Pansit Batil-Patong of Tuguegarao

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Pansit Batil-Patong of Tuguegarao (P35) with Liver (P45)

Related Pansit Posts:
Pansit Batil-Patong of Tuguegarao
Pansit Cabagan of Isabella


It is highly recommended to go on a Pansit Food Trip when you are in Tuguegarao.

For such a little town, you can see pansiteria in almost every corner like Starbucks in Makati. The popular ones are Boks, Budjoks, Clare, Gretchens, and Natans. Ask any person in Tuguegarao and they would have their own pansiteria favorites. Don't worry most of them are the same in taste and they differ in the ambiance, cleanliness and service of the place.


The Tuguegarao Pansit is called Batil-Patong. The main ingredients are pansit miki Tuguegarao, cara beef, togue with an egg on top. Our Batil-Patong has these two slices of red hotdog as accent on top of the pansit. The miki is freshly made in Tuguegarao.


It goes very well with a sauce mix of freshly sliced onions, vinegar, toyo and lots of calamansi.


It is very affordable and very filling. As much as we want to hop from one pansiteria to another, if you finish one bowl you'll be guaranteed full for 4 hours.


Gretchen's Special (P40) is a slight variation of the standard Batil-Patong. The toppings are lechon carahay, chicken, mixed vegetables, egg on top and an option to have liver on top for additional P10. It is a fusion of Batil-Patong and Pancit Cabagan pansit.


Gretchen's was awarded as one of the cleanest pansiteria in town so we decided to eat here.

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Kaya Ng Pinoy

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Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao for beating Oscar de la Hoya! Also, Congratulations to Art Valdez for the launch of his Mt. Everest Book entitled "Live the Dream! The Saga of the Philippine Mount Everest Expedition Team Book "


This Everest Book should be in every Filipino household to inspire the next generation of Young Filipinos that nothing is impossible for us, Filipinos! The Everest book sells for P2,000. Please email me if you want to buy a copy.


It was very inspiring to meet the people the Philippine Mount Everest Team!


Art Valdez also announced his latest project of building the legendary Balangay to sail around the Philippines in 2009! I will do a separate blog post about the "Voyage of the Balangay" project.


On a personal note, my wife and I have finally survived all the white water rafting adventures in Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Tuguegarao, and Kalinga! We survived two Class 4 white water in Kalinga! Thanks to Anton Carag for an awesome weekend!

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Top Meals - Makati's Secret Bicol Comfort Food

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We love good food from the French Fine Dining Places to Hole-in-the-Wall restaurants. Our recent quest led us to Makati's secret place for Bicol comfort food. Top Meal Food Haus specializes on Bicol favorites like the Pork Binagoongan and Bicol Express. It is also popular for its Pancit selection which includes Pancit Lucban with Chili.

If you like Som's Thai restaurant in Makati, check out Top Meals Food House within its Makati neighborhood (at the back of Rockwell). There are 5 small tables inside and 2 small tables outside that can sit 2-3 people. You would see native artworks from Sorsogon around the resto and a single ceiling fan to cool the surroundings. Allegedly, this place is a favorite hang-out of Atenistas, Rockwell people and foodies.


Bicol Specials, Value Meals, and Sizzlers | Pansit, Drinks and Desserts

What I like about Top House is that it is not like a carinderia where the food is prepared in the morning and served all day. Most of the dishes are cooked when you order it so that it is served hot and fresh from the kitchen. It is best if Wilson Tan is in the resto because he will be the one to cook for you.


Ripe Mango Shake (P35) and Iced Milo (P20).

We tried out the cool drinks and it tasted like it was over diluted with water. For less than P40, you should lower your expectations on these drinks.


Bicol Express (P65) and Pork Binangoongan (P61)

Wilson's specialty is the Pork Binangoongan which is prepared with toasted alamang. The Bicol Express is made with gata and a good mix of fatty and lean meat pork. You can specify if you want your food to be really (chili) hot like how they enjoy it in Bicol. The serving plates are small (in proportion with the small tables) but its flavor is enough to compensate for its size.


Pinakbet (P64).
We ordered vegetables to go with the pork bicol specialties. It was a bit dry.


Halo-Halo (P59)

The Halo-Halo was a bit different because it had a slimy texture because of the Ube made with gata. In Tiwi Halo-Halo tradition, it was served with cheese sprinkled on top. The Leche Plan tasted like it was sugar free. This one is a matter of preference -- I like it because it has its own character, while my wife hates it because it was slimy.


Wilson Tan, a computer graduate turned into chef entreprenuer. You can contact him at +632 895 1249, or +63915-391 4571.



Top Meals Food Haus

5994 J.D. Villena St. cor. Mabini St. Poblacion, Makati.

The place is beside Estelle Salon.

(Villena St. is the street in the middle of Museo ng Makati and Rockwell, along J.P. Rizal)


Live an Awesome Life in God's Grace,

Text and Photos (Using a Canon Point & Shoot Camera) by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

P.S. Thanks to Elaine for the foodie Tip!

The End Times by Fr. Bill Halbing (Kerygma Conference 2008)

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Kerygma Conference 2008: Awaken the Miracle Within (US Stream Channel)

Video clips at Ustream

I would like to greet all OAP Readers, a Blessed Christmas to all of you!

Can you feel the cool Christmas breeze this morning? Did you see the smiling face formed by two visible planets and the crescent moon last night?

My family attended the Kerygma Conference 2008: Awaken the Miracle Within last weekend. I want to share with you my personal insights and things to ponder upon this Christmas 2008.

Fr. Bill Halbing's talks and homily touched me a lot. He is a parish priest of St. Andrews Parish in Newark, New Jersey. He is known for his insightful and down-to earth homilies laced with humor. Although not a Filipino, he always proclaims that he is a Filipino at heart. The Pre-Recorded US Stream above is his homily about the Signs of the End Times (starting from the Third sign).


All Five (5) Signs of the End Times are present now (based on the official Catholic doctrine):

1. Jews come back to the Catholic Faith. The Jews will start to accept that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

2. Gospel is preached around the World. More people will be preaching the Gospel all around the world. We will see the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Philippines and in the World.

Worry is a sin. If you truly believe in the Lord, you should not worry.

3. The Anti-Christ is Coming. Watch out for people holding a bible without preaching the gospel. Do not be involved with the Maisons.

4. A Period of Apostacy. The greatest sin anybody can commit is unbelief. We would see a lot of people falling away of the Christian Faith. Your kids are the greatest prey for Satan to destroy. Having a Tattoo is against the bible. We are living a world of Vanity.

If you are living in the spirit of the Holy Spirit, the best way to show it is by the power of Testimony by leaving your past life behind, accepting Jesus as your personal savior, and showing the world your new life.

5. The Great Tribulation. We are going to see the greatest tribulation on Earth. A period where People will not care anymore.


After the Great Tribulation, you will be judged on:
1. The Knowledge, The Grace, and The Opportunity God gave you
2. How You Love (as defined by Laying down your life for one another)
3. Everything We Said (if we inspire or lead people astray)
4. Did you Follow Your Calling?


Last Kerygma 2007, the Holy Spirit blessed me by letting me realize my calling. In this year's conference, the message is loud and clear to take my spiritual self to the next level by getting to know Jesus more and accepting Him as my personal savior.


Live an Awesome Life in God's Grace,

Text by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Ultimate Kapampangan Christmas Tour 2008

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(Ultimate Pampanga Tour Group Photo - October 2008. Photo Courtesy of Meg Koh)

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all Filipinos and Americans celebrating this special occasion!

I would like to personally invite OAP readers to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime Ultimate Pampanga Experience with Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks, Ivan Henares of Ivan, Spanx Enriquez of Manila Boy Blog, and yours truly.

Ultimate Kapampangan Christmas Tour 2008 |
December 20, 2008, Saturday | 7am to 12 mn

Why you should go this year?
1. A Kapampangan Christmas. Since our tour this year is close to Christmas, Claude is preparing a Kapampangan Noche Buena for us. Also, get to experience the biggest parol fiesta in the country :) See the Awesome Beauty of Pampanga!

2. Awesome 5-ways Lechon! Most of the Ultimate Pampanga Tour participants last October were raving about the 5-ways Lechon. You got to check out Ivan's post on the 5-ways Lechon: Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung, Everybody's Cafe and more from Pampanga

3. Meet Anthony Bourdain's Tour Guide in Manila and Pampanga. Two of the persons featured in the No Reservations Philippine Episode are no other than Claude Tayag and Ivan Man Dy! Get to bond with them during the tour.

4. Special Christmas Tour for a special group of 25 people only. We already have 17 reservations even before I market this tour. We are only looking for 10 more people to complete our tour this year. Join us now!

5. Plus Surprises! Here is a glimpse of what happened last year.

The Ultimate Pampanga Show-Off 2007
Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung - The Best Kapampangan Restaurant in Pampanga
a Memorable Ultimate Kapampangan Show-Off (7.30am-12.30nn)
Lunch with Claude Tayag and Among Ed (12.30pm to 4.30pm)
Ligligan Parul - Pampanga's Giant Lantern Festival (4.30pm to 12.30mn)

Tour Description
Journey to the central heartland as we immerse ourselves in things Kapampangan!

From Baroque to Betute, its fun-filled day as we poke around and get intimate with the very best of Pampanga's cultural offerings. Gawk at the jewel-box of church in Betis while wading through the lahar-buried town of Bacolor.

We'll stuff ourselves silly with the best Kapampangan fare by one of the country's best known Pampango chefs! To it cap-off, we'll have front-row view of the most dazzling display of Kapmpangan artistry- the Ligligan Parul Festival of San Fernando! A tour with nothing but Kapampangan cool!

The Tour Experience
Betis Church* Town of Bacolor* Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung Restaurant* Pampanga Specialty Shops* Giant Parul Festival in San Fernando* Plus Surprises

Rate: P4,800.00/head (full board, includes: transfers, meals,tour, Lantern festival seats and some SERIOUS food binging!)

Reserve Your Spot Online
Major Credit Cards are Accepted. No Need for a Paypal Account. The transaction is securely processed by Paypal. Plus your earn points from your Credit Card!

• Pay with:
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  Ultimate Kapampangan Christmas Tour
  P4,800/ person ($95 - Adult Rate)
  
  
  Ultimate Kapampangan Christmas Tour
  P2,400/ child ($45 - Child Rate 5-12 years old)
  
  (Note: Kids below 5 years old are free)
  
  
  
  

Brought to you by the Ultimate Philippine Brothers,

Anton of Our Awesome Planet,

Ivan Henares of Ivan About Town,

Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks and

Spanx of Manila Boy.

Text by Anton Diaz. Photo by Meg Koh. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Award Winners

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Congratulations to Ines Cabarrus and Elian Habayeb for the very first Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Awards!

The two big winners during the awards are Lolo Dad's for the Best Intercontinental Cuisine and Best Chef Ariel Manuel; and Colin Mackay for People's Palace - Best Thai Restaurant and Sala Bistro for the Best Bistro!

Most of my favorites won like Je Suis Gourmand for the Best French Restaurant; Elbert's Steak House for the Best Steak House; Terry's Selection for the Best Spanish Restaurant; Abe for the Best Filipino Restaurant (I like both Abe and Cafe Juanita); Old Swiss Inn for the Best Central European Cuisine; and Aubergine as the Best New Comer. MBKRS honored Larry Cruz with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Related Posts:
My Votes for the Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Award
The 2008 MBKRS Awards. And the winners are...


While I agree with 80% of the winners, I noticed that there are some "bias" despite the fact that it was voted by 75 judges who loves food:

1. Antonio's did not win any awards. One of the Top 10 restaurants in Asia according to Miele Guide did not win surprisingly.
2. All of the winners are located in Makati with exception of Spiral and Lolo Dad's which are located in Manila. The restaurants outside Manila did not stand any chance.
3. Zong the Fort won as the Best Chinese Restaurant? huh?
4. Sugi, which is owned by Ines' Father won the Best Japanese Restaurant. BTW, Ines and Elian are not part of the judging committee.
5. Although in the ballot, MKBRS put an option of Others, it did not matter because they were not even recognized during the awards night.

There were some bias because both the nominees and the academy of judges were decided by Ines and Elian. It would be helpful though if the names of the 75 judges will be published just to be transparent.

Update! Here are the list of the Judges who decided the winners below:
2008 MBKRS Awards Judges

Abba Napa – L’Opera
Amanda Griffin Jacob – Lifestyle TV personality
Anastacio de Alba – Alba’s Restaurante Español
Annie Nisce – Appetite Magazine
Anton Diaz – Food Blogger
Arnie del Rosario – Chaine des Rotisseurs
Audrey Carpio – Metro Magazine
Bel Castro – Manila Bulletin; Enderun Colleges
Boyet Sison – TV Personality
Cacay Moras – Lifestyle and Entertainment Specialist
Carrie Lagdameo – Je Suis Gourmand
Cecile Zamora Van Straten – Chuvaness.com Lifestyle and Fashion Blog
Chad Davis – Enderun Colleges
Chris Lacson – Habitat
Christine Nunag – F&B World
CJ Juntereal – Manila Bulletin
Coco Anne & Baby Imperial – B+C Design
Colin McKay – Sala and People’s Palace
Cristina Metelmann – Palato Fino
Cyril Ermita – Enderun Colleges
David Pardo de Ayala – Discovery Group
Dr Efren Vasquez – Café Juanita
Ed Quimson – Chef
Edward Simon – Photographer, Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets
Eri Neeman – WAVE 89.1 FM
Eric Kahn – Future Trade International
Ferdi Salvador – Discovery Group
Gabby Licauco – Powerbooks
Gene Gonzalez – Café Ysabel
Gwen Cariño – GJC Public Relations
Hossein Sohrabi – Hossein’s Persian Kebabs
James Aspinall – Call Search
Javi Berenger-Testa – Renaissance Makati City Hotel
Lexi Schulze-Testa – Media Personality
Javier Infante – Enderun Colleges
Jermaine Brown – Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets
Johnny Litton – Inquirer, Lifestyle Columnist and Host
Jenny Serrano-Silverio – ABS-CBN
Jose Mari Ugarte – ROGUE Magazine
Joshua Tiu – Zong
Katrina Tuason Cruz – ROGUE Magazine
Kimmie Assad-Lamata – Di’ Mark’s
Kitt Schroeder – Lemuria
Koby Parcell – Chocolate Fire
Lori Baltazar – Food Blogger
Lorraine Belmonte – Appetite Magazine
Louie Ysmael – Manila nightlife mogul (NUVO, Members Only, Silk)
Luis de Terry – Specialty Foods Expert
Mari Ressa – ABS-CBN
Marivic Diaz-Lim – Apartment 1B
Mark Jentes – PTFJ Ad Consult
Martin Wisniewski – Discovery Group
Mila Tan – International Food and Wine Society (Women’s Chapter)
Nino Laus – In Yo
Paco Magsaysay – Tuesday Dinner Group
Paul Huang – Fire Lake Grill
Pazzy Navarro – Pazzy Manila
Peter Jentes – Schwarzwalder
Pilar Barrenechea – Catholic Women’s Club
Rachelle Ismael – Appetite Magazine
Raymond Rufino – The Net Group
Rene Baltazar – Harbor View
Robert Spakowski – Restaurant Consultant
Rosanna Escudero – Cancer Research Advocate
Roxs Cailao – Katre
Santi Picornell – Entrepreneur
Sau Del Rosario – Kingdom
Sec. Joseph Durano – Department of Tourism
Sergi Rostoll – Barcino Gourmet
Sergio Menendez – CEMEX
Teddy Montelibano – Food and Travel Columnist
Thomas Wenger – Enderun Colleges
Tina Pamintuan – Celebrity Chef
Tita Trillo – Titania Wine Cellars, La Vigne
Tricia Tensuan – Enderun Colleges
U-Sec Oscar Palabyab – Department of Tourism
Vanessa Conanan – Enderun Colleges
Vanessa Fernando – Zafra Motors
Vanessa Vitrano – Galileo Enoteca
Werner Berger – Werdenberg Group


The MKBRS Awards Night Venue in Enderun Colleges

1. Best Italian Restaurant - L'Opera

2. Best French Restaurant - Je Suis Gourmand

3. Best Spanish Restaurant - Terry's Selection

4. Best Continental Cuisine - Lolo Dad's

5. Best Steakhouse - Elbert's Steak Room



The pioneers behind my favorite magazine, Rogue :)

6. Best Japanese Restaurant - Sugi

7. Best Filipino Restaurant - Abe

8. Best Thai Restaurant - People's Palace

9. Best Chinese Restaurant - Zong (fort)

10. Best Central European Restaurant - Old Swiss Inn


I can't wait to go to Thai Kingdom by Chef Sau!

11. Best Specialty Restaurant - Hossein's Persian Kebab (Makati)

12. Best Bistro - Sala Bistro

13. Best Enoteca - Barcino Gourmet

14. Best Fusion Cuisine - M Cafe

15. Best Newcomer - Aubergine


The lovely Vanessa of Galileo Enoteca (leftmost).

16. Best Restaurant/Bar - NU-VO

17. Best Wine List - CAV

18. Best Hotel Restaurant: International Buffet - Spiral (Sofitel)

19. Best Hotel Restaurant: Fine Dining - Tivoli (Mandarin Oriental) and Prince Albert (Intercontinental)

20. Best Hotel Restaurant: Specialty - Benjarong (Dusit)

21. Best Chef - Chef Ariel Manuel (Lolo Dad's)

22. Lifetime Achievement Award - Larry Cruz

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

After Lego Island, Enjoy Yoh-Gurt Froz!

