I found a hidden restobar around Banawe!!! But, it’s not only a restobar. It’s a pet-friendly tex-mex restobar too! Continue scrolling to know more about this newest hangout place in QC!
ABOUT COMIDA
Comida means “food” in Spanish. It is owned by the couple Carl and Melissa. Take note that they are the one who manages the whole restobar. From the kitchen to crew, YUP! Comida had their grand opening last April 27 and attracting more customers up to date.
What I noticed about their place was all things were RECYCLED. From the chairs up to the design and interiors. What a great concept! Also loved the fact that they are pet-friendly too. In fact, they have turtles in the restaurant. One of the names I remembered was “DuTurtle”. What a witty name! HAHA.
Hello there, turtles!
While waiting for your food, you can also play some board games or try looking for something to buy here.
Now, let’s talk about their food. By the way, they have promos from Tuesday to Saturday. Let me share it to you.
TACO TUESDAY
For every order of Taco, you’ll get a free drink.
Crunchy Toquitos
They also have soft tacos which was one of my faves! So good plus not that hassle to eat, because it’s soft. LOL
Soft Tacos
WICKED WEDNESDAY
For every order of bucket of wings, you’ll get 6 beers for only 499 php.
Wicked Wings
THIRSTY THURSDAY
Unlimited beer for only 399 php.
Incase you’re not into beer, they offer other drinks too like milkshakes and other alcoholic drinks.
FAJITA FRIDAY
For every order of Fajita, you’ll get a free drink.
NACHO SABADO
Unlimited nachos for only 250 php.
Naked Nachos
Here’s a summary look of some of the food inside the restaurant. The pasta and quesadilla were also a hit!
You can also rent the place for any special occasions or party for as low as 7,500 php. Note that they can only accommodate up to 30 pax.
OVERALL RATING
Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location – ⭐⭐⭐
I really loved the fact they they are a pet-friendly restaurant. Also, they are eco-friendly too! Aside from the recycled interiors, they are using reusable straws for their drinks! By the way, they are now accepting any cater services. Just contact their social media accounts for more query. Of course, the food they served were all good. They are generous to every serving.
Last week, I was able to witness the exclusive preview tour of the newest interactive museum in Manila. I’m so excited to share with you how we travel the Philippines in just two hours!
It is a project of The Millenial Concept Factory, Inc. This museum allows you to travel, experience, and take IG-worthy photos from all over around the Philippines without having to leave in Manila. It offers the best of both worlds in its 14 unique experiences of 11 different destinations. Yes, you get to travel to Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and strike a pose in the country’s best destinations in just a day!
Being a #foodie, I also enjoyed the Filipino cuisines out there! Yes, they have food inside which you can buy using your chips that will be given to you at the entrance.
It comes with 12 complimentary chips.
In case you ran out of chips, you can exchange your pocket money their Villarica store inside to buy more chips! Amazing, is it?!
Look how scrumptious and amazing their flatlay is! Super amazing!
Festivities are felt in Lakbay Museo as it keeps the joyful Filipino spirit alive through a glimpse into festivals and celebrations. Music and art, from these festive activities and beyond, are similarly available in the museum. Don’t forget the highlight inside, which is the cultural show! I really enjoyed watching them.
Photo ops with the staff of Lakbay Museo
As millenials, however, remember to not just #DoItForTheGram, but also do it to learn about roots and appreciate the richness and diversity of the people, the ways of life, and the identities present in the Philippines.
I know there’s a lot of Korean BBQ restaurant here in QC but I finally found my favorite KBBQ near in my place, and it’s no other than FANTASTIC BAKA.
ABOUT FANTASTIC BAKA
This Korean BBQ restaurant opened last June 2018. It’s located along Tomas Morato area. What I noticed in their place was it has a big space to accommodate more people. Each table has its enough space so it doesn’t look like crowded. It also has second floor which they have their VIP rooms.
The VIP rooms can accommodate up to 12 people. You can celebrate any occasions here in private.
The VIP rooms
Because of the spacious area, it means no need to wait longer! YAY. They can accommodate up to 100 people, actually.
Now, let’s go over to their food. By the way, here is their updated menu. You can choose between their 499 PHP & 799 PHP promo. Take note that there’s NO TIME LIMIT HERE!
Both promo comes also with unli side dishes, rice, cheese, and drinks… but wait, there’s more! Because you can also have unlimited milk tea as they offer it here too!
Note that the drinks is self-service. Grab your unlimited milk tea here!!! They also have red iced tea and blue lemonade.
Want to see some glimpse how their meats are? Come and take a look at these…
You can also order some desserts or soju after eating a lot of meats. Note that this is not included in the promo.
