OUR AWESOME PLANET

Best Halo Halo in Town -- Razon's of Guagua, Pampanga!

Rate this post:

Razon's Halo Halo (P60). If you are a razon virgin, then you're missing on one of the best halo halo in town!

How can a simple mix of sun-ripened banana (saging na saba), shredded macapuno, and leche plan with dayap rind taste so good?! It is as if they are blended into perfection that their sweetness does not overpower one another and the its taste is not boringly sweet. There is something with the mix of the ingredients, milk, and shaved ice that makes this the best halo-halo in town. Indeed, it is simple but excellent in taste!

I'm glad that they opened a small resto in Mall of Asia in the South side of the Main Mall. This is always a good choice for a merienda when you are in MOA. Check out this short post on Razon's in Mall of Asia.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Restaurants

You have to order and pay in the counter as you can see above. They only have a simple menu composed of filipino xxx-silog dishes.

The ambiance is also simple and it is like a fast food chain setup.

Dinuguan at Puto (P85). If you are a dinuguan and puto fan, you will never go wrong with this order.

Pancit Luglog (P60). This is one of their best seller because of its natural blend of red sauce with baby shrimps, egg slices, and topped all over with finely crumbled chicharon. I think the secret is in the noodle.

There a good reading on a short history of Razon's and a visual on a map of pampanga to show where Razon's started.


Related Post: Pampanga Food Trip- A Culinary Tour of Pampanga 1.0

The Legend Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant

Rate this post:

I'm always on a lookout for good chinese restaurants in the Manila area. Normally, I prefer not to blog about them because there are too many of them. Although if you are tired of always eating at Gloria Maris or Emerald Garden for that special occasion, maybe you might want to try out the new Legend Hongkong Seafood Restaurant in Boom na Boom complex in CCP. It has a nice ambiance for a chinese restaurant and the food is good chinese cooking by a Hongkong trained chef. This is their first store in Metro Manila but they have branches in Malolos, Bulacan; San Fernando, Pampanga; Tarlac and the most popular one in Angeles City. We treated my parents-in-law and the food passed their taste buds. I'll tell you that they are a great critique about chinese food (they know what good chinese food is) and they can certify that the food was cooked by what my father-in-law calls as a Hongkong Boy :)

Overall if you are looking for a good cantonese Hongkong-style chinese food, your budget is P300/head and you are escaping the madness in Mall of Asia, then it is worth to try out The Legend Hongkong Seafood Restaurant in CCP. Check this out!

Technorati Tags: Manila, Restaurants

The kitchen counter looks very clean and blends very well with the overall ambiance of the place that has predominantly wenge colored furnitures.

The resto has very nice windows, lamps, and you can reserve these private areas that has a window view.

I love the aquariums with this giant lobster.

and these ugly fishes...

I always commend restaurants that are kids-friendly with very nice high chair for babies. I would like to share with you this picture of Aidan who is very proud in holding this glass of water and he wants to drink in the glass by himself. This was a cute scene.

Lettuce Appetizer. Also kudos to this chinese restaurant for serving free healthy appetizers.

Fish Lip Soup (P250). This was superbly done specially with a dash of black vinegar.

Assorted Seafood in Hot Pot (P280). I cannot complain how delicious this hot pot is. But just remember that the pot is hot! (Trust me it was a painful mistake)

Steamed Fish Fillet with Ginger and Onion (P260). This was freshly cooked and in filipino, hindi malangsa.

Squid Salt and Pepper (P180). The squid was thinly slice and it was as if you are eating a fish fillet in softness.

The food critics -- my parents-in-law!! :) By the way, my wife saw one of her relatives eating in this place also and it is a good sign that this is a good chinese restaurant.

Just sharing with you my creative attempt on our family shot. I love this shot :)

MORE INFORMATION:
The Legend (Hong Kong) Seafood Restaurant
Boom na Boom Compound, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd. Pasay City
Tel# +632 833-1188, +632 833-3388

[BigBinondoBowl2] Culinary Secrets of Binondo!

Rate this post:

I've always wanted to explore the culinary secrets of Binondo. I always knew that Binondo has a lot to offer aside from the all time favorite Eng Bee Tin Hopia stop, or eating in the exotic Estero, or grabing a quick chinese fix from your chinese fast food chain like tasty dumpling or the usual President chinese meal. This tour is also not about the original Diao Eng Chay (popularly known as DEC) store or the famous Quan Yin Chay Vegetarian in Binondo. I got curious with the Big Binondo Bowl streetwalk tour by Ivan ManDy ever since Marketman's Binondo Food Tour post last Sept. 2005. There are a lot of articles already written about this tour and the background story about Ivan's streetwalks which I will not attempt to duplicate. What I like about this tour is that you can see and feel Ivan's advocacy on the Filipino - Chinese's rich history. At the risk of divulging the entire tour, I'll just give you a glimpse of the tour, the food stops, and try to compress the 4 hour streetwalk into one blog post. Hopefully it would also have the same effect that after reading through this post, you will say "So when is the next tour?"

Technorati Tags: Binondo, Manila, Philippines

The 4-hour streetwalk culinary adventure begins in the Binondo Church at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon. If this is your first time in Binondo, parking could be a challenge for you. My favorite parking spot is located on the right side of the street as you see Binondo church directly in front of you (when coming from Jones bridge). The parking lot has no name but it has this sign that says you need to park backwards. The tour begins with the history of Binondo and you can see how well researched this guy at par with Carlos Celdran.

Sidestop. The first side stop was a chocolate tablea store that manufactures them right inside their store.

The first reaction of people visiting this place is how could I missed this as I pass this chocolate store a number of times when visiting Binondo. Marketman has a nice write-up about this first stop and I quote:

"First food stop was a brilliant little chocolate tablea manufacturer, perhaps the last of its kind in Chinatown and a long-time (several generations) family run business. A modest storefront with just a few packages of tablea on display in their glass stand leads to a back room where the freshly roasted cacao beans brought in from Davao are ground up fine and cooked into a thick chocolate paste that is then dried on flat baskets stacked high. The aroma at this stop was simply amazing… it stuns me that I have walked by this storefront at least 15 times in the past 5 years and NEVER noticed what they were making within. I really have to keep my eyes open!"