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After your Lego Island adventure, you can treat your kid to a Yoh-Gurt Froz frozen yogurt inside Hobbes and Landes.


Yoh-Gurt Froz Classic Fro-Yo Plain Medium (P80) + 3 Top-Ins (P40)

Yoh-Gurt Froz has gone a long way from the first time we tried it in Mall of Asia. This was the first Fro-yo we tasted ever in Manila but we did not like it because they were using frozen toppings. The quality of the frozen yogurt has improved over time. The frozen yogurt is noticeably tangy with a lingering taste of powder milk (which I liked).


(Click for a bigger version)

I would recommend the popular fresh fruit combination of Strawberry, Mango and Kiwi! Next time I will go all white with Nata de Coco, Mochi and Cheese combination.


You can also play different board games and with other toys inside Hobbes and Landes. Setting up a Yoh-Gurt Froz inside was a brilliant idea :)

Hobbes and Landes
Bonifacio High Street
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

Related OAP Posts on Frozen Yogurt:
Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt - The Next Dessert Craze in the Philippines!
Sorry Ice Cream, I'm On My Way to Pinkberry!
Red Mango-licious
I Love Berries Frozen Yogurt -- The Best Froyo so far in Manila...
Ice Cream Bar (Flavors by FIC)
Yogurbud
The White Hat - Let the Fro-Yo Wars Begin in Manila!
The Buzz About Froyo's
California Berry Frozen Yogurt
Lulubelle
After Lego Island, Enjoy Yoh-Gurt Froz!

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

How to Surprise Your Kid with "The Legend of the LEGO Island"

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Most kids love and play with Lego at home. At home, we only have a few Lego blocks and Aidan would love to create a boat or an airplane. You would need a lot of imagination to create one just from a few standard blocks.


This is my cue to tell him a story of an Island entirely made of Lego in a far far away land...


Of Big Ships and a Shipyard entirely made of Lego...


An island where the citizens and buildings are made of Lego...


Legends of actual airplanes made of Lego...


I let him imagine what a lego gasoline station would look like...


Aidan's favorite is the helicopter and I would share stories about helicopters flying over the Lego Island...


If he loves horses, tell a story about a farm full of trees, corns pineapples and horses...


Or tell a story about MRT Lego trains around the island...

LEGO ISLAND CHARITY CAMPAIGN
Entrance is FREE to see the Lego Island Exhibit. It is a fund raising campaign for UNICEF and WORLD VISION to aid in their efforts to help the Filipino Children. (see: official mechanics)


For every P50 Donation, you'll get:
- a chance to guess the number of LEGO Santa Claus mini-figures in the Christmas Land
- the first (5) correct entries or the closest guess (without going over the actual number) wins a LEGO Set.
- all entries will be checked on January 11, 2009 and posted at hobbes & Landes Fort on January 13, 2009


For every P300 Donation, you'll get:
- one (1) raffle entry where you can win a Canon Printer or a Special Lego Set (2 winners every week), or three (3) Grand Prize winners of a Canon Camera and a Special Lego Set.
- a chance to build with a bucket full of LEGO bricks (which means you cannot bring it home)
- after building your LEGO creation, Canon will take your picture and post it on the LEGO Photo wall above and uploaded to LEGO Christmas Land.

(Warning: The website is just another LEGO marketing gimmick, the photos are not even uploaded immediately. I guess that is why there is no commitment on when it will be uploaded, maybe next year :)


For every P200 donation, you'll get:
- get and build your own LEGO mini Santa Claus OR Christmas Tree. (You can choose to build a Mrs. Santa Claus )
- after building your LEGO creation, Canon will take your picture and post it on the LEGO Photo wall above and uploaded to LEGO Christmas Land (asa pa :)
- the best part is, you can take home your LEGO Santa Claus!


Aidan with his LEGO Santa Claus! (at least, already uploaded in OAP :)


He was so happy and when we came home, he introduced the Santa to his LEGO friends at home.


LEGO ISLAND
Located in front of Hobbes and Landes in Bonifacio High Street Makati
Mondays to Thursdays 12nn to 9pm
Fridays to Sundays 12nn to 12mn (?)

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Takoyaki Man in Hana

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Why settle for anything less than the authentic Takoyaki? Manila is crazy over Takoyaki these days and I'm glad that Hana is selling an authentic Takoyaki in Little Tokyo.


Meet Takumi, the Takoyaki Man who has been cooking authentic Takoyaki for less than a month now in Hana.


Takoyaki (P100 for 6 pieces).

So far, this is the best Takoyaki for us, better than the New Hatchin Takoyaki. It uses a sweeter Okonomi Sauce with bits of Nori, Tenkatsu (dried fish), Spring Onions, and Kyupy (Japanese Mayonnaise) on top. The Takoyaki is also bigger than usual with red ginger, a secret Takoyaki mix, and a big chunk of Octopus inside.


We decided to eat in Hana. It is a smaller resto with 3 normal tables and 1 private Japanese table. Hana is famous for their Kakigori, a Japanese shaved ice dessert. The owner is a big fan of the Giants Baseball Team in Japan.

Hana Menu: Agemono, Tempura, Yakimono, Yakizakana | A La Karte, Salada, Donburi, Noodl, Gohanmono


Related Posts on Hana, Little Tokyo:
Urameshi Ya - One of the Best Yakiniku Place in Manila
Hana: Authentic Takoyaki in the heart of Makati by Kitchen Cow


HANA RESTAURANT
Little Tokyo
Telephone: +632 339-3855

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Going Crazy Over Japanese Ice Cream @ Yamazaki

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We are going crazy over Japanese Ice Cream these days. After your Japanese meal in any of the Japanese restaurants in Little Tokyo, I would recommend going to Yamazaki grocery to have Japanese Ice Cream for dessert!


The Japanese Ice Creams are freshly delivered every Saturday and Tuesday.


Our favorite is this Pino Ice Cream which is a chocolate covered ice cream that sells for P88 for 6 pieces. We were literally fighting over these little pieces of chocolate heaven.


Most people love this Azuki Waffle Ice Cream (P76.79) and it is highly recommended by my Japanese friend.


One Waffle Ice Cream is good to share with your love ones.


We also tried the Tiramisu Ice Cream (P81.25) but we did not like it because of its chocolate covering which tastes like old bread. We also did not like the Uji Kiniki (P69.64) that comes in different flavors like Green Tea because it was too sweet and has an icy consistency.


You can also buy other Japanese goodies in the Yamazaki Japanese Grocery Store.


Besides the grocery, you can also dine in. Yamazaki Menu: Ramen, and Set Menu | Teishoku and Drinks

YAMAZAKI GROCERY
2288 Fernando, Makati City
Besides Fuji Spa which is besides Seryna
Across Plaza Fair in Makati Cinema Square.

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Maruchan Dining - Seryna Japanese Food with Chinese, Korean, and Western Dishes?

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What happens when the owners of Seryna learned their lessons from their first restaurant and decided to open a new one? Welcome to Maruchan Dining! It is owned by partners Mizushima and Sachu Maru. I guess instead of the name Maru-san, they used Maru-chan instead (as in Jose Mari Chan? :).


Maruchan Dining is much bigger and can hosts big groups and families versus the Seryna location. It is a big two-story restaurant with the first floor as non-smoking, while the second floor as an entirely smoking floor. So don't be surprised if most Japanese would eat in the second floor. The main elements of its interior design are geographic patterns mostly of squares and rectangles. Wood is often used to soften concrete and the open ceiling. The tables are arranged in a formal setting for big groups of 4 or more.

Maruchan Dining Menu: Appetizer, Sashimi, Salad | Tempura Fried, Grill | Donburi, Gohanmono, Korean Food | Chinese Food | Fish, Vegetables, Noodles | Ramen, Ala Carte, Western Food | Drinks | Kaisen Menu

(I now understand my Japanese friend when he said that he did not like this "Japanese" restaurant. It is like finding a Filipino Restaurant in the US that also serves Thai and Vietnamese Food. The menu is not focused and I also find it weird to see Chinese, Korean and Western Dishes in a Japanese Restaurant.)


Chyashyu Men (P300). All Meat Ramen with Shoyu Sauce.

Thanks to Tim who recommended this Chayashyu Men in Maruchan. I personally like the dark but clean taste of the shoyu broth and the al-dente noodles that slides off your tongue. The four big pieces of meat slices surrounding the ramen are composed of layers of lean meat with the right amount of fat in between.


Kani Salad (P240)

Their Kani Salad differentiates itself from other Japanese resto by using more of the Shoyu Sauce instead of covering the entire salad with Japanese Mayonnaise. This salad is definitely healthy with Lettuce, Tomato, Egg and strips of Kani (crab meat).


We are happy that Aidan is showing more independence these days. He would insist on getting his own share of the salad and feeding himself.

Negima (P40), Bara (P50), and Toriniku (P40) Grill. (order Japanese rice to go with it)

Here is a simple guide to navigate your way through the Grill choices:

Tebasaki - Chicken Wings
Toriniku - Chicken Meat *
Negima - Chicken Meat with Onion Sleek *
Nankotsu - Chicken White Bone
Sunagimo - Balun Balunan
Lever - Liver
Kashira - Pigi ng Baboy
Torikawa - Chicken Skin
Tan Shio - Beef tongue *
Bara - Pork Liempo *
Shiro - Pork Intestines

* Recommended :)



MARUCHAN DINING
2282 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City
(across Kikufuji or Makati Cinema Square)
Telephone : +632 759-7777

Open Daily
11.30am - 2.00pm Lunch Time
6.00pm - 11.00pm Dinner Time

Happy Hour (Monday to Saturday)
11.00pm - 4.00am
3 Pilsen + 1 for P150 Only
Ladies Set (Fish or Meat) for P180 only

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

3 Tips on How To Have An Awesome Lunch @ Seryna

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Seryna continues to be the favorite Japanese Restaurant among both Japanese and Filipinos. I wrote about Seryna almost two years ago in this post: Japanese Delights @ Seryna, Little Tokyo. The best time to go is during lunch time when most of the Japanese restos would have an affordable set lunch menu. Here are three (3) tips on how to have an Awesome Lunch at Seryna.

1. RESERVE.

Seryna is quite small and has limited rooms. Call Seryna @ +632 8943855 to reserve preferably one week in advance.

2. KNOW WHAT TO ORDER.

• The lunch set menu is fixed at P320 all-in (I love it when restaurants put an all-in price in the menu).
• If you look at my previous post, the Kaisen Gozen is priced originally at P250 :)
• Seryna is famous for their Kaisen Gozen and the orange label on the menu says that there are only 30 sets available
• Gozen is like a set lunch meal where the items are put in different dishes. In a bento, it is put in a box type container.
• Yakizakana is grilled fish.
• Higawari gozen is like Gozen for the day and it changes daily.
• Makunouchi is a popular type of Japanese bento which consists of fish, meat, pickles, eggs and vegetables along with rice and an umeboshi. (source: Wikipedia)

3. ENJOY!

I would order the Kaisen Gozen which is a serving of fresh sashimi on a bed of radish with Japanese rice. The set comes with soup, salad, appetizers and dessert. At P320, it is still a very good deal. I don't think there is really a particular order on how you should eat it. Just Enjoy your lunch!


You can park in front of Seryna if you are early (around 11.30am). Otherwise, I recommend that you park in Makati Cinema Square basement parking.

SERYNA
2277 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City
Telephone: +632 894-3855
Fax: +632 894-3853
Email: info@seryna.ph

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

New Hatchin Japanese Grocery - Probably, the Best Japanese Grocery in Manila

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Authentic Takoyaki (P78 for 8 pieces)

New Hatchin Japanese Grocery continues to be voted by both Filipino and Japanese as the number 1 Japanese Grocery Store in Manila. It is famous for Fresh Sashimi, Authentic Takoyaki, and Dorayaki (A pancake with sweet red bean paste inside).

Their authentic Takoyaki is made of Octopus, Cabbage, Tempura Flakes, Benishoga (red ginger) with Okonomiyaki sauce, shrimp flakes and noni (seaweed bits) on top. Once you tasted an authentic Takoyaki, you won't settle for anything less than the authentic ones.


Fresh Salmon and Maguro Sashimi! (Depending on the weight it ranges from P100 - P200)

Make sure you have Japanese Soy Sauce and Wasabi at home. You can also buy that from this Japanese store. The fresh sashimi are only available during weekend.


Japanese deli treats (3 for P100) --

We bought the sweet egg, vegetable tempura, and seaweeds with vegetables just to try out their different japanese treats. We were disappointed because the vegetable tempura was soggy, and Rache did not really like the other two.


NEW HATCHIN JAPANESE GROCERY

Makati Branch
7602 Sacred Heart St. cor Metropolitan Ave
San Antonio village Makati City
+632 8977207/ 8905038/ 8901648
store hours 8 am - 7 pm

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

8 Things I learned About Home Schooling in the Philippines

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I'm seriously considering to home school Aidan in 2009. I would like to be one out of the 4,000+ Homeschoolers in the Philippines.


We attended the 2nd Philippine Homeschool Conference led by The Masters Academy Home School Program last Saturday. My quest for finding the best education for my sons (initiated by this post: Reedley International School), led me to conclude that Homeschooling is the best education that I can give the next generation of Filipino Leaders. Let me share with you some of my learnings and insights about homeschooling:

1. There are four (4) kinds of education in the country today: Traditional Education ( like Xavier, ICA, Ateneo and De La Salle); Progressive School (Explorations/ Keys, Raya School, Multiple Intelligences, Makati Gospel, Waldorf School), International Schools (Beacon, International School, Brent, Chinese International School, and Reedley IS), and Homeschool.

2. There are three (3) types of Homeschool: a. Independent (not affiliated with any program but gets the best from available modules), b. Local Homeschool Program (most popular would be The Masters Academy with bias on Christian teachings, and Catholic Filipino Academy with bias on Catholic teachings by Bo Sanchez), and c. US Based (like Calvert Home School Program).

3. Homeschooling is a privilege and a blessing. Not everyone can afford to homeschool because one of the parents needs to be full time in the Home School Program. Homeschooling is one of the opportunities I wanted to pursue when I decided to change career.

4. There are three (3) major reasons for Home Schooling: a. To give the best education at home, b. For Religious Reasons, and c. Because of poor learning environment at traditional schools. It would be wrong to do it solely for the purpose of cost savings.

5. Homeschooling is bringing a customized educational experience at home. This is the best definition of homeschooling and it aims to enhance the natural gifts of your child with academics as a foundation.

6. Here are successful case studies of Home-schooled kids, check out: Christopher Paolini who wrote Eragon, Tim Tebow who is the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, and locally, Paul and Carolyn Tan-Chi of Ateneo UAAP Basketball fame.

7 Three (3) Success Factors for a Home School program -- a. An Obedient Environment, b. a Nurturing Mother, and c. Parents as role models for the kids as demonstrated by the Holy Family:

" Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (See Luke 2: 51-52)

8. The no. 1 critical element for Home Schooling -- Jesus Christ needs to be at the center of the Home School Program to be successful.

Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Chef Peter Ayson and Raymund Magdaluyo's Texas Smoke 'Em

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Texas Smoke 'Em Menu: TSE Smoke house, Wraps, and Lucks | Small Blinds, Bonus, Drinks and Cocktails

Texas Smoke 'Em (or TSE for short) is the newest BBQ/ Mexican Fast Food Restaurant in town by Chef Peter Ayson (of Red Crab fame) and Restaurateur Raymund Magdaluyo. I'm not really a fan of any of the restaurant chains of Red Crab, Claw Daddy, or New Orleans. We decided to give this a try because we are looking for a good barbecue and mexican place in the Metro.



BBQ and Jalapeno Nacho Platter (P355 + SC)

We saw most of the tables ordering this Nacho Platter. We were intrigued by it, and decided to order it too but with the toppings on the side (for Aidan's sake). The choices of the sidings are interesting which includes jalapenos, black beans, cheese, cream, slices of chicken, and lime. It would have been better if we mixed it.


Two Pair. Jumbo Beef Reefs and Mixed Texas BBQ Sausages (P488+SC) with Black Beans Rice, Mexican Chorizo Rice, and Beans Soup

You can either choose from four types of BBQ: Baby Back Ribs, Quarter Chicken BBQ, Jumbo Beef Ribs, and Texas BBQ Sausages. Individually, they would cost around P300+ each so if you are two or more, it is better to order the Two Pair combination or the Full House meal (see: TSE Smoke house, Wraps, and Lucks ) It comes with exciting side dishes but we decided to stick with the small cups of rice. I love the black beans soup which reminded me of Beans in a sinigang broth.

You'll love the Texas andue and chili sausages which always come as a pair of long and short sausages. We were disappointed with the Jumbo Beef Ribs barbecue because the BBQ taste is only skin deep. Most of the orders are delivered immediately so you don't have to wait.


Overall, we think that it is over priced for a fast food type of barbecue place. If we were to go back, we will check out their mexican offerings. Please let us know what you think about TSE.