By the way, they also opened their new branch at SM North EDSA. Take a visit there!
OVERALL RATING
Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I can really say that the meats are premium and super good. We actually enjoyed the beef meats! The staff were very attentive and accommodating to our needs. Me and my friends really had a good time dining here. And we can say that the price is really reasonable because it’s worth it. It’s a must visit!!!
Contact Number:
Mobile: 09171321170
Operating Hours:
11:00 AM-12:00 MN, Monday to Thursday
11:00 AM-1:00 AM, Friday to Sunday
Address:
Grandia Place, 143 Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City
It’s been a while since I went to an instagrammable place. I think the last time was in Ruby’s Place. So last June 5, I went out and visit this newest pop art coffee shop in Kamuning.
ABOUT POOKABERRY’S CAFE
This 2-story coffee shop opens last May. It is owned by the couple Peter and Jeanette Marco. This is their first branch here in the Philippines because they have one in New York, USA.
I really fell in love with the place. The whole cafe is covered with colorful drawings that made by the New York Pop Artist Peter Marco. It is filled with drawings of Ollie the Octopus and its imaginary friend Pookaberry, the Alien baby.
You can have private events in their second floor. Just contact them for more inquiry.
Upon entrance, there’s a gift shop where you can buy for some souvenirs.
TIP: Part of their sales goes to ProjectPearls, which means helping poor children here in the Philippines.
For the food, they offer breakfast meals; drinks such as coffee and frappe; paninis; cookies; cakes. Price ranges from 80 to 300 php.
For our starter, we had these toast bread with different kinds of dip. The jam has spicy-kick, which was Chili Mango and Chili Orange.
Ube Cake (130 php) Walnut Carrot Cake (140 php) New York Cheesecake (140 php) Matcha Cheesecake (140 php)
COOKIES
Cosmic Cookies (80 php each)
Cookie Shots (125 php)
Their cookie shots has three choices: Milk, Chocolate, and Espresso. YUM!
OVERALL RATING
Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, I really love the cafe not only because of its ambiance but also for its advocacy to help people who are in need. So drop by here if you’ll be in the Kamuning area. My favorite food from them were the cheesecakes, cookies, and paninis. I also love their breakfast meals. The drinks were very refreshing and good!
Who likes Japanese food here? What if I tell you that there’s a newly opened Japanese restaurant in QC?! Want more? They offer EAT ALL YOU CAN dishes! YUM!
ABOUT HODAI RESTAURANT
It’s a Japanese-Korean restaurant that offers eat-all-you-can. Hodai in Japanese means “all you can“. All dishes are prepared straight from the kitchen.
When you arrive at the restaurant, the first thing you will notice outside is that it looks like an old house. But don’t worry, the ambiance inside is big and has that Japanese feels.
For the food, they offer SILVER SET (499 php) and GOLD SET (599 php). But because of their “Thank You Promo”, they extended their 299 php promo for Silver Set and 359 php for Gold Set! Great steal right?!
Each set comes with the following:
Rose Cream PastaKimchi GyozaTempuraTonkatsuJapchaeKorean Fried ChickenFish TeriyakiSushi Roll Tower
What is the difference of the Silver and Gold Set? If you get their Gold Set, you’ll have an additional Spicy Cheese BBQ Bowl which was one of my favorite! So good!
Spicy Cheese BBQ Bowl
Note that it also comes with unlimited rice and soup that is self service.
After indulging on their food, why not have an ice cream for dessert?! Note that the desserts is not included in the unli promo and you have to pay for it separately.
MELONA!!!
Group reservations are highly encouraged to do a reservation first as they offer a 150-seat capacity only.
OVERALL RATING
Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location – ⭐⭐⭐
Overall, this restaurant is a must try to us! Especially if you love Japanese food. Plus, it offers unlimited food so why can’t say no to this, right? One thing I noticed was that they don’t have ramen (which our fave Jap food). But it’s also okay to try other Japanese food. By the way, their Sushi Roll Tower are good! It offers different flavors with different kinds of dip/sauce.
So happy to be back at one of the famous island in Quezon today, Jomalig Island. In case you missed it, Ian and I already went here last May 2016. If you want to see how Jomalig Island was before, read our blog here.
Sunset at Salibungot Beach
Finally, we convinced our High School friends to visit Jomalig Island. We were really pushing them since this is one of my favorite island here in the Philippines. Of course, one factor why they’re hesitant was because of the 4 to 6-hour boat ride. But since we’re up for some adventure, we still pushed through! WHATEVER IT TAKES. Lol.