Binondo's First and Only Themed Restaurant!

After all the formalities and mandatory food for the mind on the rich history of Binondo, we finally arrived at the first food stop. This is Binondo's first theme restaurant dedicated to the famous volunteer fireman organization in Binondo. Gerry Chua of Eng Bee Tin fame decided to setup this restaurant whose proceeds would go to the Binondo's volunteer Fire Brigade. You can see a lot of Fireman's hats and nuzzles along the walls and what fascinated me was Ang Sung's award winning photographs of the devastating Binondo fires. If you love photography, these photos are a must see.

Finally, the first meal of the tour is composed of Kiampong (fried rice with spring onion, pork adobo and adobo peanuts), complimented by a fish ball soup and the restaurant's famous iced coffee. Most of the chinese in the Philippines came from Hokkien ancestry and this is an authentic Hokkien style comfort food. The taste would be different from our usual cantonese style yang chow fried rice. I love cantonese chinese food and I now know what Hokkien food taste like.

Hole-in-the-wall "Fresh" Dumpling Restaurant (Voted as the best stop of the tour)

Don't be deceived by this unassuming 4 table restaurant from what Ivan calls BS chinese (bagong salta -- new breed of chinese that came over in the Philippines). This is undoubtedly the best stop in the tour and I have take homes to prove it.

This is the secret of the restaurant. Freshly made dumplings rolled before your very eyes. You can definitely differentiate the difference of a fresh dumpling from a long-time-frozen one. This is similar to eating fresh soft hand made pasta vs. eating the packed pasta you can see in the grocery stores.

Yummy Chinese Pancake! The only reason I'm not too hot about this is because it was fried but the taste is delicious.

This is the best dumpling I ever tasted! If ever I'm going back to Binondo, I won't go back to the usual fast food chain chinese restaurants. This is a winner :) I took a P100 worth of dumplings home and my wife equally loved it :)

Sidestop: Have you ever tasted an Ice Tea marinated chicken eggs?

Sidestop: One of the better merchandised up-scale chinese goodies store in Binondo.

Authentic Taiwanese Chinese Turo-Turo Resto

This is a favorite lunch place in Binondo because of its affordable value meals.

Cold Taiwanese Noodle with vegetables and peanut sauce --- this is the only cold noodle that I loved. It is vegetarian too so it is not true that the Big Binondo Bowl only serves fattening chinese food :)

Sidestop: Fear Factor style Chinese Medicine Store. These lizard lovers need to be eaten in pair.

Sidestop: There was also another side stop on the famous Fried Siopao of Binondo. It was OK different from your usual Siopao.

The grand finale: A secret Lumpia place in an Art Deco Building.

This place serves fresh lumpia that is authentic better than the Greenhills Little store lumpia. Although my wife would still say that her Amma's or grandmother's fresh lumpia is still the best! I would agree :)

Would you know where these restaurants are in Binondo? Thanks to Ivan for sharing these culinary secrets with us :)

MORE INFORMATION:
Old Manila Walks run on weekends.
+632-7113823 +63917-3291622
Look for Ivan or Cherry
email: oldmanilawalks@gmail.com
blog: oldmanilawalks.blogspot.com

[BigBinondoBowl1] The Mystery of Binondo...

Rate this post:

Binondo is Manila's Chinatown. As you passby Jones bridge into the plaza leading to the Chinatown welcome archway, you get transported into a different world. Ever since I was a kid, my mom used to bring me to Escolta during her PNB days and I've never understood and get to appreciate what Chinatown really is. The history behind it, the culture, and the oddities have always been a mystery to me. I've always been fascinated by Binondo but at the same time scared because of the horror stories that can happen with you in this place.

Thank you to Ivan ManDy, the self proclaimed Street Walker in Old Manila, who passionately organized the Big Binondo Bowl walking tours to show people what Binondo really is. You would completely feel safe when you are with Ivan in Binondo. Who wouldn't be, since Ivan seems to know half of the people in Chinatown. It is like going into a college campus where he would say hi to most of the people walking in the streets. I was always afraid to bring my huge camera with me in Binondo but during the tour, I really took the opportunity to shoot and shoot. The Big Binondo Bowl started as an architectural/ cultural tour of Old Manila but it got popularized into a culinary tour of Binondo.

Each of the Binondo scenes below have interesting stories to tell. I would not attempt to tell it since only Ivan can do justice to the stories. Check this out...

Technorati Tags: Binondo, Manila, Philippines

Lucky Charms. Ever wondered what are these for?

Buddhist Temple. Being a christian, you would always wonder what a buddhist temple would look like and why the temple is important to Chinese culture.

Post Office. Ever wondered why the post office is here and why chinatown is located across the bridge?

Binondo Church. This is the first time I noticed the paintings on top. Ivan gives you the story of those paintings.

Sandals and Slippers made in Binondo?

Altar/ Shrine on the street. This is the first time that I understood the what and why of this altar from Ivan.

Natural Medicines. Would you eat this even if this was the only medicine available to cure your sickness?

The Three Stooges in Chinese. Meet Shu (God of longevity), Lock (God of Virtue) and Hock (God of Luck).

[Mall of Asia 06] Ted's Old Timer La Paz Batchoy since 1945

Rate this post:

Ilonggo's are very proud of Ted’s Old Timer La Paz Batchoy and they opened their 6th branch in SM Mall of Asia! I'm glad that Ted's Batchoy is near Makati already so that it is easy to satisfy that craving for authentic Batchoy. What I love about it is they have a 100% beef Batchoy rather than just the pork version. Batchoy goes very well with puto manapla and it is also available here. Their menu is very simple and the ambiance is simple.