Texas Smoke 'Em
(located in the Cinema Area of Greenbelt 3 near the Red Box Side)
3/F Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati City
Telephone# +632 728-3056

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

My Votes for the Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Award

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I would like to share with you my perspective on my votes for the MBKRS Awards. I based my votes on the personality of the restaurant, the overall awesome experience it provides and the positive buzz it gets from the community.

The voting period ended last November 14, and the winners will be announced on November 26 in the Enderun Colleges at the Fort. Thank you to Ines Cabarrus and Elian Habayeb for including me as one of the judges.


What is the MBKRS Awards?

• The First Annual Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Award promise to be "the Oscars" of Manila's restaurant industry, and there are approximately 100 judges in total deciding the MBKRS Awards, made up mostly of restaurant owners, top-chefs, educators in the hospitality industry, hotel GMs, columnists and food critics, magazine editors, and other celebrities and reputable foodies.
• The awards are named after and inspired by the bestselling coffee-table book MANILA'S BEST KEPT RESTAURANT SECRETS, available at all major bookstores nationwide and now available internationally through Amazon.com.
  
• As a general rule, we avoid franchises and prefer family-owned restaurants, with few locations (preferably only one), not located in malls (or originating outside of shopping malls, before having moved to a mall location). All restaurants must have authentic quality food, excellent service, and a great ambiance.
  
• The MBKRS Awarding Ceremony is an invite only event that will happen on November 26 at Enderun Colleges, Fort Bonifacio Campus

1. Best Italian Restaurant
I voted for Bellini's because of the Italian personalities behind the restaurant and its warm family ambiance. a) L'Opera

b) Café Caruso
c) Bellini's
d) Amoroma (I've never been to Amoroma and I will review it soon :)
e) L'Incontro
f) Other: C Italian Dining (The number 1 Italian Restaurant for me is C Italian Dining in Angeles, Pampanga. But ever since Chef Chris Locher is not anymore connected with C Italian Dining, I cannot vote for it anymore. I'm surprised that the MBKRS Awards did not include him in the nominated list. )

2. Best French Restaurant
Je Suis Gourmand is probably one of the few restaurants that consistently WOW its customers and I've never heard any negative reviews about it.

a) Le Soufflé (Fort)
b) Je Suis Gourmand
c) La Cabane
d) La Regalade
e) Cuillère
f) Other: Cicou (Watch out for my review next week)

3. Best Spanish Restaurant
I don't really have a solid opinion on Spanish restaurant because my standard for good Spanish food is Chef Ed's Mestizo Spanish cuisine and Market Manila's Paella. . I voted for my favorite -- Terry's Selection (and it should be in Pasong Tamo Ext.).

a) Alba Restaurante Español (Makati)
b) La Tienda
c) Terry's Selection (Pasong Tamo Ext.)
d) Amalia's ( must confess that I've never been to Amalia so I will review it soon too :)
e) Casa Armas (Malate)
f) Other: Chef Ed's 21 Restaurant

4. Best Continental Cuisine
Antonio's is the Best Restaurant in the Philippines and Still the Best after all these years!

a) Chateau 1771
b) Sala
c) Aubergine
d) Lolo Dad's
e) Katre
f) Lemuria
g) Antonio's
h) Other: __________

5. Best Steakhouse
My vote goes to Elbert and the buzz is he is the undisputed king of steaks in Manila!

a) Fire Lake Grill
b) Mamou
c) Elbert's Steak Room
d) Myron's Place
e) Duo
f) Other: House of Wagyu

6. Best Japanese Restaurant
Seryna is the only Japanese restaurant that is loved by both Filipino Foodies and Japanese in Manila.

a) Sushi Tsumura
b) Tsukiji
c) Kai
d) Sugi (Greenbelt)
e) Seryna
f) Other: __________

7. Best Filipino Restaurant
Cafe Juanita's ambiance resembles a typical filipino home and serves authentic Filipino cuisine (not fusion).

a) Café Juanita
b) Harbor View
c) Abé
d) Laudico Bistro Filipino
e) La Cocina de Tita Moning
f) Other: Adarna

8. Best Thai Restaurant
I don't think we have a really good Thai restaurant in Manila. The closest would be People's Palace.

a) Silk
b) Azuthai
c) People's Palace
d) Kingdom (I can't wait to try this in Angeles, Pampanga)
e) Other: __________

9. Best Chinese Restaurant
Choi Garden in Greenhills and Golden Fortune in Binondo are the best Chinese restaurant for me!

a) Zong (Fort)
b) Hai Shin Lou
c) Gloria Maris (Greenhills)
d) The Good Earth (Fort)
e) Cantonese Kitchen
f) Other: Choi Garden

10. Best Central European Restaurant
I love Vieux Chalet because of the fresh ingredients used in the dishes, and spectacular view of Manila (from Antipolo)

a) Schwartzwalder
b) Old Swiss Inn (Makati)
c) Bianca's
d) Mickey's Deli (Makati)
e) Vieux Chalet
f) Other: Chateau Hestia

11. Best Specialty Restaurant
Nobody will beat the most authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Manila!

a) Hossein's Persian Kebab (Makati)
b) Ziggurat
c) Manos Greek Taverna
d) Korean Garden
e) Zapata's Mexican Restaurant
f) Other: Bawai Vietnamese Kitchen

12. Best Bistro
I voted Sala Bistro because of the quality of its simple dishes and its weekend Champagne Brunch.

a) Apartment 1B
b) Sala Bistro
c) Palato Fino
d) Chelsea
e) Di' Mark's (QC)
f) Other: Culliere

13. Best Enoteca
Galileo practically introduced me to the concept of Enoteca. My vote goes to them!

a) Galileo Enoteca (Mandaluyong)
b) La Vigne
c) Barcino Gourmet
d) Terry's Selection (Pasong Tamo Ext.)
e) Cav
f) Purple Feet (Wine Depot Makati)
g) Other: __________

14. Best Fusion Cuisine
The French Japanese Fusion of In Yo is the best in the Philippines.

a) M Café
b) InYo
c) Portico 1771
d) Other: __________

15. Best Newcomer
Ever since Aubergine opened, I only hear positive reviews about it and you can expect to have a good meal every time.

a) Aubergine
b) Purple Feet
c) Cav
d) La Regalade
e) Other: Lolo Dad's Brassiree

16. Best Restaurant/Bar
You should go to Handle Bar on weekends and see why this is the best restaurant/bar in Makati.

a) NU-VO
b) Piedra
c) Handle Bar
d) Cuisine
e) Brava
f) Other: __________

17. Best Wine ListI want to be a wine connoisseur someday...
a) Sala
b) Restaurant 101
c) Cav
d) Balducci
e) Lemuria
f) Other: Ralph's Wine Museum

18. Best Hotel Restaurant: International Buffet
I must admit that I'm biased towards Circles buffet. I'm doing an article on the best buffets in Manila in December (watch out for that!)

a) Spirals (Sofitel)
b) Paseo Uno (Mandarin Oriental)
c) M2M (Renaissance New World)
d) Circles (Makati Shangri-La)
e) Nielsen's (Manila Peninsula)
f) Café-on-the-ridge (Taal Vista)
g) Other: __________

19. Best Hotel Restaurant: Fine Dining
I'm not really a fan of Hotel Restaurants but if I were to go to one on a date, I would go to Red for its prestige and quality of food.

a) The Fireplace (Hyatt Hotel & Casino)
b) Prince Albert (Intercontinental)
c) Verbena (Discovery Country Suites)
d) Le Bellevue (Manila Diamond)
e) Red (Makati Shangri-La)
f) Tivoli (Mandarin Oriental)
g) Other: __________

20. Best Hotel Restaurant: Specialty
I can still taste the Chinese Dimsum Buffet in Li Li ... yummy!

a) Paparazzi (Edsa Shangri-La)
b) Li Li (Hyatt Hotel & Casino)
c) Spices (Manila Peninsula)
d) Benjarong (Dusit)
e) Inagiku (Makati Shangri-La)

21. Best Chef
The Best Restaurant in the Philippines also has the Best Chef.
a) Colin McKay (Sala)
b) Marivic Diaz-Lim (Apartment 1B)
c) Sau Del Rosario (Kingdom)
d) Ariel Manuel (Lolo Dad's)
e) David Pardo de Ayala (Discovery)
f) Marc Aubrey (Je Suis Gourmand)
g) Other: Chef Tony Boy Escalante

22. Lifetime Achievement Award
My only regret in my blogging life is that I've never met Larry Cruz when he was alive.
a) Larry Cruz (posthumous)
b) Margarita Fores
c) Gene Gonzalez
d) Anastacio de Alba
e) Other: _________

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Bungee is Out, Swinging is the "IN" Thing... (Caption This!)

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Edwin Sacdalan gave us a sneak peek on his latest crazy idea of doing a pendulum swing, high above the tree in Camp Sabros. I must admit, I did not have the guts to try it. Instead of Bungee jumping, you got to try pendulum swinging instead!


Caption 1


Caption 2


Caption 3


Caption 4


Caption 5

Tree Rappelling - The Latest and Most Raved About Experience in Camp Sabros

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The latest addition to the zip line adventure in Camp Sabros is the 80ft. Tree Rappelling. Most of the people I met who tried it, raved about it more than the longest zip line ride.


At the time that we did this, the attraction was only 2 weeks old. First you have to zip seated on your harness to the _________ tree.


The adventure is to rappel down the swaying 80-feet high tree via the Freefall Rapelling technique.


It looks so easy from this photo of Rache rappelling midway down the tree with no hands on the rope.


To go down, you grip a rappel device by your right hand which releases the rope steadily while your left hand guides the rope behind your waist.

Then you are hoisted back up with a machine. This is the scarier part of the adventure because at one point, you would feel as if the rope was cut loose.


A sigh of relief once you are back up in the tree.


Animo La Salle sign while wearing a blue shirt amidst a green pine tree background.


Finally, zipping back to the cable car ride....


As we walk to the cable car, we reflected on how awesome the adventure was at Camp Sabros ( which stands for SAcdalan BROtherS ).


This was the final cable car ride back to our normal reality.


On the way back, you get to appreciate the entire Mt. Apo view and the view of the trees below.


The best part of being the last person to do the rappel for the day is you get a chance to ride back with Edwin Sacdalan -- the maverick behind Camp Sabros.


Once Aidan saw us walking back, he started to run to meet and give us a warm celebration hug.

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

400m Zip Line - Longest Zip Line in the Philippines (or is it the 700m of Outland Adventure?)

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The second time around was more fun. Rache is more confident now to attempt the zip on her own.


We knew the drill and we felt totally safe. The thing that will scare you is thinking about "what if you fall?"


You need to relax and just fly like superman.




This is the first zip line which measures 380 meters in length point-to-point (which means it is one continuous line).


After the 380m, you hike up for a few minutes to a higher elevation to zip back on the 400m zip line.


This is a much faster and scarier zip line than the first. 400 meters is so far the longest zip line point-to-point in the Philippines.

The world record is 2 kilometers in South Africa (see Pronutro Zip 2000). Camp Sabros plans to beat that world record. Would you ride a 2km+ zip line?

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Flying Like Superman in Camp Sabros!

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Anton: "Do you want to fly like Superman, Aidan?"
Aidan: "Yes, Poppa."


Rache: "This is the first time we are doing this... Can we really do it?"

This was our first tandem zip line ride. There's no turning back...


All set to fly with Aidan riding on my back while holding on the cables.


Yes, we are flying! (Look at Aidan's face :)


Tandem Flying in the 380 meters zip line in Camp Sambros, Davao del Sur --- Our best family adventure to date! Priceless!



We rode a Cable Car on our way back while enjoying the a top view of the pine trees and a view of Mt. Apo.


We survived! (What a relief... I was really scared too...)

We live to tell Syoti about our family flying adventure. We will do it with Syoti next time...


We dare you to do it too :) (Please share your own Camp Sabros experience)

Camp Sabros
Cool highlands of Kapatagan in Digos City,
Davao del Sur

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Hairspray Moments

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(Left to Right) Nyoy Volante as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Dulce plays Motor Mouth Maybelle, Madel Ching as Tracy Turnblad, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as the villainous Velma Von Tussle, Tim Espinosa as Link Larkin

It's Hairspray Fever

When the Hairspray preview ended, we all agreed this is one musical show that Manila will talk about when it opens tonight in Star Theater. (see: Everything You Need To Know About Hairspray, Manila)

Michael de Mesa's portrayal of Mrs. Turnblad was both hilarious and believable. You gotta see Michael de Mesa in "drag" outfit :)

I would give the best performance for the night to Menchu's Velma Von Tussle. She portrayed the sexy, ambitious and evil beauty queen role quite well.  Her performance of The Legend of the Miss Baltimore Crabs was memorable and realistic.

I still can remember  Motor Mouth Maybelle's (played by Dulce) belting of her solo songs ala Witney Houston.   

Madel Ching as Tracy Turnblad and Tim Espinosa as Link Larkin

Madel and Tim's Love Team

Bravo to Madel Ching for successfully performing the role of Tracy Turnblad!  Her youth gives her the energy to dance (as if she was athetic) and to sing at the same time. She lasted the entire show with the same energy she started with. She was a little nervous during the opening scene but was able to gain her confidence towards the middle of the show. You gotta see her shake and shimmy dance! (Now I know why they chose Madel)

Tim Espinosa was a heart rob and I'm sure most of the teenage girls will fall in love with his performance.

Memorable Hairspray Moments

These are my favorite song and dance scenes in Hairspray:

Act I
Mama I'm a Big Girl Now - The Iconic Mother and Daughter Song/Dance Acts between Amber + Velma Von Tussle, Tracy + Mrs. Turnblad, and Penny + her mother.
Welcome to the 60's - You'll sing "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh" after this act

Act II
The Mr. and Mrs. Turnblad's Romantic Dance in You're Timeless to Me
The finale Shake and Shimmy dance!  ( I actually wanted to dance with them! )

What's your Memorable Hairspray Moment?


Monica Reynoso as Penny and Nyoy Volante as Seaweed J. Stubbs

I was surprised that Nyoy can really dance like Gary V! 

My personal favorite performance throughout the entire show was Monico Reynoso's portrayal of Penny - Tracy's best friend. I was smitten by her awkward performance, funny expressions and energetic finale dance. 

Comedian Gabe Mercado and Enchang Caimo's performances, as the Male and Female Authoritative Figure respectively, deserve a standing ovation. 

Thanks to Bobby Garcia for another awesome broadway musical show!

Overall, Don't be left out... You Gotta Watch Hairspray!

(see: Everything You Need To Know About Hairspray, Manila)

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

P.S. Please post a link to your own Hairspray Review in the Comments

5 Things You Need to Know About Star Theater

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1. Star Theater is NOT Aliw Theater.
I personally made this mistake of thinking that Star Theater and Aliw Theater is the same theater since both of the venues are beside Star City. Star Theater is located at the back of Star City while Aliw Theater is in front of Star City.

2. Star Theater is NOT inside Star City.
Star City is the entertainment park with different fun rides, and home to the Snow World and Dino Park attractions.

Read More About Star City:
10 Reasons Why Star City is the Place to be...
Snow World @ Star City

Star City Park Schedule:
Monday to Thursday : 4pm to 11pm (or 12 mn at the latest)
Friday to Sunday: 2pm to 12mn (or 1pm at the latest)

Star City Entrance Fees:
Star City Entrance Fee - P60
Snow World Entrance Fee - P160
Dino World Entrance Fee - P160
3 Cheers (3 Rides) - P250

Ride-All-You-Can (RAYC) - P300
Ride-All-You-Can (RAYC) with Dino World OR Snow World - P375
Ride-All-You-Can (RAYC) with Dino World AND Snow World - P450 (BEST VALUE)

3. The best seats in Star Theater are in Rows G to L.
For Hairspray, Lower Orchestra seats cost Php 1,200 (Rows A-I), Upper Orchestra seats cost Php 1,000 (Rows J-S), Loge seats cost Php 800 (Rows T-X), and finally Balcony seats cost Php 600 (Rows Y-Z). The best value-for-money seats are the Upper Orchestra (Rows J-S) because they have the best natural view and cheaper by P200. I would recommend buying the seats in J-K-L specially the center seats from seats 10-20.

4. Star Theater Recommended Itineraries

For Matinee Show (2pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday) - P2,500/person budget
10am -- Morning Massage/Lunch @ Wensha Spa (P1,000/head)
2pm/3pm -- Watch Hairspray ( 2 hours and 40 minutes) (P1,000/head)
6pm -- Ride-All-You-Can Star City with Snow World (P450/head)

For Evening Show (8pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday) - P2,500/person budget
6pm -- Dinner at Legend Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant (beside Wensha Spa) (P500/head)
7pm -- Park early to get good parking spots (FREE)
8pm -- Watch Hairspray ( 2 hours and 40 minutes) (P1,000/head)
11pm -- End the night with a Wensha Spa Massage (P1,000/head)

Don't Miss to Watch Hairspray, Manila !

Buy Your Hairspray Tickets Online Now from OAP!