WE DEFINITELY LOVE JOMALIG
I’m more excited today because we’ll be staying in the island for 3 days unlike last 2016, we only stayed for 2 days (and that’s not enough). So I planned everything from the budget, itineraries, and places to visit. Here, I’ll be sharing you our expenses and itinerary.
HOW TO GET TO JOMALIG ISLAND?
DISCLAIMER: Since we’re group of 10, we decided to rent a van that will drop and fetch us to make our trip less-hassle.
If you’re going to commute, here’s the guide.
There’s a bus terminal station in Sampaloc, Manila (near Arellano University), named Raymond Transportation. Near the bus terminal, there’s also UV express vans that offer trips to Real, Quezon. Note that the price is cheaper if you’ll take the bus.
Bus fare: 195 php
Van fare: 220 php
The trip will last for 4-5 hours depending on the traffic. We left Quezon City around 12:00 MN and arrived at Real, Quezon at 4:00 AM. We head straight to Ungos Port where the boats to Jomalig Island are located.
After we reached the Ungos Port, there were already staff that assisted us. We pay our boat fee and environmental fees there.
Ungos Port
Boat fee: 400 php/way (with meal)
Environmental fee: 170 php
While waiting for the boat to depart, here’s what welcomed us while we’re in the boat…
Sunrise at Real, Quezon
We left the port around 6:30 AM, and since we went around April, which is summer season, we had a smooth trip that took us 4-hour boat ride only.
Note: The best time to visit this island is during summer season.
Approaching Jomalig Island
By the way, you need to have an accommodation first before going to the island. Reservation is a must and walk ins are not entertained. We didn’t reach the Lambingan Port because we already have to transfer to another boat that will drop us straight to our accommodation.
The boat that fetch and drop us to our accommodation
You can choose whether to do habal-habal or boat ride to your accommodation, but since we’re group of 10 and we have lots of things, we decided to have a boat ride instead.
Habal-habal to accommodation: 70 php
Boat ride to accommodation: 60 php
WHERE TO STAY IN JOMALIG ISLAND?
We stayed at Jomaligaya Resorts. Our contact was Ate Vanessa (09478919617) and she was super approachable thru chat and text. Sad that we didn’t met her.
NOTE: You also need to pay 100 phpeach for the entrance fee to the resort.
We booked 2 rooms good for 4 pax. We pay 100 php per head for the additional pax. We liked it here since we had overflowing water! HAHA. We can take a bath anytime we want. Plus the owners were very accommodating to the guests. We also loved the ambiance of the resort.
Yes, you can also pitch a tent at the resort. You can either rent a tent from the resort or bring your own and pay for the pitching fee.
NOTE: The electricity in the island runs from 1:00 PM to 5:00 AM only. So make sure to charge your gadgets during these time frame. Also, bring extension if you have lots of gadgets.
After we settle our bills and things, we had lunch and rest for awhile. We also did some games while waiting for the sunset. Around 4:30 PM, we prepare and get ready to swim and wait for the sunset.
Sunset crew!At Salibungot Beach
In case you’re wondering how’s the sunset in our resort, here’s what we got…
After going back to our resort, we prepare ourselves and get ready for dinner. After that, we prepare ourselves to sleep and be ready for our habal-habal tour tomorrow early.
WHERE TO EAT IN JOMALIG ISLAND?
Just to inform you, there are no restaurants in the island. But every resort offer meals. In our resort, one meal costs 120 php. Don’t worry because they will cook and serve it to you. But in our case, we already brought our food good for 3 days.
HABAL-HABAL TOUR
Habal-habal tour costs 600 php per head. That includes half-day tour around Jomalig Island plus the driver. You can also do island hopping for only 350 php per head if you are group of 10 and up. But I highly suggest to do habal-habal to appreciate more the nature and beauty of the island.
We started our habal-habal tour around 7:00 AM.
1. PUNO NG WALANG FOREVER
According to my driver, this tree is called “Dapdap“. If you’re wondering why this is called such, just look around. It’s the only tree in the middle.
2. GOLDEN SAND
We arrived their during high tide so we didn’t see the sandbar like we saw last 2016. But it’s okay, we enjoy the long stretch of the beach and took some pictures of course. The sand is really gold, by the way!
3. LITTLE BATANES
The road to this place was kinda rough because the road is still under construction but it was all worth it. Never been to Batanes but I think it is really closed to it. It has magnificent rock formation and views! It also has big waves. YAY!
Entrance fee: 50 php per head
4. LITTLE BORACAY
This is my favorite place in the island! It is really look like Boracay with its fine, white sand. When we visit here last 2016, there’s no entrance fee and resort. Now, it’s called Pamana White Beach Resort.