Now since this is in the Mall of Asia, it might be tricky to find this. I'll tell you exactly where it is.

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

This is the simple menu counter of Ted's Original La Paz Batchoy and even simple interiors.

In this big mall, Ted's is located in the first floor of the South Parking building. It is exactly in the corner where Pacifica and Marina Bay roads intersect. Simply, it is located in the southern most tip/ corner in the photo above.

[Mall of Asia 05] KKK -- OK!

Rate this post:

Sinigang na Lechon (P180) Malutong na lechon, sinampalukang sabaw with chichacorn.

I've visited Mall of Asia in search of new restaurants but apparently most of them will still be open in June. Although there was one restaurant that caught my eye because of its unique filipino interiors and K.K.K. was interesting enough to check out. But as expected since most of them are just in their soft opening phase, they were not able to cope up with the volume of people so expect slow service, some of the items in the menu are not available, and in our case, all the food that we ordered were too salty. What I love about it is that it is a Kapampangan Restaurant with a twist of Thai (very good concept). They also attempted to provide an innovation by putting Sinigang and Lechon together similar to the famous Sinigang Corn Beef of Sentro in Greenbelt.
The verdict: the food is just O.K. and I think the serving is too small for its price.

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

This is located in the entertainment mall in the ground floor. It is in between music hall and IMAX theater but nearer to the music hall side. The interiors where eye catching and I actually forgot to ask why the name K.K.K.. Hmmn, let me guess Kay sarap na Kapampangang Kainan? Help please...

Bacalao Daing (P230). with kamatis, piemento, patatas. This taste like salted fish in tomato sauce, quite similar to the taste of canned sardines. Interesting, but too salty!

Let us check the menu. I was hoping to eat another innovation which is sisig vegetarian but it is not available. I decided not to eat the famous stable food in Pampanga like Inihaw na pinadapang Hito with Buro, or Sisig Pampanga. As you can see from the menu, it should have been exciting enough to eat here and I'll give them a benefit of the doubt that it was just opening day. I'll check them out again.

[Mall of Asia 04] Everest -- The IMAX Film!

Rate this post:

If you want to say Lotse Face, Khumbu Ice Fall, South Col Route and Hillary step and recognizing what the prayer flags is all about with confidence and without blinking an eye, then Everest -- the IMAX film is a must see for you. For 45 minutes you'll be dazzled by the beauty of the Himalayan Mountain Ranges and the greatest of them all, Mount Everest. This is a documentary of a 1996 Everest Film Expedition (10 years ago) of David Breashears (director) who summitted Mount Everest himself to bring this documentary to life. The show debut last March 1998 and now finally it reached the shores of the tropical island paradise of the Philippines, yoohoo! The stars of the show were: Ed Viesturs (America’s leading Himalayan mountaineer; currently seeking to climb each of the world’s 14 highest peaks without supplemental oxygen -10 down, 4 to go), Araceli Segarra (First spanish woman to climb Everest), Jamling Tenzing Norgay (the tenth member of his family to climb Everest; his father, Tenzing Norgay, made the historic first ascent with Edmund Hillary in 1953).

It was a documentary of the beauty and danger of Mt. Everest. Fortunately and unfortunately they were a witness to the May 1996 Mt. Everest Tragedy which claimed the lives of eight people including the famous Rob Hall of New Zealand. It was emotional and educational at the same time. You'll truly appreciate how lucky our three pinoy climbers (Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata, and Romi Garduce) in climbing Everest and returning home safely as heroes! My P150 was worth it, and only the IMAX 70mm format can bring this kind of dramatic cinematography and I would agree that this is the next best thing than being in Mt. Everest yourself.

Please read this before watching this show: Ed Viesturs on IMAX Everest ( The Exclusive Mountain Zone Interview )

Again, after 53 years ever since Sir Edmund Hillary made the first historic attempt, we all should be proud that we have three (3) pinoys who were successful in climbing Mt. Everest! With only 2,000 who successfully reach the peak and a 9% mortality rate (186 died ever since), I'm glad our Pinoy climbers were not part of the mortality rate statistics. Congratulations again, Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata and Romi Garduce for bringing pride to the Philippines!!

Related Posts:

Superman IMAX3D Craze

[Mall of Asia 03] The First IMAX in the Philippines!!

Superman IMAX Experience!

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

[Mall of Asia 03] The First IMAX in the Philippines!!

Rate this post:

I was so excited about the opening of the IMAX theater in the Philippines that I summed up all the courage and patience to watch Everest in IMAX during the grand opening of the Mall of Asia last Sunday. Everest film was breathtaking (I'll cover Everest in a separate post) and you will truly appreciate the feat accomplished by Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata, and Romi Garduce in climbing the top of the world. The focus of this post is IMAX and I'll give you a sneak peak on what to expect during your first IMAX experience :)

Top 10 IMAX highlights:
-- You'll be awestruck by the sheer size of a 20m x 33m 8 stories high Wide Screen. I tried to capture the screen and give a perspective on how huge it is!
-- There are 560 seats in the theater and the show was sold out! Just see how big the theater is.
-- The rows are from A to P with A being the first row in front of the screen. Trust me, you don't want to be in A and we were seated in G but still it feels too close. My advise get seats near P and in the center around seat 20+.
-- There are two entrances in the first floor. The right entrance was supposed to be an entrance for seats 1-21 while the left was for seats 22-44. If you are on the wrong entrance, don't worry just tell the person that you don't mind entering the wrong entrance and walk all the way to your seat because it ain't that far to walk.
-- The exit was on the second floor at the back of the theater. I can imagine in an emergency you don't want to be stucked in the middle of the IMAX theater so make sure you position yourself near the exit. So if I were to watch again, I'll choose row P, single digit seats.
-- IMAX is located in the north side of Mall of Asia. So I suggest that you park in the north side open space. I'll posted a map of the mall of asia below to give you an orientation where IMAX is. You don't want to be caught parking on the south side, it is too far from IMAX.
-- The IMAX shows is only for 45 minutes compared to the regular 1.5-2 hours show.
-- There are two shows available that is currently showing the Nascar Racing which is a 3d show for P200 and Everest which is a 2d show for P150. Superman Returns will be showing in late June, so this is the movie to watch out in IMAX!
-- The IMAX Theater is sponsored by San Miguel and Coca Cola, so expect this theme throughout the theater. San Miguel Beer anyone during the movie? bad idea...
-- Food and drinks are allowed inside the theater. But please as a courtesy to the next people watching the IMAX shows, please clean your trash and put them in the trash can.