November 22, Saturday 2pm (Seatplan)
Lower Orchestra P1,200 (Rows A-I) - $22 Special Online Price
Upper Orchestra P1,000 (Rows J-S) - $19 Special Online Price
Loge P800 (Rows T-X) - $15 Special Online Price
Balcony P600 (Rows Y-Z) - $11 Special Online Price

November 29, Saturday 8pm (Seatplan)
Lower Orchestra Php 1,200 (Rows A-I) - $22 Special Online Price
Upper Orchestra Php 1,000 (Rows J-S) - $19 Special Online Price
Loge Php 800 (Rows T-X) - $15 Special Online Price
Balcony Php 600 (Rows Y-Z) - $11 Special Online Price

Three Compelling Reasons Why You Should Buy Online!
1. You can earn credit card points on your Purchase. No Need to Have a Paypal Account if you want to pay via Credit card.
Major Credit Cards are Accepted.
2. It is cheaper and less hassle. We ensure that we pass on some efficiency savings to people who buys online. Shipment within Metro Manila is FREE courtesy of 2GO Express - The Official Shipment Sponsor of OurAwesomePlanet.com
3. It is secure because I'm Paypal verified. Paypal securely processes the Credit Card transaction.


Try it Now!

5. Parking is FREE in Star Theater !
If you are coming from Diosdado Macapagal Blvd or Buendia, turn right when you see this Star City Parking sign. Don't miss this turn which is at the back of Star City. If you miss this, you'll end up with parking slots in front of Star City. The street parking are operated by CCP Management and they charge P60.

Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Lolo Dad's Brasserie @ 6750

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When I was still courting Rache, I was looking for a cool restaurant place for our romantic date near La Salle. We were adventurous already back then but also we are budget-conscious. We saw a nice old house converted into a restaurant and we thought this might be a good inihaw place. We decided to go in and noticed there were only a few tables. When the waiter presented to us the menu, we realized that it was a Fine Dining Restaurant!

That was our first encounter with Lolo Dad's in Malate. We ate there when it opened (unfortunately I was not yet blogging at that time). The menu in the 1-week old Lolo Dad's Brasserie in 6750 looks almost exactly as the menu when they first opened in Malate. The key difference with the brasserie menu is that they expanded the menu with pasta and sandwiches options. The prices are still shocking but you are paying for good quality food.

Lolo Dad's Brasserie Menu
Appetizers | Soups, Pasta & Filled Bread | Main Dishes, Steaks, and Desserts

Lolo Dad's Brasserie is the latest (and hopefully the last) reincarnation of the corner restaurant in the prestigious 6750 address. This is the same spot where Giraffe, Dream Bar, Quisine and Gaster Deli (see: Gaster Deli-cious!) once stood. This is a favorite hang-out of P&G and Caltex people specially every Friday night. You can still see the remnants of Gaster Deli's chairs and ambiance.

You would notice that the ambiance is still boring. It lacks the homey Malate vibe of its main restaurant and it feels like it could use a few paintings and art accents. The table locations are also not ideal so you have to reserve in advance to get a good spot.

"Only for the Rich" Salad (P1,650 +SC). Combination of Diver Scallops, Lobster, Seared Duck Liver, Jamon Serrano and Cured Salmon with Mesclun greens in Pomegranate and Molasses dressing.

Lolo Dad's is famous for their salads (see Salad Menu) . We felt "rich" that day so we ordered the salad that we can share for a group of three. At first, it looked like a smorgasbord of all the expensive ingredients you can put in a salad -- lobster, foie gras, salmon and jamon serrano. Its "Only for the Rich" name has a double meaning of being the most expensive salad and having a lot of flavorful ingredients.

Each ingredient was cooked to perfection. However, the vinaigrette dressing was too strong for our taste. Overall, we were satisfied and the salad price was justified. (That rhyme is for you Aidan :)

Smoked Salmon Creamed Fettucine (P420 +SC) with grilled Pizza Omellet

I ordered the smoked salmon pasta. Everything seems to be perfect -- al dente pasta, right saltiness in the salmon, and clean creamy sauce. I appreciated the ingenuity of pairing the pasta with mushroom omelet on top of a flat crunchy pizza base. I also liked the clean 3D presentation of this pasta dish. It is very hard to complain about an almost P500 pasta dish if it tastes this good.

Prawn Rigatoni Pasta in Garlic and Olive Oil (P480 +SC) with Prosciutto and Aragula Toast

We finally met with a long lost friend, Cai and she ordered the Prawn Rigatoni Pasta. Check out the other pasta dishes (see Soups, Pasta & Filled Bread )

Lamb Chops (P1,100 +SC) with grilled fruits, and appropriate sauces, and a choice of Rice, Mashed Potato.

My wife Rache loves lamb chops which is one of the bestsellers in the house (see Main Dishes, Steaks, and Desserts). It is predictably good but nothing special. The presentation could be improved by using a different plate or being creative in its arrangement. The hollandaise sauce (white one) tastes like liquid butter and the au jus (black one) made of brown stock and rosemary complemented the taste of the lamb.

I was pleasantly surprised with the awesome dessert line-up in Lolo Dad's (see Desserts Menu). I would definitely go there just for the dessert. I would recommend a romantic dinner date in La Regalade or Hotel Cicou and then hop on to Lolo Dad's for dessert.

Chocolate Almond Segafredo (P200 +SC) Orange Popsicle and Berry Sauce

This is the best dessert for me. It taste like chocolate powder densely packed into a bar mixed with almond nuts. It is rich in chocolate taste and crumbles every time you bite into it. It is best to mix it with slices of oranges. The Dalandan popsicles are a must try!


Baked Cheese Cake (P250 +SC) Lavender and Honey Ice Cream with Fruit Compote

I would give this 5 stars for creativity. The cheese cake tastes like bread pudding with a pastillas consistently. We were turned off by the Lavender and Honey Ice cream which brings us memories of having a massage in the spa every time we tasted it. I don't know why this is one of their best selling desserts.

This is the best table in the house! When you reserve, request for the leather chairs with long backrest and insist on the tables in front of the restaurant. The particular table above is located in the front corner of the restaurant.

Congratulations to Ariel Manuel for a successful Lolo Dad's Brasserie opening in 6750! I hope to meet him one of these days with Aidan. (The shot above was taken at around 5pm and I was surprised that all of the tables were reserved.)

Lolo Dad's Brasserie
Ground Floor 6750
6750 Ayala Avenue Makati City
Telephone Number: +632 8136750 (Reserve!)

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

The Biggest Bargain Blog (BBB)

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I'm doing a soft launch of The Biggest Bargain Blog (BBB). I'm separating all my blog posts about Manila's best bargains and deals in the BBB Blog. This is where I also put some of my commercial posts and attractive promotions from different companies that are worth mentioning.

Check out my first few blog posts:
The Mango Outlet
Delifrance's My Secret Santa
Free Nike Running Clinic

If you noticed, I'm launching sub-blogs under the Our Awesome Planet franchise. As promised, I am keeping the Main OAP blog focused on Food and Travel Secrets. You can subscribe separately for The Biggest Bargain blog. I also put a link on the right sidebar for easy access to the blog.


Please feel free to let me know if you have feedback or other suggestions.

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Urameshi Ya - One of the Best Yakiniku Place in Manila

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Uramesi ya | Uramesi ya (Continued...) by Mrs Awesome Planet


As we parked our car near the Pasong Tamo entrance of Little Tokyo, I can't help but think of backing out and going to another place instead of Little Tokyo. This little Japanese town besides Makati Cinema Square transports you to a restaurant strip in Japan. Every time I enter the little red arc that welcomes you to Little Tokyo, I felt uneasy because I can't read Japanese and I don't know how to confidently choose among the different Japanese watering holes and restaurants.

Armed with a tip from a Japanese friend that the best Yakiniku place is hidden in Little Tokyo, we decided to proceed with meeting Chris (one of my best buddies in P&G) and his wife Sharon in Urameshi Ya inside Little Tokyo. Yakiniku is a Japanese term which refers to grilled meat dishes. Usually it is enjoyed with friends over long conversations and a few bottles of beer. This was the right place for our "reunion" meeting with Chris after his short expat stint in China.


Urameshi Ya is located in a little corner in the heart of Little Tokyo. A lot of Japanese frequent this place which is usually a good sign but since you are in Little Tokyo you can find mostly Japanese nationals in most of the restaurants. Since we already know where we are going, we can confidently refuse all the invitations from waitresses inviting us to eat in their restaurant. If you are on a date, you will get pogi points for being confident in navigating your way around Little Tokyo.


As you enter the restaurant, you'll see bottles of Japanese wine on your right and the bar on your left. You'll be greeted with a warm welcome by the Filipina waitresses who would accompany you to your Yakiniku table. I don't think you would need a reservation but I noticed that the place fills up quickly around 7pm. Better go there earlier so that you can choose the right table for your group.


Yakiniku 101. If you are a big group of 4 or more, try to order the Tarafuku-set (P1,545) or the Wagyu set (P2,665). You can supplement it with a seafood set or additional meat servings. You have to cook the meat yourselves and you can't rely on the waitresses during the peak hours. They would show you how to cook the first time and change the griller top once in a while. Budget P700- P1,000/ person when you eat in a Yakiniku place.

If you decide to eat here, check out the menu ahead of time:

Set Menu, Sashimi, and Tukemono | Yakiniku and Horumon | Jingsisukan and Nabe | Yakai and Salad | Yakitori and Ramen | Other Japanese Treats | Karubi | Drinks


The meals starts off with a sotanghon with a slices of squid? ball meat.


Filipinos love sauces and I particularly love Japaneses sauces like the Yakiniku sauce with chili paste called kujijang and fresh garlic.


A yakiniku experience is not complete without enjoying it with friends or barkada. Make sure that this is your last stop for the night because it is guaranteed that you will smell like grilled meat.


Tofu Salad (P190). Be prepared for the name dropping selling line that Gretchen Barretto loves ordering the Gyushabu Salad or this Tofu Salad. We were skeptical but we ordered it anyway. The greens were fresh and the tofu has a clean soft taste just like eating a white pillow of tasteless gelatin. The Japanese sweet and sour sauce adds magic to this salad and we can't stop raving about it.



Tarafuku-Set (P1,545). The set comes with three (3) plates of beef -- tongue, beef meat and beef karubi (beef ribs); two (2) servings of pork -- pork butabara (belly) and buta horumon (intestines); a bowl of Wakami (seaweed) soup; a small place of choligi salad; and a cup of rice. It is typically good for two persons but you can stretch it to up to three. Just order extra servings of Japanese rice.


Horumon Santenmori (P1,097). We also ordered the Seafood Set that consisted of two (2) pieces of prawn, four (4) big round pieces of scallops , and two (2) slices of squid-- all seasoned with salt and pepper.

According to Rache, "Timing is very essential in yakiniku style of cooking…especially with seafoods. Grilling it too long would be a no-no while taking it out the grill prematurely would be like having a gum in your mouth. "


Aidan was happy to join us and played around with the Japanese books. The place is not really for kids because you'll see a "different" kind of magazines.


I don't really know how to cook (at least not yet) so I let my wife Rache do all the cooking. The meats are already cut in bite-size portions and it doesn't take long to cook the meat. You need to have a perfect timing when to declare the meat is cook and ready to eat.


Karubi (P380). Finally, we ordered the featured Karubi meat which was highly recommended by the waitresses as one of the meat best sellers next to the Tarafuku set.


Enma Ramen (P160). We ended the dinner with the "devil's" ramen. You have a choice to order from a scale of 1 to 20 which represents degrees of chiliness. We went for the usual choice which is 5 (bearable) and how I wish I ordered 10 just for the experience.


The coating of chili was different. This is definitely a must try for all foodies out there who likes an adventure with their ramen.


Hana Flavored Ice Shavings
Aidan was demanding a dessert so we ordered the best dessert in Little Tokyo -- the flavored ice shavings from Hana. We got the peach flavor instead of their chocolate with banana bestseller because it was out of stock.


It was a great Japanese Yakiniku night! Thanks to Atsushi Matsuura for the foodie tip!

Urameshi-ya Yakiniku Restaurant
Little Tokyo Makati
2277 bet. Pasong Tamo and Amorsolo Street
(beside Makati Cinema Square) Makati City, Metro Manila
Telephone: +632 8132210

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Anthony Bourdain in Manila: Ivan Man Dy Exclusive!

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Our Ultimate Philippines' Brother and Street Walker, Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks fame was one of Anthony Bourdain's hosts around Manila. He is our main cultural tour guide for the Ultimate Pampanga and Tagaytay tours. He blogged about his Anthony Bourdain encounter in his blog post: On One Steamy Saturday Morning...

In this OAP Exclusive, I tried to get some juicy anecdotes and kwentos by sending him 10 Questions about the Anthony Bourdain encounter. Check out Ivan Man Dy's answers below:


Tony sampling local street food. Thank you bystander Christian Annonuevo for immortalizing this moment.

1. How does it feel like to be the person to tour Anthony Bourdain (AB) around Manila?

I feel giddy at the same time honored, it's only right now that I'm beginning to digest everything. I know Anthony Bourdain, and I used to watch his shows but never read any of his book (and it totally slipped of my mind that he is also a writer). In short, I didn't realize that he was demi-god in his industry. I'm glad I prepared and researched before the actual shoot .

2. What particular thing that you like about AB?

I appreciated his depth and spontaneity. Initially, I had this impression he was a man of few words but once you start the ball rolling and talk about food, he just delivers. I also noticed that there is a certain perceptiveness to him. I think this clearly shows how well-versed he is with the culture of food and to a lesser degree, in the things that surround him.

3. Can you share a sneak peak on AB's Manila itinerary?

I could do a tell-all right now of the repertoire right now for but I am only a part of the Manila segment. It was actually a two day-shoot and I only covered the 1st day. I think pre-empting what happened in the the shoot might just ruin the viewer's element of surprise when they watch the show and I don't want to be a spoil sport. However, in words of the show's producer, the menu I prepared for my Manila segment (3 places in total) went around the theme of being " gritty by tasty."

4. What was the most memorable moment you had with Anthony?

I spent a total of 4 hours with Tony during the whole shoot. Every moment and morsel was savored.



Shooting Prep. Getting ready to indulge!


5. What did AB like about Filipino Food?

I think what left a deep impression in him is how quite unexpected our culinary culture here as compared with our neighboring Asian countries. He did mention in our lunch conversation that he was not (yet) able to find an exact reference with regard to the Malay/ Chinese/ Hispanic melting pot ingredients that I emphasized in my presentation of Filipino cuisine. And then one day, I read an article on a local newspaper, he was referring to our cuisine as very 'New World. In my opinion, that summed up what he like about our food, perhaps initially confusing but at the end of the day, our flavors really mixed well and defined the essence of our culinary heritage.

6. What was the most exotic food that you let him try?

If you mean exotic in the instant-shock 'Fear-Factor' context, none. I feel strongly about portraying our culture (including our food) in a balanced and 'taken-in-the-proper-context' way. The big question, and I've seen a lot of comments out there, is that did Tony eat 'balut'? No, he did not. As much as I like this delicacy, I think its been negatively overused to represent Filipino food. Worse thing is, what they keep showing in Western television is the balut which we most of us (including me) do not eat - the over ripe one with feathers, beaks and all the scary half-fertilized membranes. And besides, Tony himself admitted that doing 'balut' again was so 'last week!'!

Taken in a different context, I think most, if not all, of the food I fed him was exotic in the sense that they were all new to his palate. And most of them are everyday food that I think reflected a typical Manileno's eating habits. Seen in a bigger spectrum, it's food someone from Apparri to Jolo would probablly eat. No frills, just the real deal.

Oh, and they are also dishes that I really like to eat.

7. Why do you think the producers selected you to be part of the No Reservations show?

I think this question should be addressed to the producers. I was only referred to them by my half-cabalen (from my matrilineal Kapmpangan side) Claude Tayag but I can tell you people behind No Reservations did a whole lot of back ground research ( I suspect I was also googled a lot) and did not just just take things from the tourist bureau as if the were gospel truth. Why they even asked me about ube hopia and one-day-old chicks! My hats off to the show's researchers for doing their assignment properly and picking people who were knowledgeable and passionate in their own fields. In total, I think we were six in all: two chefs, one popular food blogger, one famous local actress, the Fil-Am winner of the No Reservations FAN-atic contest and the only cultural tour guide, me.


After the meal. All smiles.

8. Can you share some anecdotes about AB's visit for all his fans out there?

He doesnt take too much to sweets. I tried offering halo-halo, didnt take it. I tried counter-offering mango sago, still no. And that was our own PHILIPPINE mangoes too, the best in the world! I guess to each their own really.

9. What can we expect from the No Reservations Philippines' episode?

I'm hoping it comes out really good. Diverse as our backgrounds were, I'd like to think that all those who were chosen for No Reservations Philippines had one goal in common, that is putting a positive light as well as giving a better understanding to this often misrepresented and misunderstood aspect of culture: food. That alone should make the show yummy! Watch out for it, I think it's coming out in the US early 2009.

10. Is there anything else that you want to share about AB's visit?

Tony, if you are reading this, next time you come back to the Philippines, Im making you eat spicy binagoogang baboy and buko-sherbet from Pampanga!

Text and Questions by Anton Diaz.
Photos and Answers by Ivan Man Dy. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Barbara Gonzalez' Lily Pad in Calamba, Laguna

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As we arrived in Lily Pad, I immediately understood why it was called an origami house. It was designed by architect Jorge Yulo with Lighting Design by Shoko Matsumoto. As we parked the car directly in front of the house, I saw Barbara at the door waiting to welcome the entire family. I literally dragged the entire family on a Halloween Friday and drove for 2 hours to Calamba for this historical encounter -- OAP meets Second Wind. (Second Wind is the title of Barbara's STAR column formerly known as Lily Pad Lectures)

I was a bit nervous and I'm trying hard not to show it. I don't think she knew who I was and I want it that way to have a very objective review about Lily Pad. I heard a lot about Barbara Gonzales because of her legendary J.Romero & Associates career and lately because of her creative writing classes. The moment I shook her hand, I knew she was welcoming us like her own personal guests visiting her artsy Calamba home and not as paying customers.