Entrance fee: 30 php per head
5. KANAWAY BEACH
When we visit here last 2016, we need to ride a boat to make it to Kanaway Islet. But when we went here last April, it’s lowtide so we saw the wide sandbar of the beach. Amazing view it was!
Entrance fee: 50 php per head
We got back to our resort around 12:00 NN, just in time for lunch. We definitely got tired and sunburn but we really enjoyed the tour. It was the highlight of our stay!
Thank you to our drivers who made us safe during the trip.
After we had our lunch, we just definitely rest and kill time. Enjoying the last few hours at the island. Took some random shots too!
On our third day, we’re ready to say goodbye to the island, we head to the port via boat. The boat ride costs 60 php per head. We left the island around 10:00 AM. We arrived at Ungos Port around 2:00 PM. From there, our rented van was already there to pick us up and ready to drop us back to Manila.
DETAILED EXPENSES FOR JOMALIG 3D2N
Note: This is our exact expenses including the van and food. In case you’re going by group. 🙂
TRANSPO (VAN) – 12,000 php (roundtrip)
Per head: 1,090
FOOD (good for 3 days) – 5,000 php
Per head: 455 php
BOAT RIDE (roundtrip)
Per head: 800 php
ENVIRONMENTAL FEES
Per head: 170 php
BOAT TRANSFER TO RESORT (roundtrip)
Per head: 120 php
ACCOMMODATION (good for 3 days) – 2,800 php
Per head: 255 php
ENTRANCE FEE TO RESORT
Per head: 100 php
HABAL-HABAL TOUR
Per head: 600 php
ENTRANCE FEES TO DESTINATIONS
Per head: 130 php
Roughly, we prepare 4,000 php per head. It is too much but it depends on your budget in food and others. But that’s the safest budget up to date.
Last May 1, I went to Azumi Boutique Hotel for an exclusive event care of DoTerra. Here, I will share all the information I got during the event.
Since the registration will be open at 5:00 PM and I came to the venue 30 minutes earlier. I roamed around the area since this hotel is one I’m eyeing to stay ever since. LOL.
Infinity pool at the Penthouse
This is popular because of its infinity pool at the top of the hotel. Reminding us the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Here are the other parts of the hotel lobby.
Lobby interiorFront deskNail SalonMini bar areaRomulo Cafe
Loved the interiors and the vibe of this hotel. Especially the scent in the lobby! So fresh and good! After the 30 minutes killing time, it’s finally registration time. We went to Penthouse where the event took place.
After the registration, they gave us free products from DoTerra that includes shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deep blue rub, and a small bottle that has essential oil. Yay!
Before the main event, we first had enjoy the buffet dinner care of Romulo Cafe at Azumi Boutique Hotel. Are you Team Heavy Meal or Team Light Meal? I AM BOTH. HAHA.
Honey Spareribs was my fave!Pinoy Nachos and Suman sa Latik
After the satisfying dinner, the event started by the special guest, Dan Hillstrom, from USA. He introduced DoTerra to everyone.
First, what is DoTerra?
DoTerra is a latin word that means “gift of the earth“. A group of health-care and business professionals built it on April 2008. They are based in Pleasant Grove, Utah. They sell therapeutic-grade essential oils to the world.
Their mission is to conquer the world: one drop, one person, one community at a time. Their vision is to have essential oils in every home provided through millions of wellness advocates.
What are essential oils?
They are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers. and other parts of plants. It can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. Essentials oils can lift the mood, calm the senses, and elicit powerful emotional responses.
Commonly used oil
If you are wondering if their oils is perfect for you. Well, fret not! Because their products are perfect for EVERYBODY!
How can you use essential oils?
My fave was the Peppermint!
There are three methods on how to apply and use the essential oils.
AROMATIC
Using essential oils aromatically can also purify the air of unwanted odors and enrich your home with the lively benefits of oil fragrances. In our home, we use a diffuser with essential oil. It brings soothing effect!
INTERNAL
You can use it by mixing it in a glass of water. You can also directly drop some in your tongue.
TOPICAL
It is easily absorbed by the skin and can be safely applied topically with lotions, oils, or creams to cater to your level of skin sensitivity.
The people behind the event.
By the way, they are opening a branch here in the Philippines! What a good news! They will be opening a branch somewhere in Makati area. So if you want more updates, just follow their social media accounts to be updated.
Are you looking for an affordable eats in Quezon City? More like, “Saan aabot ang 55 php mo?” Well, let me share this newly opened sizzling house located in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
ABOUT AMELITO’S SIZZLING HOUSE
This is one of the famous sizzling house in Bulacan. It was actually featured in Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho.They are known for their affordable sizzling food. Aside from the affordable prices, it actually comes with unli rice, unli soup, and unli gravy! WOWZA!