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

Please watch Everest and you'll admire how our Filipino climbers (Leo Oracion, Pastor Emata, and Romi Garduce) were very successful in climbing Mt. Everest.

You can buy your IMAX ticket in the theater itself but my advise is buy it in the second floor where there is a shorter queue. For perspective the second floor is where the regular cinema is, and they can sell tickets for IMAX also.

Is this the first San Miguel Branded Store in the Philippines? I would think so.

The Coca-Cola lounge. This reminds me so much about the theater lobbies in the US. Well done.

Aidan's first movie!! Imagine that and it was an IMAX Everest movie :) Fortunately, babies more than 12 months can be admittedly already in the theater. Unfortunately, you have to pay the same amount of P150 since he would occupy one seat, ouch!

Another perspective on how big the screen is and watching Everest here is the next best thing than being in Everest.

Here are shows currently showing in Mall of Asia and I posted it here so that you can plan your trip well.

In Everest, there is a 11am first showing, 2pm show (FEW above, this is the time I watched the show), 5pm, 8pm and 11pm Last full show. It alternates with 3d Nascar showing. I always 3d nascar next time.

Where is IMAX? OK, I'll orient you with this map. The South Parking (Yellow) faces the Church of the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Main Mall (Blue) is the center where it is directly in front of the Mall of Asia Globe. The Entertainment Mall (Green) faces Manila Bay. The IMAX Theater is located in the corner intersecting the North Parking (where the DELL call center is located) and the Entertainment Mall. There are open air parking spaces outside IMAX so find some parking slots there. I don't advise the 5 story parking towers... believe me this is the last place you want to park.

Related Posts:

Superman IMAX3D Craze

Superman IMAX Experience!

[Mall of Asia 04] Everest -- The IMAX Film!

[Mall of Asia 02] A Virtual Tour of the Grand Opening of the Mall of Asia

Rate this post:

This globe is now the official symbol of the Mall of Asia (MOA). If you notice, the Philippines is at the center of the globe and it sits proudly at the center of MOA. It opened yesterday, May 21, 2006 and a lot of people from different walks of life were there to witness its opening -- from the tsinelas crowd, to the middle class citizens and to the elite of Society. For those of you who decided to sit back and wait until the maddening crowd have settled down over the opening of MOA, I would say good decision on your part. You have to bring with you a lot of patience just to wait in line in the parking and elevators, or just walking around the mall because of the huge crowd traffic, not to mention the summer heat we are still experiencing. I'll give you a sneak preview of MOA...

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

I'm glad that Henry Sy dedicated to only build a two-story mall structure so as not to destroy the beauty of the place. You can see the roof of the place from the two 6-story parking towers in the north and south side of MOA.

Finally, an olympic size skating rink! At last, we can now play ice hockey in the tropical paradise of the Philippines :)

SOP was there during the opening in this open air Music Hall area in the Entertainment Mall with a view of Manila Bay in the back.

There is an overpass that goes from the entertainment mall directly to seaside boulevard which is where you can already see the 2km shoreline of Manila bay.

This is the open air south wing where they attempted to have ala greenbelt ambiance. But it was so hot and humid that you'll get sick from entering a hot open air south/north wing to the extremely cold airconditioned main mall.

This was the huge crowd divisoria traffic inside the main mall. I'm glad that we are still able to navigate Aidan who was behaved while sitting on his stroller in this crowd.

There are lots of game places like this and play houses for the kids. Truly, this is one big playground for the kids :)

Mango on the ground floor, with Zara right on top in the second floor. How can you go wrong with having a one stop shopping for fashion in MOA?

This is one of my rants about MOA. Why did they built the mall so close to the shoreline. I could actually argue that it destroys the natural beauty of this boardwalk with lots of cars as you can see. We never learn our lessons in Roxas Blvd when we build the roads so near the shoreline. Frankly this scene is ugly for me. I can now imagine how crowded the World Pyro Olympics will be this coming December...

Super SM Supermarket -- we did not bother to came in because of this maddening crowd by the entrance.

This is one of the nice view in the entertainment mall. Although the landscaping is still not perfect not even close to the landscaping of greenbelt.

Sunday mass is held here at 9am, 10.30am and 5.30pm so avoid this area during those times or you can just hear mass at 9am and be on time for the MOA 10am opening with free parking.

The First Imax Theater in Asia!! Thank you Henry Sy for bringing Imax in the Philippines, yoohoo!!

Related Post:

Shopwise Manila Now Open!! Not your usual supermarket :)

Piazza Serendra -- I can't Wait!

[Mall of Asia 01]The Rising of the Mall of Asia!

Rate this post:

What do you have if you combined the SM Mega Mall concept with Greenbelt's upscale ambiance plus the crowd at Divisoria during Christmas plus Manila Boardwalk's stunning view of Manila Sunset ? Simple, it is the grand opening of the Henry Sy's Mall of Asia! This is the much awaited opening for Filipinos since there is no doubt that all of us are a bit mall crazy. One good thing about this is that our mall experience just got better with a stunning view of Manila bay and one of the church that I love -- the Church of the Way, the Truth and the Life, nearby.