Lily Pad Index
Three Things I Love About Barbara Gonzalez' Lily Pad.
1. Meeting The Barbara Gonzalez
2. The Art of Lily Pad
3. Lily Pad Home-Cooked Meal
Prescriptions for an Awesome Experience in Lily Pad
How to get to Lily Pad



Lily Pad is the newest, out-of-town, by-reservation only, intimate restaurant in Manila. They serve home-cooked meals by Barbara's friend, Tina Tan for P1,000/ head with a minimum of 5 persons (preferably 10). On Saturdays, they serve Mediterranean with limited customization options and on Sundays, you can choose from the Filipino set menu. It is open lunch time only on weekends but you can reserve it for dinner and on a Friday depending on the arrangement. We were able to eat on a Friday because they were closed for the Nov. 1 weekend.

Is driving for 2 hours to Barbara's Lily Pad in Calamba to eat a home-cooked meal from a passionate chef for P1,000/ head , really worth it?

Let me start with the Three Things I Love About Barbara Gonzalez' Lily Pad.


1. Meeting The Barbara Gonzalez

The highlight of our trip was meeting Barbara. She welcomed us like her own personal guests. What I like about her is that she is very candid and direct to the point. I asked her about the story of Lily Pad and she told me that it was in the market for a while until her friend saw it and suggested to turn it into a "Sonya's Garden" kind of place in Calamba. I bombarded her with questions about her stroke, her mother's alzheimer's disease, and about what she thinks about the advertising life. She answered all of them candidly, without any hesitation and without a hint of being politically correct about her answers.


I did not even feel an air of celebrity or snootiness during our conversations. She would serve us and often show us how to enjoy a particular dish like putting Bacalao on top of the slices of French bread. There were moments of silence and she would often break it by playing with Aidan. I can honestly feel the sincerity in making us feel at home.


She entertained my mom with stories of her paintings which were all about her mother's Alzheimer's disease with her butterfly signature. They also connected on Barbara's stroke recovery story and how Ramon Tan's Carica products were instrumental in her breakthrough recovery.

At the end of our Lily Pad lunch, my mom agreed to sponsor my tuition fee to Barbara's Creative Writing Class (8 Saturdays) starting second week of January. (Yes!) Barbara also teaches Travel Writing in Sonya's Garden this coming weekend.
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2. The Art of Lily Pad
I'm glad that Barbara pioneered the Dining with Style scene in Calamba. Could this be the start of another "Viaje del Sol" effect in the Calamba area? I certainly hope so. Most of her paintings are hanged on the wall and she would quickly point out which ones are from the other artists she admire. You can visit the small gallery in the second floor. The theme is feminine with focus on images of beautiful women.


Her sold paintings are now displayed as post cards. They represent the Alzheimer's world of her mother. It is better for Barbara to tell you the story behind each of the paintings. (I don't want to spoil that experience for you)


The restroom can accommodate our entire family and it is as big as our one bedroom condo in Burgundy. I like the garden scene outside and how I wish I can have this restroom experience in our own home.


You are literally eating in the middle of the pond. You can feed the coi's and go around the garden while waiting for lunch to be served. The entire dining room has a matrix of rectangular glass views of the garden. The steel rectangular frames were made to have a wood-like illusion.

The house was named after the lilies that grow abundantly around the house.


Please specify to eat in this heirloom circular table which could easily seat 8 people comfortably and 10 people max.

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3. Lily Pad Home-Cooked Meal


For Appetizers, Bacalao or Gambas. The only thing I remember about Bacalao was how oily it was. I would suggest to go with the gambas instead not unless you really like Bacalao.


Crispy Dried Beef. In the original Lily Pad brochure, you have an option of Baked Clams or Chili Relleno. I'm glad she served this crispy dried beef with vinegar instead. It was so crispy that the dried beef shatters every time you take a bite like a pure meat chicharon. I kept on going back to take a piece, dip it in vinegar and munch on it as I go explore the different art pieces in Lily Pad.


The main lunch is served buffet style and the entire family agreed that the servings are worth more than the P1,000/ head that we paid for.


Arugula with Pesto Tomatoes. The arugula looked tired (maybe it travelled all the way from Manila).


Grilled Taningue. We were so thankful about the huge proportions of Tanigue (or is it spelled Tangigue?). However, thick slices really doesn't work for this kind of fish because the insides become dry. It becomes boring eating this fish after 2-3 spoonfuls. I do hope they can slice this a little bit thinner so that you can still get a juicy finish for this fish.


Duck for Oscars Farm. I like the crispy pata version of this Duck. I also like the entire story of where the duck comes from which is probably similar to appreciating the terroir of where a particular wine comes from. The plum sauce adds magic to this dish like what a good bagoong would do to a dull Kare-Kare.


Pasta with Mushroom Sauce. When we were counting the dishes on our way home to Manila, we realized that this pasta dish was added on top of what was promised in the buffet lunch. What a pleasant surprise because Aidan loves pasta. (BTW, I forgot to mention to Barbara that we have kids with us so I'm sure this was not added because of Aidan). The mushroom sauce was clean without any overpowering cream or other sauces.


Lengua. I'm glad she served Lengua instead of Mechado or Roast Beef. When I reserved, I did not specify my particular preference for any dish. I like it freestyle and I let them decide the best menu for us -- usually. Most of OAP readers would know that Rache loves a good lengua -- soft, juicy, tasty and oily. For me, my only criteria for Lengua is that it does not evoke an image of a live cow's tongue which is triggered when the meat becomes tough and dry when you chew it.

Rice. You have an option to specify to have the Clam Rice or the Jasmine Rice to go with your lunch buffet.


Apple Pie. One of the downsides of letting them serve what ever they like is that you regret that you should have specified to have the Pecan Pie instead of the Apple Pie. If you are a party of 10, they can serve the Pecan Pie and Apple Pie together. You also have an option of ordering the bread pudding.

For me, Apple Pie is enjoyed when it is served hot and ala mode (with a creamy ice cream on top).


Coconut Tea. They would serve Dalandan Juice, Softdrinks and the Carica Coconut Tea. You can bring wines for a P200 corkage fee. My intuition tells me not to trust their wine list.


Alternatively, Here is the Filipino Lunch Set

Appetizers: Crispy Shrimp or Tapa | Local Boquerones or Botarga
Lunch: Lato Salad | Crabs or Crispy Pata or Duck | Kare-Kare or Ginataang Pusit | Grilled Tanigue or Talakitok
Desserts: Glazed Banana or Kamote
Soda or Iced Herbal Tea | Coffee or Tea
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Prescriptions for an Awesome Experience in Lily Pad


There is no doubt for me that Lily Pad will be the IN place to dine-in this Christmas season. I would like to contribute to its success by giving suggestions on how the entire experience could truly be awesome. The place has a high potential and I'm already planning to include it in our Ultimate Laguna Food Tour in February.

Uniquely Barbara?

Aside from the dry Tangingue and the tired Arugula, we love our Lily Pad lunch and we actually thought that it was too much. There was an ongoing debate on whether P1,000 / head is something I would pay for a home-cooked meal. The debate erupted when we found out that Barbara was not the one who cooked it but it was her chef friend Tina Tan. (just a side debate, can anyone be called a chef if he/she did not graduate in any culinary school?)
The food did not have any of Barbara Gonzalez' personality. You would go to Lily Pad because of the "Barbara Gonzalez" brand and I would have expected to eat some of her favorite dishes or favorite desserts. She candidly would tell the story about how tired she was eating the dishes.

To make the dining experience truly something that you would rave about, I would like to eat something uniquely Barbara. Is there any particular dish or dessert she would rave about? Is there any secret Calamba dish that she can serve? Is there any family heirloom recipe that can be served in Lily Pad?


Dining under the Stairs and Bathroom.
I was surprised to see the appetizers served under the stairs and directly in front of the restroom. These are two places that have negative energy and you don't want to eat that kind of energy. It would have been more polite to serve it in the sala receiving area.


Drink-All-You-Can Fresh Dalandan Juice
It is an absolute No-No to run out of a delicious dalandan juice. We don't drink softdrinks. I think we only have on average 2 glasses of Dalandan juice before it ran out just when we are about to start our lunch.


Kitchen Ambiance?
I don't think that seeing the kitchen is cute. A divider to partially hide the kitchen would have been more appropriate. The maximum capacity of the dining area is 20 but I think it will be crowded already. The best experience would be to have the entire Lily Pad all for your group.


Makiling Greenheights Tour?
It would be lovely if you can tour around the houses and gardens in Makiling Greenheights. It would be nice if Barbara could rally the Makiling Greenheights community to make it a destination in itself rather than just Lily Pad. Maybe there is an awesome viewpoint of Mt. Makiling in the subdivision. A Makiling Greenheights ala Viaje del Sol map would be a good marketing tactic.


So going back to the question:
Is driving for 2 hours to Barbara's Lily Pad in Calamba to eat a home-cooked meal from a passionate chef for P1,000/ head , really worth it?
Yes, I believe it is worth it and I'm going back to try the Filipino Menu with a barkada group. Thanks to Barbara for accommodating our Family for 3-hours lazy lunch. Now, I'm sure she would get back to me with constructive criticisms on my writing. I'm excited to attend her creative writing class in January.

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How to get to Lily Pad:



Take SLEX, Calamba exit. (This is your LAST turnleaf exit in SLEX)
Go straight as if going to Calamba. (This is the left side of SLEX, the right side goes to Batangas)
On your right watch out for a sign that says ALTERNATE ROUTE TO LOS BANOS.
TURN FULLY RIGHT at intersection where you see a faded yellow sign advertising
SUNCREST LPG and LAONG-LAAN RESTAURANT with a lechon picture. (You won't miss this sign)
TURN (First) LEFT at next road to dead end
TURN (First) RIGHT for a short time THEN
TURN (First) LEFT again at a corner store called A.V. BAUTISTA TRADING.
Now you are on the SHORTCUT to Los Banos.
(An easier way to give the directions would be to just follow the jeeps and majority of the private cars)


Directly across the first SHELL STATION is
sign saying BARANGAY LA MESA
and an ad for SAN MIGUEL PALE PILSEN.
TURN RIGHT into this road.


Follow the concrete road to the top. (This view of the road is on our way back to Manila. You should see this kind of scenery)


TURN RIGHT then TURN LEFT into the gated community.
You are in MAKILING GREENHEIGHTS.
You are on MARJORAM ROAD.


Go straight until you see a big white cement origami house on your left.That is LILY PAD.
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Barbara Gonzalez' Lily Pad
Majoram Road, Makiling Greenheights
Calamba, Laguna
Telephone Numbers: +632 401-3558
Mobile: +63918-3624176 or +63917-8452902
Email: barbarac.gonzalez@gmail.com

Text and Photos by by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

P.S. I'm experimenting on a new blog post format which are long with navigation links instead of posts broken down into 3 blog post series. What do you think?

Hairspray, Manila: Still Undecided About Watching Hairspray?

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Two weeks to go, are you still undecided about watching Hairspray?

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HAIRSPRAY, MANILA!
1. What is the story about?
2. Star-Studded Casts
3. Madel Who?
4. Hairspray Songs and Dances
5. A Sneak Peek at the Hairspray Rehearsals
6. Why You Should Watch Hairspray?
7. When is it Showing?
8. Where is it Showing?
9. How to Buy Tickets?
10. Buy Your Tickets Now from OurAwesomePlanet!

Don't Miss to Watch Hairspray, Manila !


Buy Your Hairspray Tickets Online Now from OAP!

Hairspray Show November 22, Saturday 2pm (Seatplan)
Lower Orchestra P1,200 (Rows A-I) - $22 Special Online Price
Upper Orchestra P1,000 (Rows J-S) - $19 Special Online Price
Loge P800 (Rows T-X) - $15 Special Online Price
Balcony P600 (Rows Y-Z) - $11 Special Online Price

Hairspray Show November 29, Saturday 8pm (Seatplan)
Lower Orchestra Php 1,200 (Rows A-I) - $22 Special Online Price
Upper Orchestra Php 1,000 (Rows J-S) - $19 Special Online Price
Loge Php 800 (Rows T-X) - $15 Special Online Price
Balcony Php 600 (Rows Y-Z) - $11 Special Online Price

Email me anton@diaz.ph | Call me +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)



EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HAIRSPRAY, MANILA!

1. What is the story about?

Hairspray, Manila Synopsis (source: Official Hairspray Website)

The running time of Hairspray is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes, with a 15 minute intermission.

Hairspray is based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Hairspray is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.

In Hairspray, it's 1962 - the '50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion--to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her 'do? Only in Hairspray! Welcome to the '60s!

The musical features an original score by Marc Shaiman (who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) and Scott Wittman. Their songs take Tracy from the soundstage of a 60's-style dance show to the streets of Baltimore to a downtown rhythm and blues record shop.

Hairspray is the winner of eight Tony awards including Best Musical. It was recently made into a hit film starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah. After 2,641 performances and 31 previews, the 19th longest running show on Broadway history will close on 04 January 2009.

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2. Star-Studded Hairspray Casts

Michael de Mesa as Edna (played by John Travolta)

Headlining the cast is award winning film/television/stage actor Michael de Mesa. For the first time in his illustrious career, Michael will be playing a woman on stage as he takes on the role of Edna Turnblad, made famous in the original film by Divine, on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein and in the recent movie musical by John Travolta. Michael has been seen in numerous Atlantis show’s such as RENT, PROOF, TICK,TICK…BOOM!, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and, most recently, in DOGEATERS.

Dulce as Motormouth Maybelle (played by Queen Latifah)

Multi-awarded singer Dulce plays Motor Mouth Maybelle, a role that Queen Latifah made famous in the movie musical version of HAIRSPRAY. She gets to sing the second act power ballad I KNOW WHERE I’VE BEN. Dulce was last seen on stage in the musical HIMALA, and marks her 30th year in showbiz with her performance in HAIRSPRAY.

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Velma Von Tussle (played by Michelle Pfeiffer)

Musical Theatre sensation and now stage director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo returns to perform as the villainous Velma Von Tussle, played in the film by Michelle Pfeiffer. Menchu has appeared in many shows for Atlantis including PROOF and BABY and recently directed WEST SIDE STORY for STAGES. She continues to be one of the country’s most sought after musical theatre actresses.


Nyoy Volante as Seaweed J. Stubbs (played by Elijah Kelley)

Singer/Songwriter Nyoy Volante returns to his theatre roots in HAIRSPRAY where he plays Seaweed J. Stubbs. Nyoy recently released his fifth album entitled HEARTSTRINGS with the hit single BECAUSE. He last appeared on stage alternating with Jett Pangan as James Thunder Early in Atlantis’ DREAMGIRLS.


Leo Rialp as Wilbur (played by Christopher Walken)

Actor/Director Leo Rialp plays Wilbur Turnblad, Edna’s loving and devoted husband. Leo continues to juggle directing with performing and last appeared with Atlantis in DOGEATERS and most recently, appeared on stage in THE GOLDEN CHILD.


Also joining the cast are comedian Gabe Mercado who will be playing numerous roles as The Male Authority Figure, theatre veteran Enchang Kaimo as the Female Authority Figure and Noel Rayos, who returns from Hong Kong Disneyland to play Corny Collins (played by James Marsden).

Other cast members include Tim Espinosa as Link Larkin (played by Zac Efron), Christine Allado as Amber (played by Brittany Snow) -- performed with Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, and Monica Reynoso as Penny (played by Amanda Bynes) -- performed with Enchang Kaimo.

In the ensemble are Jordan Aguilar, Emy Alcid, Caisa Borromeo, Erika Cedilla, Red Concepcion, Gerlin Francisco, Bea Garcia, Crienna House, Yanah Laurel, Cheeno Macaraig, Michael Odoemene, Anthony Ong, Myrene Santos, Mark Tayag, and Lee Villoria.


HAIRSPRAY is directed by Bobby Garcia, choreographed by Cecille Martinez, Production Design by Gino Gonzale, Lighting Design by Shoko Matsumoto while Musical Director Archie Castillo will be conducting the FILharmoniKA orchestra.


And, introducing Madel Ching as Tracy Turnblad!
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3. Madel WHO?!?


Like most Tracy Turnbalds before her, Madel will be making her professional debut in Hairspray. She is a Junior at Ateneo de Manila majoring in AB Political Science. ( I can hear Ateneans cheering "Go Ateneo!" ) Having performed in school productions including High School Musical, Madel is thrilled to take on her first major role.

She says, "Girls like me don't get opportunities like this! Honestly, I feel like I'm the modern-day Filipina version of Tracy. A big girl with big dreams It's a little scary to take on a role this big, but I'm really looking forward to taking on the challenge of playing a character with this much spirit and energy."

We recently interviewed Madel after one of the Hairspray Rehearsals. Get to know her and watch the Video below:


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4. Hairspray Songs and Dances

One of the ways to enjoy watching Hairspray is to familiarize yourself with the songs and dances. Here are some links to You Tube videos of the original Hairspray movie, Hairspray song lyrics and a sneak peak of the Hairspray Manila rehearsals.

