing (LOL).

After the zip line, we hiked down the hill and went to the nearby zoo to take a peek at some animals. I love seeing animals though I hate to see them in cages.

Walking under the scorching heat of the sun was really tiring. We’ve decided to try the Chili Ice cream at Colonial Grill restaurant in Gaisano Pacific Mall in Legazpi. The Ice cream is creamy and a little spicy for my taste bud. I didn’t like it that much except for its novelty.

Another place that we visited was the Embarcadero in Legazpi City. It’s the center of nightlife in Legazpi where most young people hang out to drink and dine.

Time flew so fast, we barely noticed that we already spent three days in Daraga and Legazpi. We’ve decided that it’s time to move on to another place.

We took a boat in Pilar, Sorsogon that would take us to Masbate.