Here are the facts about mall of Asia:
- a total cost of P7 billion to build a 38.6 hectares mall sitting on a 60 hectare property.
- it has 500 outlets, including 180 restaurants which is the biggest in our country and this is the true One stop shop for all walks of life. Think of a restaurant or store and it will be in the Mall of Asia.
- There is an olympic-size skating rink where you can place hockey (nice -- I do hope this sport takes off) - a Music Hall, good for 900 seats
- a 13,000sq. m Super SM hypermarket
- The first Imax in the Philippines with a 560 seater and an eight-story-high theather with a 22m x 33m screen size! (which I will cover in a separate post)
- It has a view of 2-kilometer shoreline of Manila bay and stunning view of Manila's Sunset

This Mall of Asia series aims to provide an experiential account on the grand opening of MOA and what's in store for you in this mall. I have both raves and rants about this place and I plan to share this with you.

UPDATE 5/22/06 I wouldn't say that this is the biggest mall in Asia because the Siam Paragan in Thailand right in the heart of the city! It is a lot bigger because it houses a car showroom and you can buy your cars from here. Also, it was so hi-tech that I saw the first 3d TV in Siam Paragon! I don't think MOA beats that. But MOA has a great view of Manila Bay and no mall can boast about this in Asia :)

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

Congratulations Romi Garduce! 3rd Filipino to reach Mt. Everest! First P&G-er to reach Mt. Everest!

Rate this post:

Congratulations Romi for reaching the highest peak in the World!! We are all celebrating your success!! So now, the Filipino trio is complete-- Leo Oracion, Erwin Pastour Emata, and Romi Garduce -- the first three Filipinos who reached Everest! Also, It was funny to see the big boss in our Manila Service Center, Greg Clark on TV congratulating Romi. I'm actually validating with P&G management whether Romi might be the First ever P&G manager worldwide to have reach the summit of Mt. Everest. It would take a while to validate it but knowing the people and the work in P&G, I wouldn't be surprised if he is indeed the first manager in Procter and Gamble worldwide to summit Everest!! Congrats, pre!! 3 summits down, 4 to go :)!!

7 Highest Summits of the 7 Continents
Mt. Kilimajaro (Africa) 5,895m (1st climb-for-a-cause Sept. 2002)
Mt. Denali (North America) 6,194m
Mt. Everest (Asia) 8,848m (4th climb-for-a-cause May 2006)
Mt. Elbrus (Europe) 5,642m ( Romi attempted to climb this-- thanks Francis for the correction)
Mt. Carstensz Pyramid (Australasia) 4,884m
Mt. Aconcagua (South America) 6,960m (2nd climb-for-a-cause Dec/Jan 2004)
Mt. Vinson (Antartica) 4,897m

Technorati Tags: Philippines

The Mall of Asia (Opening May 21)

Rate this post:

The much awaited and controversial Mall of Asia will have its Grand opening on Sunday May 21. There is a mall blessing by invitation only for all suppliers on Saturday May 20 but it is not open to the public. I can't wait to experience the new IMAX Theater -- woohoo! at last may IMAX na tayo... I'm sure not a lot of people know yet that MOA is opening so I'll be there on the first day. See you and hopefully I can take some pictures...

Technorati Tags: Philippines

[ElNido Palawan#3] Entalula Island, Your own private Boracay Island

Rate this post:

This is the best beach in the whole Bacuit Bay in El Nido :) This is a private beach where Lagen and Miniloc tourists can reserve this for a private lunch or dinner -- El Nido style. Lagen residents are given priority when reserving and since it is private, the people from El Nido town cannot visit here. So you need to take advantage of this and I suggest that you pre-arrange your lunch here because people who have been to El Nido would surely reserve this in advance. This is best if you have your friends or family with you and I'll guarantee you that you'll have an awesome experience here. I'll take you in on a closer look on the island.

Technorati Tags: Beach, Palawan, Philippines

Fine white sands with coconut trees and rugged cliffs as the background. Better than Boracay beach!

Aidan wondering around the beach. The white umbrella in the background is for the private lunch or dinner. Just imagine you have this island all to your self while you are dining El Nido style.

A closer look at the beach sand in Entalula.

[First Filipino in Everest] Congratulations Leo Oracion!

Rate this post:

"The Philippine Eagle has landed." www.philippine-everest.com

"Congratulations to the first Filipino in Mt. Everest, Leo Oracion!! Well done, the entire Philippines is celebrating your success and at last a Filipino is on top of Mt. Everest! This is a very symbolic quest for us, Filipinos and you are the official winner for the amazing race for the First Filipino to reach Mt. Everest. Let's not pretend that this is not a race, it is a race (why do you think there were 4-5 Filipinos suddenly climbing Mt. Everest all at the same time). A race in itself is not bad. It is very healthy because we, Filipinos, thrive in competition and this is where we give our best. We Filipinos love rivalries Globe vs. Smart, GMA7 vs. ABS-CBN2, La Salle vs. Ateneo, Pacquiao vs. Morales, and so on. This should not undermine the achievement of the other Filipino climbers who would also reach the top of Mt. Everest. After all, Mt. Everest is a personal journey and it is every mountain climbers dream to reach this highest point on earth. Lets continue to pray for Leo Oracion, Pastour Emata and Romi Garduce, (and the other 4-5 or so people) that they may be able to go back safely in the Philippines after reaching the highest peak in the world.