Hairspray Songs | Videos | Lyrics

Act 1
Good Morning Baltimore | Video | Lyrics
The Nicest Kids In Town | Video | Lyrics
Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now | Video | Lyrics
I Can Hear The Bells | Video | Lyrics
(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs | Video | Lyrics
Detention Grove | Video
It Takes Two | Lyrics
Welcome To The 60's | Video | Lyrics
Run And Tell That! | Video | Lyrics
Big, Blonde And Beautiful | Video | Lyrics

Act 2
The Big Dollhouse | Video | Lyrics
Good Morning Baltimore Reprise | Video | Lyrics
(You're) Timeless To Me | Video | Lyrics
Without Love | Video | Lyrics
I Know Where I've Been | Video | Lyrics
(It's) Hairspray | Video | Lyrics
Cooties | Video | Lyrics
You Can't Stop The Beat | Video | Lyrics
Ladies Choice | Video | Lyrics
The New Girl in Town | Video | Lyrics
Blood On The Pavement | Lyrics
Come So Far (Got So Far To Go) | Video | Lyrics

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5. A Sneak Peek at the Hairspray Rehearsals

Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now (Photos)

Welcome to the 60's! (Video)

Run and Tell That! (Photos)



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6. Why You Should Watch Hairspray?

I can't wait to watch Hairspray after this exciting interview with Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Watch it!


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7. When is it Showing?

HAIRSPRAY runs every Friday 8pm, Saturday 2pm/ 8pm and Sunday 3pm/ 8pm from November 14 to December 7, 2008.

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8. Where is it Showing?
Hairspray runs at the Star Theatre, CCP Complex besides STAR City.

The BEST seats would be the center front seats.

Lower Orchestra Php 1,200 (Rows A-I)
Upper Orchestra Php 1,000 (Rows J-S)
Loge Php 800 (Rows T-X)
Balcony Php 600 (Rows Y-Z)

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9. How to Buy the Tickets?

Please buy your tickets from the show buyers by contacting them directly! It will maximize their profit and this will encourage more show buyers in the future!

HAIRSPRAY MANILA SHOW BUYER'S DIRECTORY
Date/Time | Show Buyer, Contact Number, and Email

Opening Night
Nov. 14, 2008 Friday 8:pm | Timothy Liong +639178735405

Nov. 15, 2008 Saturday 2:00pm | Allan Marasigan +63917-4382299

Nov. 15, 2008 Saturday 8:00pm | Fritzie Villacorta +63917-8337489 email: fsioson@yahoo.com apvillacorta@globetel.com.ph

Michelle Chan Show
Nov. 16, 2008 Sunday 3:00pm | Michelle Chan +63917-5393369 email: masychan@gmail.com

Nov. 16, 2008 Sunday 8:00pm | Rosanne Unson +63917-8300312 email: rkrodriguez@gmail.com

Nov. 21, 2008 Fri 8:00pm | Atlantis Atlantis Productions at +632 892-7078, 840-118 c/o Ticketworld +632 891-9999

OurAwesomePlanet Show: Buy Your Tickets Now!
Nov. 22, 2008 Sat 2:00pm | Camille Bautista +63917-8908905, Anton +63917-5683627

Nov. 22, 2008 Sat 8:00pm | Shirley Alinea +63917-8903564

Nov. 23, 2008 Sun 3:00pm | Jill Pena +63919-3608974 email: jill_mari@yahoo.com

Nov. 23, 2008 Sun 8:00pm | Timothy Liong +63917-8735405

Andrea Go & Daphne Uy's Show
Nov. 28, 2008 Fri 8:00pm | Andrea Go +63917-8867968 email: andreanicoleuygo@gmail.com

Nov. 29, 2008 Sat 2:00pm | Theody Demaisip +63920-9326067 email: tdemaisip@fastmail.fm

OurAwesomePlanet Show: Buy Your Tickets Now!
Nov. 29, 2008 Sat 8:00pm | Joelle Ona +63920-9010863 email: jhorca@gmail.com; Anton +63917-5683627

Nov. 30, 2008 Sun 3;00pm | Jill Pena +63919-3608974 email: jill_mari@yahoo.com

Nov. 30, 2008 Sun 8;00pm | Janna Chua +63928-5024066 Roan Isberto 0918-9133793

Dec. 5, 2008 Friday 8:00pm | Ticketworld +632 891-9999

Bachelor Girl Shake & Shimmy Show
Dec. 6, 2008 Sat 2:00pm | Lorna Lopez +632 913-157 +63922-3875729 email: thebachelorgirl@gmail.com

December 6, 2008 Sat 8:00pm | Ticketworld +632 891-9999

December 7, 2008 Sun 3:00pm | Teody Demaisip +63920-9326067 email: tdemaisip@fastmail.fm

Closing Night
Dec. 7, 2008 Sun 8:00 pm | Mae Castro +63906-3414559

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10. Buy Your Tickets Now from OurAwesomePlanet!

Don't Miss to Watch Hairspray, Manila !


Buy Your Hairspray Tickets Online Now from OAP!

November 22, Saturday 2pm (Seatplan)
Lower Orchestra P1,200 (Rows A-I) - $22 Special Online Price
Upper Orchestra P1,000 (Rows J-S) - $19 Special Online Price
Loge P800 (Rows T-X) - $15 Special Online Price
Balcony P600 (Rows Y-Z) - $11 Special Online Price

November 29, Saturday 8pm (Seatplan)
Lower Orchestra Php 1,200 (Rows A-I) - $22 Special Online Price
Upper Orchestra Php 1,000 (Rows J-S) - $19 Special Online Price
Loge Php 800 (Rows T-X) - $15 Special Online Price
Balcony Php 600 (Rows Y-Z) - $11 Special Online Price

Three Compelling Reasons Why You Should Buy Online!
1. You can earn credit card points on your Purchase. No Need to Have a Paypal Account if you want to pay via Credit card.
Major Credit Cards are Accepted.
2. It is cheaper and less hassle. We ensure that we pass on some efficiency savings to people who buys online. Shipment within Metro Manila is FREE courtesy of 2GO Express - The Official Shipment Sponsor of OurAwesomePlanet.com
3. It is secure because I'm Paypal verified. Paypal securely processes the Credit Card transaction.


Try it Now!

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May you Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Atlantis Productions.
Rehearsal Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Antonio's - Asia's Top 10 Restaurant by the Miele Guide

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Congratulations to Chef Tony Boy Escalante's for being recognized by the Miele Guide as Asia's Top 10 Restaurant! I'm happy for him because I voted for him as my number #1 restaurant in the Philippines. The Miele Guide launched last October 31, Friday in the Miele Guide Gala Dinner held at Grand Hyatt Singapore. You can buy your copy online at the Miele Shop for $15 + Shipping $.

OAP Related Links About Antonio's Fine Dining Restaurant
1. Nothing beats an Antonio's Dinner @ Tagaytay!
This is my very first post last February 2006. Read this first because I shared the entire menu of Antonio's in that post.

2. Breakfast @ Antonio's "Halfway House"
A few months later, I wrote about Antonio's Breakfast which has now move to the original Antonio's fine dining restaurant.

3. Antonio's, Tagaytay -- Still the Best
When my brother was looking for a wedding reception venue, I took shots of the facade, ambiance and entire surrounding last April 2007. You might want to check this out if you are planning to attend a wedding here.

4. Top 10 Awesome Restaurants of the Philippines
In September 2007, I wrote an article in Sunday Inquirer Magazine and named Antonio's Fine Dining as one of the Top 10 Awesome Restaurants in the Philippines!

5. Antonio's - Asia's Top 10 Restaurant by Miele Guide
Antonio's is recognized as one of the top 20 restaurants in Asia!


Here is the excerpt from the Miele Guide Website:

10. Antonio’s Fine Dining
Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines

" Standing for over five years now, Antonio’s menu has proven to be as spoon-worthy as its ambience is swoon-worthy. It has consistently been considered among the top five restaurants in the Philippines and a favourite for proposals and intimate weddings. Chef Antonio Escalante’s commitment to fine cuisine remains strong. A la carte ordering is simple enough although the pre fixe menu may prove a little tricky as it allows guests a mix and match of salads and desserts with select entrees. Don’t skip the salads as Tagaytay offers the best greens in and around Metro Manila. Duck has also been known to steal the show, especially the duck confit in Grand Marnier beurre blanc or the roasted duck breast served with foie gras. The service here at Antonio’s is excellent. The wait is never long and within minutes you are seated, handed a menu and offered the restaurant's signature dalandan juice. " - Miele Guide Asia's Top 20

Call Antonio's Restaurant at +63918-899-2866 for reservations!
Congratulations to Charee Guico of Quezon City, Philippines for winning in the Miele Guide Lucky Draw! She won a dinner for two at Iggy's, the top ranked restaurant in Singapore, and two nights stay in one of Asia's most luxurious hotels, the Grand Hyatt Singapore!

May You Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Happy Halloween! (A Photo Essay of Our Halloween 2008)

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Angel Joshua Xavier


The Angel, Barbarian and the Princess


Halloween Party in our Community


The Hogwartz and the Barbarian Aidan
The Barbarian goes to office and meets Jollibee!


Aidan and the three Princess


Lion King Joshua with Aidan the Knight

May You Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

1,000th Blog Post and the Next 1,000

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After 1,000 blog posts in 3 years and 10 months, our family is thankful for the 4,000+ OAP friends who read our family's food and travel adventures. We are honored and blessed for achieving this blogging milestone.

An AWESOME THANK YOU to all our OAP Friends!

I want to take this milestone opportunity to share with you the results of the OAP survey conducted last June 2008. A total of 543 OAP friends responded to the survey. I read each one's comment and reflected on how I can apply them to take OAP to the next level. I'm committed to constantly improve Our Awesome Planet until the day I have to pass it on to Aidan and Joshua. Based on the readership's candid feedback, I would like to share with you my strategies and plans for OAP 2.0!

The Next 1,000 Blog Posts

1. The Mission of Our Awesome Planet:
" To use my never ending curiosity to discover new things and my internet marketing experience to inspire the minds and touch the hearts of Filipinos to live an Awesome Life in the Philippines! "

One of the secrets of OAP success is our desire to give as much value as possible to our OAP readers. OAP will continue to be the story of our family's adventures. It will continue to be the number one source of food and travel insider's secrets in Manila shared through word-of-mouth.

Our Awesome Planet will NEVER ...
- be formatted or written like a lifestyle magazine. I want to keep the content fresh, honest and most importantly, fun.
- spam our readers with advertorials. I have a policy of not accepting any freebies from restaurants and hotels before or after I review them. I'm committed to remove any bias and perceptions of any conflict of interests in my posts.

OAP will continue to support blog advertising through Blog Bank, Google Adsense Network, and Red Sight Media. I will let the Blog Advertising Networks to talk to advertisers and create a firewall between us.

2. National Geographic Photography, Conde Nast Traveller Writing Quality and Doreen Fernandez Food Writing Caliber

I am committed to "kaizen" or continuous improvement. OAP is a historical view of my professional development as a photographer, travel writer, and food critic. I am happy that 82% of the readers are either Very Satisfied (50%) or rated OAP as Awesome (33%). The Photography is rated highly at 84.5% (44% Very Satisfied/ 41% Awesome!) - my photography classes have paid out. The Articles are rated 78.6% (58% Very Satisfied / 21% Awesome!) overall because they are relevant, engaging and honest.

For the next 1,000 blog posts in OAP, I'm focusing on improving my Writing. I aspire to write Philippines-related articles for Conde Nast Traveller. I'm inspired to write as good as Doreen Fernandez when it comes to food reviews. In order to achieve that dream, I need to improve the way I write. I already mastered writing from the heart, and I will master editing with the mind. I tried to get an editor for the blog but with the fast rate I am writing my blog posts, the editors cannot keep up. Releasing timely, relevant and engaging articles is key to the success of OAP.

I get the message loud and clear from the comments. Thank you for the concern and I can only return your love with noticeable improvement on my grammar and writing style.

3. Focus on New Restaurants and Travel Destinations in the Philippines

I tried to experiment with a lot of topics in the survey and most OAP readers love the blog posts on New Restos and Travel Destinations in the Philippines. I will focus 80% of OAP's content on these topics. (20% will be focused on Aidan and Joshua and other cool topics.) To be specific, I will write more on proposed itineraries and budget travel deals. I will describe better the taste of the food. In order to do this, I plan to attend culinary classes and learn the ins and outs of the cooking process. I will also learn more about wines -- watch out for it.

I got comments to make the blog less personal by not showing posed pictures of my family in the restaurants and places that I review. I acknowledge this comment but at the same time I cannot help featuring my family in most of my blog posts. What I can do is make the shots as candid as possible and less on the posed shots.

Culture and arts scene in Manila will always have a spot in my heart. From time to time articles on these matter will be seen in OAP. It is a personal advocacy to show the world the best of the Philippines.

As for the other topics in the survey, I decided to create separate blogs for them. I will announce them in due time. I promised not to write anything about blogging, internet marketing or IT related stuff in OAP. I agree it is not appropriate and I'm launching antondiaz.com soon to tackle these topics separately.

4. Give Back to OAP Readers by sharing knowledge on Photography, Blogging and Building an Online Business.

As a way of expressing my gratitude, I am going to honor OAP readers by giving exclusive deals! The first batch of my Internet Marketing School will be offered solely to avid OAP readers. I will teach photography, blogging and how to build an online business to aspiring internet mavens. OAP readers will get a very good offer for those who want to be in the pilot group. This is my own way of saying Thank you!

5. Actively contribute to shaping the History of the Philippines in 2010.

The year 2010 is a historic milestone for the Philippines. I am excited because for the first time we will have a chance to shape the history of the Philippines. There are three events that will dramatically change our lives in the Philippines:

1. For the first time, the young will select the best President for the Philippines. Traditional Politicians should be scared. Don't ever underestimate the collective power of the youth.

2. For the first time, Philippines will be in the Tourism Map of the World when Chocolate Hills in Bohol and Underground River in Palawan win as one of the seven natural wonders of the world!

3. For the first time, Internet Marketing businesses will boom and change the business model of the different industries in the Philippines.

I am sharing with you my personal predictions and I'm excited to see what will happen in 2010.

May You Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

Ukkokei Ramen Ron - One of the Best Shoyu Ramen in Manila!

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Ukkokei Ramen Ron by Mrs Awesome Planet

OAP Goes Japanese Related Links
Ukkokei Ramen Ron - One of the Best Shoyu Ramen in Manila!


Ukkokei Ramen Ron serves the best shoyu ramen in town! I got this tip from my Japanese foodie friend, Atsushi Matsuura.

Before reading the rest of the blog post, you need to be aware of unique policies of this ramen house:
1. The Ramen is not available for take-out. You can only enjoy it in the restaurant.
2. There is a NO-SHARING Ramen policy which means you cannot share the ramen between two people. (Even if it is good for two people)
There is NO dessert in Ukkokei Ramen Ron.

Drinks | Lunch Set | Miso Based Ramen | Shoyu and Shio Ramen | Other Japanese Treats


Ukkokei Shoyu Koumi (P330 + 5% S.C.) Beef Ramen with Shoyu Sauce. Savor the smell of the ramen and look at the glittering oil before eating it.

Ramen 101
There are three types of Ramen: Shoyu (soy-sauce based), Shio (salt based) and Miso (Miso soup based). You can have it hot or cold.

In Ron, we would highly recommend ordering the Shoyu Ramen. Most of the ramen would have this sesame oily taste. The shoyu taste is smooth and clean like swimming in Kayangan Lake in Coron. I like the way the ramen noodles are cooked al dente. It is fatter than most of the commercialized ramen houses in Manila. The miso based ramen did not leave a good impression on us.


The best time to go is during lunch time. They have a set lunch menu (P380) of Ramen, Mini Donburi, Salad and Kobachi. Order the ones with gyoza and rice. During dinner time, the ramen is usually priced individually at P300-P360.



Ukkokei Nirra Niniku Karamiso (P360 + 5% S.C.) Vegetable Ramen with Miso Sauce.

" ... This was all-vegetable soup with some spiciness. The slices of shitake mushroom you see were not very tasty…maybe because it all went to the soup. I liked the soup for it was very flavorful but I always get distracted with the soup’s oiliness and the vegetable (I had lots of the hard parts of the petchay.) that I forgot to really take note of the flavor. I would like to think that the oil that I was referring too was the chili oil. "

-- Ukkokei Ramen Ron by Mrs Awesome Planet


Ukkokei Ramen Ron has a simple modern japanese interiors with a ramen and bowl display as the highlight. I like the Japanese tables where you leave your shoes before sitting on a thin seat cushion and letting your feet hang and swing around.


Gyoza (P120). This was gone in seconds. Eating gyoza is the best way to start your meal. We heard that Shinjuku serves the best gyoza in town.

What is your favorite Japanese Restaurant in Manila?


Ukkokei. Tesoro Bldg.,
822 A. Arnaiz Ave. (Pasay Road), Makati.
In between Paseo de Roxas and Amorsolo St.

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)


Our final stop of the tour is a sunset chill-out merienda with Mang Rudy's Puto in T-house Dining.

OAP Related Posts:
The Definitive Guide to T-House, Tagaytay
T-House Dining's Fluffy Pancakes!
T-House Romance


It is a very relaxing place specially during sunset. It lives up to its name T-house which stands for House of Tranquility.


I just love hanging out here for chika chika until the sun sets and before we go back to Manila.


Mang Rudy's Puto is a very traditional puto made of galapong rice. This is the best kept secret puto in Tagaytay.


Most of the people love this simple Japanese salad with Japanese sauce and nori on top.
Aidan loves these big pebbles fountain in T-house.


The Flavored Banana Fritters with langka, ube or macapuno are our personal favorite. You don't know which flavor you'll get until you take a bite.


A healthy merienda of fresh fruits skewer...


Yes, our Lil' Mr. Terror :)



Thank you to our Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Pioneering Participants: Charles, Asunta, Oskie, Dodjie, Teng, Wendy and Andy, Franklin and Jasmine.

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Destination Wedding Tagaytay – Lessons and Tips On How to Make Your Day Special

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Happy Anniversary Enzo and Carmina! They are expecting their first baby soon! I'm sharing with you a blog post from my brother about that special day. - Anton

Destination Wedding Tagaytay – Lessons and Tips On How to Make Your Day Special
By Enzo Diaz

Readers of OAP are privy to the little experiment I had two years ago. I went to a regression session. See the article here: a Frances Gloria Regression Experience . My brother Anton gave me a surprise experiential Christmas gift-- that of having a regression session with Frances Gloria. Part of the experience is supposedly taking a peek into the future. Based on the notes from Frances, the name of my future wife is supposed to be “Carly”. We are supposed to be married in some vineyard setting and the date is September 14th, 2007. The honeymoon will be at some mountain retreat in some foreign country.

My date in the altar came on October 28 2007 (date is off by 44 days). I got married to Carmina (first syllable is correct though). I got married in Caleruega, a chapel on top of a hill in Tagaytay (not really a vineyard) and we had our honeymoon in a beach resort at El Nido, Palawan (really far from the predicted mountain retreat in some foreign land).

Lesson: Don’t ever believe in hula, predictions and pre-destinations.

In this blog entry, I will share with you our experiences in setting up what I consider a destination wedding. Being based in Los Angeles, making it happen 8,000 miles away is a real project management challenge. I hope I will be able to add value to other couples out there who are based outside the Philippines and want to get hitched in their home country. We hope that by sharing our hindsight views and experiences with our vendors/ suppliers, you will be able to make your day awesome and memorable.

On Setting the Date

The date of the wedding is usually the first thing that the couple will decide on. There are different methods by which couples decide on “the” day. Some people like to be guided by feng-shui. Others take their cue from availability of suppliers, priests or church or reception area. For some, they probably take into consideration the low seasonality for travel since this will be easy on the couple and their guests to make travel arrangements - and this is exactly what we prioritized. We decided on October precisely because of this reason. Air ticket to Manila is only $800.00 per person roundtrip as opposed to more than a thousand if it is near Christmas. We ended up having it on 28th due to the availability of Caleruega.

We set this date hoping that we will not be rained on. But nature and the Almighty decided to shower us with a lot of blessings.

Lesson: The weather could spell a big difference on how your day will be remembered.

On Choosing the Church

Being a photographer myself, my primary consideration in choosing the church is its sheer beauty and the photogenic images it will render. There are a lot of good looking churches in Manila but for me nothing beats Calereuga. Its size is just right for 200 of your guest to easily fill up the pews.

We also tried to be unique and get something off the beaten track but we didn’t find any church that would satisfy our criteria. Aside from this, we had a great time here during the wedding of Anton and Rache. Akin to starting a family tradition, we decided to make it all happen here.

On choosing Caleruega, there’s one thing that we didn’t count on. Tagaytay is considered “out of town”. Our suppliers added traveling fees ranging from 10% to 50% of their normal.

Lesson: Be prepared for out of town costs, for this could affect your budget.

On Selecting the Reception Venue

After selecting the church, the next thing you need to nail is deciding on the reception venue. Of all the decisions that we made, the reception venue selection proved to be an ordeal by itself. The reception usually commands the biggest part of the budget so you want to get it right.

There are a lot of reception venues in Tagaytay. You have a wide variety of choices that range from restaurants to club houses. When we decided on our venue, our primary consideration is uniqueness…meaning it is not yet gasgas as far as usage is concerned. We wanted something that was less photographed and less popular yet will still deliver.

When we were selecting the venue, we trimmed the list down to these four sites:

1. Balai Taal
2. Antonio’s
3. Hacienda Isabelle
4. Ville Sommet
   

We decided to go for Balai Taal due to that pioneering feeling that we were one of the first few people to have a reception party there. When we were researching for wedding photos in Balai Taal in the Internet, we were only able to find a couple. This was a solid sign to us that the place was relatively undiscovered. We learned that that there was only one wedding held here in 2005. In 2006, there were only six. For 2007, they were set to hit 18 weddings by year end.

Another reason why we went for Balai Taal is the theme and motif of our wedding. We threaded our wedding with the Verdant Leaf theme. Nothing comes close to Balai Taal in providing a good fit to our wedding concept. For photos and articles related to what’s in Balai Taal, see previous entry here: Balai Taal, Tagaytay

Antonio’s recent renovation and expansion made it an ideal venue for weddings. The food here there is hailed as the best in all Tagaytay bar none. Only problem with this site is that the tables are spread across different floors. You will not have that “intimacy” since guests are spread out. On top of that, you will have to really limit your guest since it can accommodate only up to 150 to 160 guests. See article here: Antonio's Tagaytay, Still the Best and Nothing Beats an Antonio's Dinner @ Tagaytay .

Another unique reception area is the Ledesma’s Hacienda Isabelle. This was originally a private Tagaytay retreat that recently opened its doors to the public as a dining place (by reservation only) It is a place of character in its own. We didn’t go with them because they only allow food served by their chef. We figured that if we factor in the food, we are better off going with Antonio’s. See article here: Ville Sommet, Tagaytay

Ville Sommet is another area that is well manicured and set up for big weddings. Their glass house pavilion is something to be admired once you do your set-up. The glass house is huge and we figured that we will be spending a lot of resources in styling the place. If you are having a wedding in a rainy month, you might want to go for the very well covered area they provided. See article here: Hacienda Isabella's Lazy Sunday Lunch and Hacienda !sabella , Celebrate Life!

Other venues that you might want to consider are Splendido and Tagaytay Highlands.

In the end, selecting the venue is a matter relegated to preference, wedding concept, budget and weather. You will never go wrong with the choices listed here.

Tip: Have a wedding concept or theme. This will make your decision making faster. Make this theme as unique as possible since this will help making your wedding distinct from the rest.

Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)


We drove for 30 minutes crossing over the Tagaytay Ridge and finding our way to Yoki's Farm. It is a hydroponics farm which houses a private collection of Yoki's artifacts collection.


The vegetables are not grown on soil but on water with nutrients. We love buying our salad ingredients here which is one of the sources of Tagaytay Greens for Tagaytay's famous restaurants..


Aside from Yoki's treasure, buying cheap and good quality vegetables is one of the highlights of the leg of this tour.

You have to get a special permission to see the private collection at Yoki's farm.

We would usually go around the simple farm as a break before we head off to our final foodie destination.


Don't forget to take your lucky picture with one of the biggest buddha I have seen in Manila.

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)


Let me share with you one of my latest amazing discovery in Tagaytay. We visit this place after lunch during the Ultimate Tagaytay Tour. Are you ready for this?

Welcome to Yoki's Treasures!

I Love Yoki's!

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)


After the Bawai lunch, the group walked over to Chateau Hestia, my personal favorite dessert and wine place in Tagaytay.

OAP RELATED LINKS: A Chateau Hestia Birthday Celebration (January 8, 2008)


We ate a dessert trio of Ferero Rocher Ice Cream, Mango Napoleon, and Panna Cota.


We finished the Ultimate Tagaytay lunch with a toast of Lemon Cello and/or Vin de Orange. Both wines are proudly made by Johannes in the Philippines!

It was indeed a Happy Lunch after all...

Dodjie's happiness...

Ivan Man Dy's Jump for Joy for being featured in No Reservations.


Hep, Hep.... Hurray!


Aidan's imaginary house in Chateau Hestia.


A Spanky Ending...

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Sister Raquel Reodica, Cancer Healer of the Lord

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One of my pro bono projects is to do a total site makeover of Sister Raquel's website from a Web 1.0 site (Mother Ignacia Healing Ministry) to a Web 2.0 Site (Sister Raquel Blog).

Sister Raquel is one of the Mother Ignacia nuns who is known as a Cancer Healer of the Lord. You can subscribe to the blog to get inspirational photos and poems by Eastwind and Sister Raquel. You can also pray for people from all around the world who requested for prayers for their sickness. You can also send your own prayer requests to the prayer warriors.

We visited Sister Raquel and had a healing pray over session for my mom.



My partner for the blog site, Bernie Lopez was busy filming testimonials on how Jesus was able to heal the sick through Sister Raquel.

Check out SisterRaquel.com if you want to know more about the Mother Ignacia Healing Ministry of Sister Raquel, RVM.

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Astralis by Diamond Hotel, Rockwell Power Plant Mall

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We wanted to try out Astralis by Diamond Hotel ever since it opened to give new life to the Rockwell strip.

Every time we visit, the restaurant is empty with one or two groups eating. We hesitated to try it because we find the ambiance boring, and we expected the food to be hotel prices with + 12% VAT and (We just verified that the menu prices are inclusive of VAT) +10% service charge added to the menu price. I really don't understand why the prices are higher than the Serendra or Boni High Street restaurants. Despite the fact that it is located in a once-famous gimmick strip of a mall. In the end, we decided to go because we wanted a quiet date in a new restaurant we haven't tried.
Astralis Main Menu
Appetizers, Cheese & Cold Cuts | Salads, Sandwiches and Tarts, Soups, and Pasta, Risotto and Gnocchi | Seafood, Meat, and Desserts | Drinks and Beverages

Tapas Selection | Red Wines | Sparkling and White Wines | Astralis Flights: Red Wines from 3 Continents | Vignoble des Verdots by David Fourtout and Vin de Pays Wines of France


The meal starts with a choice of bread with butter. The waiter was kind enough to bring us a pesto dip and a balsamic vinegar dip upon request. The sun-dried tomato bread tasted a lot better with the dips. One of the thing I like about Astralis is the attentive and friendly service that you can only find in hotels. After eating the bread, the waiter was kind enough to clean the crumbs off our table.


Baked double-broiled mushroom soup (P220+) with swirl of pesto cream.

The phyllo pastry cover was a nice touch and it added excitement to our mushroom soup. My wife loves mushroom soup and she orders it every time. She thought that it lack an ingredient to really give it the mushroom ommph. For me, it tasted like monggo soup because of its consistency and the flavor.


The restaurant is named after this expensive Astralis Wine. Astralis means stars and stands for high quality product and service.

Can anybody guess how much a bottle of Clarendon Hil 2005 Astralis wine would cost?

Sato-san's Japanese Mentaiko Spaghetti (P460 +) spicy cod roe, nori on cream sauce

We love the combination of cream sauce with nori (japanese seaweed). We ordered extra servings of nori to truly enjoy this Japanese Spaghetti. It was served on an elongated white dish where two people can eat on both ends.


Chicken stuff with gorgonzola, mozzarella, and stilton (P390+) with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini

We love the combination of the 3 cheeses highlighted by the strawberry sauce. According to the waiter, this is one of their bestseller together with the Wagyu Steak.


Astralis recently did a blogger's PR event on their Astralis Wine & Raclette Buffet. Just search on google and you'll easily find them. I like Noemi's post educating people about the Raclette.

Astralis Wine & Raclette Buffet
Every Mondays and Thursdays from 5pm onwards
Wine and Raclette - Php 950+
Wine Only - Php 650+
Raclette only - Php 390+
For reservations call Astralis by Diamond Hotel at +632 703-2688



Astralis by Diamond Hotel
Lopez Drive, Power Plant Mall
Along Rockwell Strip, Besides Via Mare
Telephone Number: +632 703-2688

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Where is your favorite place to travel on a rainy day and Why?

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Where to Travel on a Rainy Day and Why? a Pluey's Blog Contest

I love traveling during the rainy season because of the off peak rates and the lesser crowd in the different tourist destinations in the Philippines. For today's blog contest Friday, I am interested to know: Where is your favorite place to travel on a rainy day and Why? You can write your answer (maximum of 100 words) in the comment section below or link your blog post with photos (a plus!).

The best answer will win one Pluey and you can choose from the Pluey's 2008 collection. 10 runner-ups will be chosen and will be given a 10% discount to Plueys (with January 31, 2009 expiry date).




Deadline for submission of entries is on October 30, 2008, Thursday. I will announce the winner next Friday in time for the next blog contest Friday :)

Text by Anton Diaz and Photos c/o Pluey's Manila.
Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)



I always love to go to Bawai for the best vietnamese meal I ever tasted in Manila. Also, I love to hear the love story of Bawai on how they courted each other via sign language and how they ended up in Manila. I would like to share the experience to more people via the Ultimate Tagaytay Tour.


The secret to Bawai's success is that she personally prepares the food with love. They don't want to expand the operation because they don't want to commercialize the taste of Bawai.


Everyone was raving about this vietnamese salad which hits the right vietnamese notes and tunes.


The salad was followed by the vietnamese lumpia, chagio and barbecue with the sweet patis sauce and peanut sauce.


My brother Rommel is the one taking the pictures during the Tagaytay tour and he would often take care of Aidan as well.


Aidan loves to go with me during the tours. He often promised to behave and entertain our foodie friends. The entire family is joining the Ultimate Pampanga Food Tour tomorrow.

Bawai, tagaytay, Tagaytay

The main meal is the vietnamese beef soup or the pho. I prefer the pho and I took a mental note to serve rice in the next Tagaytay tour.


Aside from the salad, most people rave about these chicken dogs as the finale for our Bawai lunch.


Bawai was kind enough to serve us a complimentary serving of banana pie dessert with cream sauce.


Ultimate Tagaytay Food Tour Souvenir Photo!

Text by Anton Diaz and Photos by Rommel Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

F*#%^! Word

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Director Erik Matti's F*#%^! Word restaurant is the latest hang-out place along C. Palanca which replaced Sake Club. Spanx, Ivan H and I decided to do our pre-production meeting here for the Ultimate Pampanga Tour this coming Saturday. We had fun figuring out what the F*#%^! Word stands for. The most likely meaning, if I would guess, is Filipino Fusion Food.

The open well-lighted restaurant entices you to go in and just chill out. Most people just drink and we found out the reason why after our dinner.

You cannot see the F Word logo from the outside but you can see all the cartoon paintings on the wall. The paintings are not for sale.



Peanut Butter Soup (P170).

When I invited Spanx and Ivan to F*#%^! Word, my hook was the peanut butter soup. We were surprised when we learned that it was replaced already by the pakbet soup. We were tempted to say the "What the F*#%^!" Word, but I'm glad that the waiter succumbed to our request and insistence to order the peanut butter soup.

As it turns out, the peanut butter soup is the highlight of our meal for the night. It tasted like curry with a peanut butter twist. It is interesting enough for me to rave about F*#%^!. I guess they want to keep the peanut soup as an off menu secret item :)


F*#%^! Word Menu
Appetizers | Soup and Salad | Pasta | Meats and Fish | Off the Grill and Dessert | Merienda and Sandwiches | Drinks

The menu has humor and it would have been funny if they were able to deliver with good food. The restaurant is promising but something has to be done with the people running the kitchen.


Spaghetti de Bilbao (P290). Guiltless all meat pasta for the ones who live to eat.

Ivan ordered this spaghetti and requested to remove all the cheese. This tasted more like tomato than meat. I don't know if it was intentional for the meat to have subdued taste.


Ventre Croustillant de Porc Avec le Demi-glace de Pomme a.k.a. Lechon Kawali (P280). Crispy pork belly a la lechon kawali with apple demi-glace and pan fried apple-banana sidings.

With all the funny french translation, this lechon kawali tasted ordinary according to Spanx. It is just like the ones you can cook at home.


Sole Fillet with Seafood Paella Risotto (P380). Pan fried sole fillet with taba ng talangka-caper sauce on Paella flavored risotto.

My waiter recommended this Sole Fillet as the best food in the house. I fell for the upsell again and I tasted more salt in this dish than what I expected. The risotto was harder than expected. The dish concept is very good and I fell for it. But the experience of eating it makes you regret ordering it. I should have ordered the sweet adobo, Pork Onnie.


"Uber Healthy" Sisig Wrap (P230). Grilled Pork cheek, Pork ear, Pork snout, Pork sweetbreads, Chicken Liver and Butter wrapped in really, really fresh, healthy and green lettuce.

The waiter told us that there will be 12 pieces of lettuce which turns out to be only 3. You have to pay P40 for extra pieces of lettuce. There is nothing unique about wrapping sisig in lettuce. But this is a good appetizer to kick off the drinking session.


Ivan Henares and Spanx Hizon will be our tour guide for tomorrow's Ultimate Pampanga Tour.


Durian Cheese Cake (P210). The taste of durian without the stench masked behind a creamy, tasty cheese cake.

We all agreed that this would have been a great dessert if it was not frozen. I guess it needs to be "Frozen" to conform with the theme of the resto.