Technorati Tags: Philippines

As for Romi Garduce, he is a ribbon cutter and in his post on his thoughts on his E attempt, he said:
"I see that my role is also evolving, I've shared before that I see E as 1 giant door to open, and with it, other possibilities and adventure opportunities await. So now I see my role not just as a climber, but a gate-opener, a ribbon cutter. I may or may not climb the peak, but making the attempt alone already brings major significance in the history of mountaineering and adventure sports here, it means we are now taking on the challenge. "

So after conquering Mt. Everest, a Filipino needs to conquer the 7 highest summits in all the seven continents! After Romi is able to successfully climb Mt. Everest, he would have climbed 4 out of the 7 summits within a span of 6 years. Here is the scorecard:

Mt. Kilimajaro (Africa) 5,895m (1st climb-for-a-cause Sept. 2002)
Mt. Denali (North America) 6,194m
Mt. Everest (Asia) 8,848m (4th climb-for-a-cause May 2006)
Mt. Elbrus (Europe) 5,642m (completed)
Mt. Carstensz Pyramid (Australasia) 4,884m
Mt. Aconcagua (South America) 6,960m (2nd climb-for-a-cause Dec/Jan 2004)
Mt. Vinson (Antartica) 4,897m

A long way to go but this is a matter of national pride and achieving world class excellence in Mountain Climbing and Adventure Sports. So, we'll we see a race for the 7 summits, anyone?

[ElNido Palawan#2] Shimizu Island, El Nido

Rate this post:

This is what I love most about El Nido. You have your own private get away with no boats in sight and with the white beach all to your self. What is so unique about Shimizu is this is where you would go for snorkeling and a nature perfect photo setup. Make sure that you arrange a private lunch trip or a snorkeling activity in this place. I'll like to share with you a few more photos of this place and I'm starting to miss this already. After our El nido trip, all of us agreed to start saving up for another El Nido fund to go to this place in 2008 (hopefully)!

Technorati Tags: Beach, Palawan, Philippines

We decided to have our own private lunch setup here and with the trademark El Nido white umbrella. Actually, since we went on a peak period (May 1 Golden Week) there were a lot of local tourist from the El Nido town also visiting Shimizu. In this regard, it was actually awkward when we are eating with all the setup you see above while they are eating cowboy picnic style. You can see the two boats in the background but they left shortly after. So the lesson is: Go to El Nido during non-peak period or pre-arrange your private lunches way in advance.

Aidan actually enjoyed here because the water was warm and the saltiness was tolerable. The black rugged rocks and clear blue sky is perfect back drop for this family shot!

The rock at the back is the trademark of Shimizu island which I heard is named after the Japanese guy who owned club Noah.

Another view with the rocks in the foreground. Actually, this place was a perfect setup for a fun photo shoot. This is where we shot the FHM poses and these photos would remain private :)

[ElNido Palawan#1] El Nido- The Best Beach in the Philippines!

Rate this post:

Big Lagoon, Miniloc Island

El Nido is simply the best beach place in the Philippines! The beaches are so pristine and the limestone rocks feel like entering Jurassic Park. After 30 years of my existence, this is the first time that I was able to witness the grand beauty of this place. There are two ways to visit El Nido, either you get sent by your company on an official business, or you save up for it. I took the later route, and after saving for almost two years, we were able to visit last May 1 weekend. I was literally flabbergasted by its magnificent beauty and all of you who have been to El Nido can testify to this.

The place is the most photogenic beach I've seen and hopefully, I will be able to share with you the beauty of this place in this El Nido series. I've been looking for an experiential account on El nido in the web but found none. This attempt to document our 4 days/ 3 nights experience intends to showcase how to take advantage of the "El Nido escape" and give you the secrets to having a fantastic time in this paradise.

For people who will be visiting El nido soon, here are my top 10 tips for an awesome El Nido experience:

Technorati Tags: Boracay, Philippines

1). Go to Miniloc for that rustic vibrant vibe. Go to Lagen for that sophisticated charm. Miniloc is my favorite of the two because it is near the Big/Small Lagoons plus there are live corals/fishes right in front of Miniloc!
2). Before going to your trip, pre-arrange a private lunch at Entalula Island! This is the best island in Bacuit Bay :)
3). Don't forget to bring enough sun block lotion, Kodak underwater camera, waterproof bag, and life jacket (if you have your own).
4). Watch the sunset at Pangalusian Island sunset lookout point. The 20 minutes hike was well worth it!
5). Kayaking to the small and big lagoons is a must! I fell in love with this place and ensure that you have enough time to explore this. Bring your camera on the Kayak and this is where the waterproof bag will be helpful.
6). If you are going over a weekend and wouldn't want to miss the Sunday mass, you can insist on the resort to do either of the two options. Bring the priest into the resort or most likely, they would give you a ride to the El Nido town to attend the 7am mass. Please wake up early.
7). The Mangroves are very nice at dawn but you have to wake up at 4.30am in the morning to be able to catch the birds wake up and leave. Alternatively, you can go to the Mangroves at sunset and turn this into unforgettable bird watching activity for you and your family.
8). Go to Shimizu Island for snorkeling and this is the best photo spot. You can do your FHM fantasy poses here if you like. With its clean white beaches, crystal clear water, black rugged rocks, and clear blue sky as a background you have picture perfect memories.
9). Dive. Dive. Dive. The rich bio diversity in El nido is a must see specially if you are a diver :) And if you are not yet a diver and you plan to get a certification, I suggest you take advantage of the package the resort is offering on this since it is a lot cheaper to take your certification together with your El Nido trip vs. taking it separately.

10). The activity planners are very helpful in executing your planned experience. Although, with the high turn over rate of activity planners, they are not very reliable in designing the best experience for you. So, you have to take it upon yourself to do your own research on the activities and conceptualize your own unique beach experience.

[Balesin Island#3] What to do in Balesin?

Rate this post:

If there is one word to describe Balesin, it would be "relaxing". The idea is to escape from your busy life, relax and appreciate nature. In that sense, there's really nothing else to do in this island but bond with nature and with your love ones. There are sports facilities in the resort which you can enjoy which includes: Beach Volleyball, Table Tennis, Tennis and a 6-hole golf course. But for you to fully enjoy Balesin, here are my top 10 recommended things to do when you are in the island.

Technorati Tags: Beach, Manila, Philippines

SWIM. Enjoy the white sands beach and clear waters of Balesin.

WATCH. Make sure to watch the birds as they perform a song and dance for you.