I love the ambiance specifically the open ceiling with flat cylinder lights, cartoon painting effects on the wall, and the F emblem. I do hope Erik Matti improves the food.

F*#%^! Word
C. Palanca St., Makati City
(Besides Gweillos)

Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)


The highlight of the Ilog Maria Tour is the honey tasting straight from the honey bee comb. (I heard Paul Calvin tried to do this kind of honey tasting in their restaurant)


At first it was scary because you don't know how clean the bee hive is.


But once you tasted it, you'll swear that it is the sweetest honey you ever tasted.


The best part of the trip is shopping from the Ilog Maria Store. My wife would often have pabilins to buy from Ilog Maria.

Ilog Maria Store
Telefax: +63 46 - 865 – 0018.
Email: info@ilogmaria.com
Mailing Address: P. O. Box # 1 , Silang 4118, Cavite, Philippines
Our favorite Ilog Maria Products are the Lip Balm, Oatmeal and Spearmint Soap, and the Insect Repellant. What is your favorite Ilog Maria product?

Here are the current pricelist (as of October 2008)

Honey
Virgin Honey 500g (P230)
Honey Cider Vinegar (P115)

Propolis
Propolis Gold 30/ 320 ml (P110/ P930)
Propolis Throat Spray (P75)
Propolis Ointment B/S (P175/ P100)
Propolis Cider Linement (P95)
Feminine Wash (P45)
Liquid Soap - Lavender (P77)
Liquid Soap - Green Tea (P70)
Propolis Toothpaste (P155)
Propolis Pet Soap (P60)

Royal Jelly
Fresh Frozen Royal Jelly (14g/58g) - (P160/P600)
Royal Jelly Cleanser Moisturizer (P80)
Royal Jelly Honeymilk Lotion (P120)
Royal Jelly Face Oil (P110)
Royal Jelly Hair Oil (P110)
Royal Jelly Hair & Hand Cream (P110)

Fresh Bee Pollen 40g/225g (P100/P530)

Soaps
Mini Soaps (P35)
Baby Soap (P45)
Mint & Oatmeal (P60)
Kalamansi Ginger (P60)
Bamboo Charcoal (P60)
Coffee (P60)
Sandalwood (P60)
Cinnamon (P60)
Lavender (P65)
Milk (P65)
Carrot (P60)
Rosemary (P60)
Rose Milled (P60)
Honey Glycerin Face Soap (P80)
Saddle Soap (P30/P80)
Shaving Soap (P110)
Spa
Propolis Bath Salts (P95)
Eucalyptus Bath Gel (P70)
Honey Face Scrub (P130)
Massage Oil: Floral/ Citrus/ Chamomile (P155)
Shampoo (Handy// Family) - (P70 / P140)

Beeswax
Lip Balm (P65)
Beeswax Hair Styling Balsam (P90)
Beeswax Sheets (P88)
Beeswax Clay (P90)
Candle Rolling Kit (P140)
Leather Balsam (P80/P130/P230)
Wood Polish (P115/P220)
Beeswax Candles

Oils
Aromatherapy Oil, 15ml (P90)
Sting-Less (P70)
Citronella Fly Repellant (P300/P275)

Gifts
Gift Packs (P75/P85/P95)
Stoneware (P75/P85/P95)
Pineware Buckets (P75/P85/P95)
Pinewood Boxes (P75/P85/P95)
Native Bags (P75/P85/P95)

Ilog Maria Fresh Roasted Coffee (P170) 500g


It is also interesting to read on how Ilog Maria Store started . Here is a catalog of the Ilog Maria Products.

" Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar is best for removing wastes & toxins from your body and improving digestion & bowel movement. Together with this inner cleansing action, Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar changes your body's chemical reaction from acid to alkaline in reaction. This triggers a host of beneficial co-reactions in your body. Wastes in our bodies precipitate as salts. Many times, these salt deposits are so large they cannot be expelled or excreted by normal body processes. These salts or “stones” only start to melt when we are able to change our body's chemical reactions to alkaline by regularly drinking 1 tablespoonful of Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar in a glassful of water every morning before breakfast. Because of these and many other beneficial body reactions, regular use of Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar helps lower uric acid, cholesterol and blood sugar & arthritis (especially when taken together with Ilog MariaBee Propolis. Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar also helps ease migraine headaches, melt gallstones, lower hypertension and melt kidney & bladder stones. " (see The Farm - Fresh from the Bee Hive)

We love the natural soaps particularly the oatmeal and spearmint. I like the coarseness of the oatmeal and the minty cooling effect after using it.

We often use the sore throat spray with Bee Propolis at the first signs of itchiness of the throat due to coughs/ colds.

" Ilog Maria Bee Propolis is nature's most powerful probiotic. Propolis is an essential part of the immune system of trees. It is a sticky resinous substance secreted by flowering buds and under the bark of trees. Our honeybees collect propolis to seal, varnish and, thus, disinfect their honeycombs and insides of their beehives. Ilog MariaBee Propolis possesses antiviral, antibacterial and fungicidal properties. It is even capable of destroying some bacteria & viruses that have now become resistant to modern synthetic antibiotics. Ilog Maria Bee Propolis is effective against infections of the skin, mouth, throat, respiratory and digestive systems. Ilog Maria Bee Propolis stimulates tissue regeneration, antibody formation and strengthens & stimulates the immune system. It is also effective in treating hypertension, arteriosclerosis and coronary disease. Dermatological disorders and rheumatism respond to propolis therapy. Ilog Maria Bee Propolis is a potent anti-oxidant, which combats the ill effects of eating processed and preserved foods. " (see The Farm - Fresh from the Bee Hive)


Ivan Man Dy is the shopping winner bringing home P3,000+ worth of Ilog Maria products for his sister :)

Text by Anton Diaz and Photos by Rommel Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)


I always love going to Ilog Maria because I'm always energized by the love story of Joel and Violaine Magsaysay. Also, Ilog Maria products have a cult following because of their natural ingredients. You can only buy them onsite at wholesale prices. (see How to Buy -- New Priorities for Handling Orders)


Our mini-bus had a hard time navigating through the narrow rough roads leading to Ilog Maria. They are open Tuesdays to Sundays 8.30am to 5.30pm. (see How to Contact Ilog Maria)


It is one thing to read their humble beginnings from their website (see The Farm - Why Honey Bees) and it is another thing hearing the story first hand from Joel. He would often point out the humble house where Ilog Maria started.


I love going to Tagaytay to meet the Personalities and Families behind the most successful establishments and foodie places.


Joel is proud to share the story of the Bees and why it is called Ilog Maria in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


Ivan Man Dy gets up close and personal with the Ilog Maria bees.
On a special tour arrangement, you can see the Ilog Maria Bee Museum.


A Video Presentation is shown to educate people on bees, their behavior and natural habitat. Also, it gives a sales pitch about why you should buy the natural products of Ilog Maria. (see Fresh from the Bee Hive)


It is too good to be true living an eco-friendly life, and using only natural products not harmful to your body or the environment.


Dodjie and Teng listens attentively to the Ilog Maria Story...

Text by Anton Diaz and Photos by Rommel Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)

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The Ultimate Tagaytay Tour Related Links

Loumars Buko Pie (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 1 of 8)
Ilog Maria Story (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 2 of 8)
Ilog Maria Store (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 3 of 8)
Bawai Vietnamese Lunch (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 4 of 8)
Chateau Hestia Happiness (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 5 of 8)
Yoki's Treasure (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 6 of 8)
Yoki's Farm (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 7 of 8)
Mang Rudy's Puto @ T-House (Ultimate Tagaytay Tour 8 of 8)



We left Starbucks 6750 at around 8am and arrived in Tagaytay around 9.30am onboard a mini-Bus. Our first stop is my favorite drive-thru buko pie tart place called Loumars.


This was our first public Tagaytay Food Tour after two successful private tours with Alveo (formerly Community Innovations). The first tour was for media as a marketing tour to promote Verdana Homes Mamplasan. We got rave reviews from both bloggers and media. It was followed by another successful tour with the top sales people of Alveo. Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walk fame is our official tour guide for the trip.


There are three buko pie places you should try: The Laguna Buko Pies which include Letty's, Original Buko Pie and Collette's; the Nueva Vizcaya Buko Pie; and the Buko Pie Tarts of Tagaytay. I was informed by Wendy that there is another popular buko pie in Iloilo which tastes like a bibingka. (Can anyone share details about this place?)

In Tagaytay, there are three popular brands of buko pie tarts: Loumars, Rowena and Amira. We always buy Loumars.

The secret to eating buko pies is that it should be eaten fresh out of the oven and bought from the source. A box of 9 buko crumble costs P130.


Thanks to Wendy, Andy, Dodgie, and Teng for joining us in all the Ultimate Philippines Food Tour!

Text by Anton Diaz and Photos by Rommel Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

How to Drink a Heavenly Cup of Chocolate? (Caption This!)

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Caption this just for fun! The best captions will win a California Berry Frozen Yogurt Gift Certificate!

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Heavenly Chocolates

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Hot Dark Chocolate Drinks 5oz (P80)

We literally closed our eyes when we tasted the Ecuador Hot Chocolate Drink of Heavenly Chocolates. This new chocolate haven is teaching the foodies in Manila on how to enjoy cocoa from different origins (similar to wines). We fell in love with the strong full bodied Ecuador and we would recommend this for all chocoholics out there. For Aidan, we ordered the chocolate from Ghana which offers a smoother taste.



Flavor Guide to Cacao Origins
ECUADOR - Strong and intense, full-bodied, bitter, hint of smoky notes. For true-blue chocoholics.
GHANA - Smooth, rounded, uncomplicated. Well-received in Japan and Korea, and by children too.
IVORY COAST - Rich cocoa with a nutty flavor. Provides more than a third of world's cocoa bean supply.
MADAGASCAR - Unique and exotic, with distinct fruity notes of raisins. Avaiable on Seasonal Basis
PERU - A Mild cocoa delicate floral notes, with a background of dry flowers. Currently in limited supply worldwide.


1 pack of Ecuador chocolate (P175). It was so good that we decide to buy our own Ecuador chocolate buttons so that we can enjoy the hot chocolate at home. We know that this pack could easily serve 5 cups.

Recipe for Hot Chocolate:
110 ml of Anchor Milk Chocolate
40-55g of chocolate origin buttons (with a scoop serving as big as the one above)
whipped cream (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to simmer. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the chocolate buttons until melted. Pur hot chocolate drink to a cup and top with tablespoon of whipped cream.
(recipe from Reggie Aspiras' Kitchen Rescue Article)

I'm tempted to try my own chocolate fountain fondue at home. They sell unique chocolate stuff mostly coming from Singapore.


Heavenly Chocolate Menu: Hot Drinks, Cold Drinks, Fondue Dips

The ambiance is simple and we were disappointed that they were not able to execute a "heavenly" ambiance. The signage is not well lighted and it looks like an ordinary chocolate place.


You can have a free taste of Sachi Nama chocolates!


Sachi is similar to the more popular Royce Nama Chocolates and it has the same melt-in-your-mouth experience. I can't really taste the difference from Royce. If you buy one, you can only travel with it for 30-60 minutes without refrigeration. Unfortunately, they don't have dry ice which they would give you when you buy Royce in Singapore.

Could this be the start of the Chocolate Craze in the Philippines?


The facade looks dilapidated and I wonder where are the pearly gates? I'm not surprised that they are not able to attract the crowd from Taste of L.A. Despite this, I highly recommend their hot chocolate!

Heavenly Chocolates
Benjamin Pedro, Chocolatier and Ellaine S. Sevilla, Store Manager
Unit 1, Roces Centre
127 Roces Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: +632 666-2208
Mobile: +65 9743-9375 and +63915-788-2105
Email: benjaminvpedro@yahoo.com and ellainessevilla@yahoo.com


Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

How to Serve Bellissimo Pizza? (Caption This!)

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Caption this Aidan Photo Essay on How To Serve Bellissimo Pizza. The best captions will win a Delifrance Tray Couture*. To enter this contest, just enter your best captions in the comments.


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* Delifrance Tray Couture is a tray of several small meals that can lead to an exploration of epicurean flavors. This latest Delifrance offering introduces Filipinos to the French gourmet sampler trend that has gained a following of food connoisseurs across the globe. It comes in four (4) flavors: Premiere Clubhouse and Shrimp Pesto Pasta, Seafood Deluxe Clubhouse and Pomodoro Angel Hair Pasta, California Chicken Clubhouse and Garlic Pesto Pasta and Tuna Onion Mayo Clubhouse and Beef Stroganoff Pasta.

Bellissimo Pizza

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Gorgonzola Pizza (P330). Tomato, Mozzarela, Blue Cheese, Oregano, Olive Oil.

I am skeptic about the good reviews of restaurants owned by artistas. I did not expect the pizza in Bellissimo to be really good. All the raves about Cesar Montano's pizza was true after all. The crust is crunchy and chewy with the right amount of ingredients on top. All the pizzas are line-priced at P330 (P40 per slice) so all you need to do is choose the toppings and taste of your pizza.
We love the Tre Formaggi pizza of Friuli so we are looking for a "blue cheese" pizza like the Gorgonzola. We know that if we order the Quattro Formaggi pizza that the blue cheese will be drowned by the taste of all the other cheeses. The pizza servings are big and we brought home 2 slices to eat the next day.


Cannelloni agli Spinaci (P298). Baked Cannelloni stuffed with spinach and cheese topped with bechamel and parmesan cheese.

The cannelloni we ordered was reheated and our server was quick to admit it. We regret ordering a pasta that tasted like microwave reheated lasagna from last night's dinner. At ~P300 per pasta, I'll stick to the pizza. I guess that is why we don't hear any raves about Bellissimo's pasta.

Bellissimo Menu
Pizza Menu 1 | Pizza Menu 2 | Pasta | Antipasti, Soup, Insalate, Sausage, Entree, Gelato | Coffee, Hot and Cold Drinks

The menu is simple and reminds of the menu from any Amici-trained Chef Italian restaurant.

It was packed on a Monday night surprisingly. I like the siksikan-feel and Italianis-type ambiance. Meeting Angela Montano, daugther of Cesar and General Manager of the restaurant is a treat in itself.

It was refreshing to see this cobra snake toy which "bites" you when you press the red button. It is the first time I've seen one. Aidan was surprised, kept on pressing the red button and reacted the scared every time.


This garage-turned-into-waiting area was a cool touch. It resembles a tunnel that prepares you for a homey ambiance ahead.

This is the first corner after the T.Morato and Roces Avenue stop-light intersection.

Bellissimo Ristorante
Angela P. Montano, General Manager
105 Unit E & F Scout Castor corner Tomas Morato, Quezon City 1103
Telephone: +632 376-5746, 414-0274, 411-8335
Mobile: +63922 882-1701
Email: akmontano@gmail.com

Live an Awesome Life,

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

My Ultimate Day

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(I am attending the WakeUp Productive Class of Eban Pagan and this is one of the class exercises I wanted to share with you. We are encouraged to create Our Ultimate Scenario 90 days from today)

My Ultimate Day

I wake up at 4.00am. I feel refresh knowing that I got 8 hours of sleep and I had quality time with my wife and kids at night. The very first thing I do is thank God for the new day and for all the blessings I received.

I already prepared all the things I need to do this morning. I wash my mouth with water and drink half liter of water from my Sigg. I proceeded to our clutter-free bathroom and start to floss and brush my teeth. I clean myself and prepare for my morning exercise routine. My exercise outfits and gadgets are ready for my morning exercise. I'm happy that I am able to follow my triathlon training schedule. Before 5am, I am off either running or biking around Bonifacio High Street. After an hour, I end my exercise with lifting weights at the gym or having a good swim. By 6.00am, I am ready to eat my breakfast of fruits, oatmeal and milk. After breakfast, I'll do one blog post for the day and finish it in 30 minutes.

By 7am, I am ready to play with my youngest son, Joshua and waiting for my other son, Aidan to wake up. I would greet my wife "Good Morning" and "I Love You" which sets the happiness throughout the entire day. I dedicate the entire morning playing, reading, and spending quality time with my sons and my wife. I live for this morning every day and each day is the best day of my life. By 11am, we either have healthy lunch at home or go to the newest restaurant in town. By 12.30pm, Aidan is excited to go to school and we will drop him off to the best pre-school in Manila.

By 1pm, I start to work on my internet marketing business. I prioritize working on the items that suck the most energy out of my day. These are items that are urgent this week, or obligations I need to fulfill. I allot the first 90 minutes to complete this. At 2.30pm, I take a break and eat another healthy snack to prepare for the next 90 minutes. At 3pm, I am studying either photography, writing or internet marketing training to take myself to the next skill level. At 4.30pm, I start to work on my blog posts and answer all my emails for the day.

At 5.30pm, my son arrives from school and we celebrate this moment by jumping around and giving each other a warm welcome hug. This is the time for either reading, playing, swimming or watching the sunset together. At 6.30pm, we eat our healthy dinner over good conversations. By 7.30pm, we are cleaning up and preparing all my things for the next day. We perform our nightly ritual of brushing teeth, sharing bedtime stories, and saying our goodnight prayer. Before 9pm, we are already asleep ready for the next day ahead.

I sleep contented knowing that I spent 8 hours of my day with the family, 4 hours on my internet marketing business and 1 hour for exercise every single day.

Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
Email: anton@diaz.ph
Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Aidan's First Blog Post

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