RIDE. There are three ways you can explore the island, via their dilapidated jeepney, small banca, or by riding a bicycle. The latter one is the best (if you know how to ride a bike) where in you can really enjoy exploring the island at your own time and pace.

SWIM. again but on the other side of the island. There are lots of very nice beaches on the island such as the one above.

MASSAGE. Ah this is the best! The hilot massage is soo good but for P500 unfortunately. The other half of that goes to the resort manager and the other half to the therapist. Try to negotiate because even in Boracay, the massage is only P350!

BOATING. The only reason we tried boating in Balesin is because this is included in the package and we wanted to maximize it. It was nice to see this rocky tip but the waves on the other side of the island is normally strong so be careful.

EAT. Lots of fruits, buko juice and their home-made food. I'll stop at this because I don't want to rant about the food.

SUNSET. Ah, the beach is so perfect that the sunset is directly in front of Balesin Resort. Can you ask for more?

PHOTOGRAPHY. The island is photogenic. So for photo enthusiast such as me, Balesin is heaven for taking nice photos. It is also good to experiment and have fun with your shots :)

RELAX. Finally, just appreciate the trees, clouds, and the see. Don't think about the future or the past. Live in the present and appreciate the things around you.

[Balesin Island#2] Where in the Philippines is Balesin?

Rate this post:

This shot was taken 7 hours away (4 hours by land + 3 hours by boat) from Manila. The travel could be as short as 30 minutes by a chartered plane (imagine how expensive that would be). This was in the remote island of Balesin in Pollilio, Quezon Province and my Balesin series will give you a glimpse of this beach island paradise in the East.

The land trip was a 180kms, 4 hours drive from Manila to the Atimonan port. It sounds easy if you know or have been traveling to Bicol because this is 1/3 of the way to Bicol. You travel via South Super Hi-way --> Sto. Tomas, Batangas --> Alaminos, Laguna --> San Pablo, Laguna --> Tiaong, Quezon --> Candelaria, Quezon --> Sariaya, Quezon --> Lucena, Quezon, --> Pagbilao, Quezon --> then finally arriving at Atimonan, Quezon before Gumaca. (whew! that was long) All I can say is that follow the road signs going to Bicol so that you don't get lost in one of the fork roads. If you have been to the Viaje del Sol destinations then you are just 1/2 of the way to Atimonan. In the Balesin Brochures, it would say that this is 3 hours away ( they forgot to put "at night" ) but if you leave manila at 6am, I would guarantee you, it would take you 4 hours at least.

Technorati Tags: Beach, Manila, Philippines

We arrived at the Atimonan port Friday 11am and left on Sunday at 4pm. It cost me a total of P143 pesos for leaving my car at the port. Here are the breakdown of the fees:

Parking Fee -- P10
Entrance Fee -- P10
Terminal Fee -- P3
53 hours parking -- P125
Total: P143 pesos

I suggest that you bring a car cover to protect your car from the heat and as a deterrent for people who might be tempted to steal your car's contents. Although they say that the port has 24 hours operation so ensure that it is in front of the port office.

I just came from El Nido the week before (this will be a topic in a different series), so the sight of this boat was horrible. But it was huge and able to accommodate 30+ people plus luggages. It was safe and it looked sturdy enough for the 3 hours boat ride.

In El Nido, there is a culture of safety first where you always need to wear a life jacket (which are nice life jackets). Upon seeing these life jackets, I guess they are just conforming to the law to have them in the boat. Not sure though if they are reusable. They didn't even bothered to have us wear those life jackets. Maybe they knew that it would just be a waste of time distributing it since it would not be as useful as its purpose to save lives of the passengers. During our boat trips, I vowed that we will buy our own life jackets to bring with us when we are traveling via sea. Better safe than sorry specially for us who have kids towed and travels a lot locally in the Philippines.

This was the front of the boat and we joined the management group of Safeway who went to Balesin for their teambuilding. You can only see the horizon in front of you after 3 hours of sea travel! Ok, the travel could be shorten to two hours and 30 minutes if you leave early in the port before 12nn. At this point, all of us were wondering where is Balesin? You can only see a glimpse of the white strip in the horizon. We were excited and anxious to arrive in Balesin.

This was a heavenly sight! All of us were excited to see how white the beach was and we can't wait to jump right into the crystal clear waters.

Since it was low tide, we transferred to a smaller banca before finally touching the white sand beach of Balesin! Another comparison between El Nido, this banca was pathetic, but what can you expect. If you can see from the Photo, the Balesin resort does not have any assuming structure or dominating facade. It is just plain simple which is also what I like about this place.

There is no globe or smart signal on the island which means there is no cell site. The only phone working is a 5110 with a Smart sim located inside the structure above connected to an external antenna. You can see the antenna protruding on top of the structure.

The trees are well manicured I should say and blended very well with the beach front rooms.

This is where we stayed and this is already an old structure which is very evident as you walk inside.

It was an old electric fan powered room with wood flooring and old fashioned jalousies with screens. Imagine this, rats playing on top of the roof while resting, birds chirping outside, and insects flying around any light that they could see. Do I need to say more? One good thing though was that the beds smelled and looked clean and an excellente' room and towel service!! No complaints on that area.

The room has windows all around such that the winds pass through the room and gives you that cool sleepy effect. Every time we stayed in the room, either we are taking a bath or sleeping :) One problem though was that at night, people can see you inside so you had to bring down the roman shades to give you privacy but blocks the cool wind. Overall, the room was very comfortable and functional specially the toilets. I wonder why!...

Lets pray for Romi's Safety.

Rate this post:

It is funny to read all the controversies in the background supporting Romi's climb. Just read the blog comments and you'll realize that crab mentality is still part of our Filipino culture (sadly). Just read Romi's personal thoughts on his Everest Attempt. By the way, the official Romi Garduce's Mt. Everest climb blog have been sequestered already by GMA 7 (http://www.gmanews.tv/everest/blog/) to moderate the blog and hopefully the comments which gotten out of control in the original blogspot. Although this is not updated as we hope it would be, the GMA news live updates will together be our source of news of his Mt. Everest quest.

By the way, I've been to El Nido in Palawan and even the ordinary people are now praying and hoping for the best for Romi. The feeling is similar to Pacquiao's boxing match but what is astonishing here is that the ordinary people just got interested with Mt. Everest recently and still they are supporting Romi. Imagine the power of GMA 7 to influence the minds and hearts of the Filipino people. Also, not in my wildest dreams, that I imagine an IMAX theater would be a reality here in the Philippines and yet, it is set to open on May 21 with Mt. Everest as its inaugural show. Thanks to SM and GMA 7 for bringing IMAX to the Philippines!

Lastly, lets all include Romi in our prayers because this is a life and death situation specially when climbing down. Lets pray for our country that we may be united and remove the crab mentality mindset flowing through our veins. If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Romi's safe return.

Technorati Tags: Philippines

Top5 Bora Resto! [ The Bora Life #3 ]

Rate this post:

Prana Restaurant, Mandala Spa

Boracay is famous not only because of its sugary fine white sands and the what-happens-in-bora-stays-in-bora beach parties, but also for authentic and delicious cuisines from all around the world. These restaurants cannot be found in Manila, and they are only exclusively available in Boracay! Here are my top 5 Best Bora Restaurant that serves good quality food that you shouldn't miss when you visit this island paradise in the South.

1. Authentic Greek Cuisine @ Cyma Greek Restaurant, d'mall, Station 2
2. Spanish Food at Travesya @ Asya, Station 2
3. Portuguese Craving @ Banza Restaurant, Station 3
4. Italian Cuisine @ Aria Restaurant d'mall, Station 2
5. Vegetarian Cuisine @ Prana Restaurant, Mandala Spa, Station 3

These are upscale restos that served good quality food that you wouldn't mind paying for additional premium. Check these out...

Technorati Tags: Beach, Philippines, Boracay, Restaurants

1. Authentic Greek Cuisine @ Cyma Greek Restaurant, d'mall, Station 2


Family Style Greek Salad (P290). Greens, Red cabbage, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, Feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spring onions, olives, bow tie pasta and dill served with summer herb vinaigrette and traditional Greek vinaigrette. (serves 3-4 people). I judge a good greek restaurant via how good their greek salad taste. You would think that the ingredients are just simple but the secret to Greek cuisine is the quality of the ingredients that are full of flavor.

The location of this resto in the mall is kinda hidden beside fruits in ice cream. My land mark is always hobbit house and Cyma Restaurant is directly in front of it. Just walk straight facing away from hobbit House and this is the resto that you should see. There are a lot of celebrities eating here if you are lucky.

You can eat simply for P300/head or you can easily order a lot of food and have a bill as big as P600/head. The CYMA Lamb Chops (P360) are the best! You cannot go wrong ordering their Specialities: Bifteka (Greek Burger) P195, Japanese Eggplant Mousaka (P220), and CYMA Roasted Crabs (P550).

2. Spanish Food at Travesya @ Asya, Station 2

Filipiniana Spanish Paella (P1,500). Good for 12 or more people, the paellas are a winner and other spanish delicacies that you are craving for. The Paella is not in the menu but it is served with chorizo, salted egg, and it taste almost like a complete breakfast paella. You have to set aside your diet to enjoy this one.

Travesia is actually located in a new Bali-inspired resort called Asya Boracay in the edge of Station 2 along the Alice in wonderland street. It is not a beach front resort but when you enter Asya, you can feel the Bali ambiance and it is indeed a "sanctuary of serenity" amidst the busy Boracay atmosphere. The restaurant is Dos Mestizos Spanish restaurant before who relocated temporarily in Asya over this summer.

Asya Resort (www.asya-boracay.com) has a swimming pool, wi-fi connection in the restaurant and a very nice courtyard garden (above). If you are walking along the beach, go inside Alice in Wonderland street where the Boracay Tourist Center/ PNP Station is located in Station 2.

3. Portuguese Craving @ Banza Restaurant, Station 3


Arroz de Marisco (P900) good for 2 persons. The Banza's claim to fame Seafood Rice -- Paella Portuguese style. I brought this back home as a pasalubong to my wife and she was very happy. This is really a super treat and don't leave Boracay without trying this. Also order the Bacalhau a bras -- Codfish cooked with egg and french fries (P420) and your dinner will be memorable.

This is the original portuguese restaurant -- O' Banza and I heard that they opened a new one called Portugalia nearer in station 2. This is along Station 3 so it would be a long walk almost close already to d' original Talipapa.

This is a dinner restaurant and don't be deceive by its empty seats during lunch time. Also, the Bacalhau would be finished at night and ordered fresh always in the morning in time for the next dinner.

4. Italian Cuisine @ Aria Restaurant d'mall, Station 2


Filipinos love Italian food (Pizza and Pasta!) and thank goodness for Aria for providing us a good Italian alternative right in the middle of d'Mall.

You cannot miss this in the d'mall because it is located in the center. This continues to be a must seen place to eat for pizza, pasta, and their tiramisu dessert. Lately, they have bands, and events in front of Aria so this is a very busy place specially during the weekend.

Your budget should be around P400-500/head when eating here and trying out the various pizza, pasta, and salad dishes. You cannot go wrong when you order in their pasta menu, and we specially like the amatriciana pasta.

5. Vegetarian Cuisine @ Prana Restaurant, Mandala Spa, Station 3

Pappa al pomodoro , P200+ a tomato soup rich in flavors and textures served with a slice of whole wheat bread. This is prana's trademark and some people just go to this resto to just taste this soup. This is a meal in itself and you'll be happy eating it because it is 100% healthy.

This is the overall ambiance of the resto located at the right sid