Menu
Just a little info, don’t expect a high-end restaurant. They are a carinderia-type. But the ventilation is okay because it’s an open area.
Expect the place to be jam-packed especially during lunch and dinner time. So if you’re curious about what they are offering, here’s some of their best seller food that we had when we visited their place.
We also want to try their other best seller such as their Salisbury Steak and T-Bone Steak but unfortunately, they don’t have stocks when we went there. But I will definitely visit them again to try these! By the way, the T-Bone Steak costs only 150 php!!! It comes with unli rice, unli soup, and unli gravy too! SUPERB! 100%
Please be reminded!
They also offer tower of iced tea good for 3-4 people that costs only 120 php.
Tower iced tea (120 php)
OVERALL RATING
Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m actually not expecting anything from them. Because of the cheap price and the ambiance of the place. But looks can really be deceiving! The food were really good! But what stood out for me were the Breaded Chicken Fillet, Chicken BBQ, and Sisig! So good! Now I know why it’s one of the famous sizzling house in Bulacan! So happy they brought it here in Manila! I must commend the soup and gravy too! “Sabaw pa lang, ulam na!”
Who doesn’t love traveling? Everyone does! Of course, while you enjoy the breathtaking views in every places you visit, you also get to experience the food they offer. In case you missed it, we went to Bataan for the 77th Araw ng Kagitingan last April 7-9.
And because we want to maximize our time there, we also did a mini food crawl in Bataan. I’ll be showing here the list of the restaurants that we went to.
Molten Lava Cake from Sybilla’s Restaurant (125 php)
1. JOYOUS TANGWAY RESTAURANT
Our first stop was this Filipino restaurant that opened in February, 2012. This is one of the finest restaurants here in Bataan. One of the best-seller dish here is their Sinigang na Manok sa Ayo, which was one of my fave too!
Sinigang na Manok sa Ayo
Instead of using tamarind broth or powder, they use the leaves from Ayo(Tetrastigma Harmandi), a woody vine growing to a length of 10 meters.
Address: Capitol Road, San Jose, Balanga City, Bataan
This was probably one of my favorite restaurants in Bataan. Why? Because they almost offer everything. From soup to grilled cheese to sizzling dishes to salad, and even desserts.
MY TOP PICKS:
Monte Cristo (85 php)Fish Parmigiana (260 php)Sizzling Sisig ala Cubao (190 php)
Address: Roman Superhighway, Brgy. Camacho, Balanga City, Bataan
What can you observe from the place first was it’s just like a carinderia. So we didn’t expect much from them. But as soon as they serve our food, we were shocked by the big servings of the food and the taste. All the food were great! THIS IS A MUST TRY! They serve Filipino food with Kapampangan accent.
Looking for some desserts? Here is the perfect place for you! The desserts will not only satisfy you but also their lovely interior. I really fell in love with this place from the moment I opened their door.
Pistachio (90 php)
Aside from desserts, they also offer other dishes like sandwiches and rice meals. Check my full blog post here.
Address: Saint Joseph Street, Balanga City, Bataan
This place is a happy place in Bataan. If you’re up for some drinks, then visit this place. They serve awesome pulutan such as sisig and isaw. My personal favorite was their Nachos.
If you’re up for some challenges, they also have it here inside. Just inform one of the staff from the bar. Also, they have a branch in Poblacion, Makati.
Bataan is truly one historical province here in the Philippines. But little did we know that it’s also a hidden gem in terms of food. Last April 7-9, we went and visit Bataan for the 77th Day of Valor. Aside from that, we also did a food crawl and saw the best restaurants in Bataan. Don’t worry, I’ll be making a separate blog post about that.
For now, let me share this instagrammable dessert house that we tried in Balanga, Bataan named Stregato Gelateria.
ABOUT STREGATO GELATERIA
This is not only a dessert house that serves gelato (of course) and other desserts, they also offer rice meals, pasta, and sandwiches.
If you’ll look the outside of the cafe, you’ll definitely be curious what’s inside because of its colorful swings, giant ice creams, and garden-type ambiance of the cafe.
But wait, there’s more. Wait until you enter the cafe!!! I definitely fell in love as I enter the door. I immediately called Ian to take pictures of me. LOL.
Of course, we tried their gelato to beat the freaking heat. I got one of their best sellers, which is Pistachio (premium) for only 90 php.
Here are the other flavors you can choose from.
OVERALL RATING
Food – ⭐⭐⭐ (I only tried their desserts so I’ll only give 3 stars)
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambiance – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sad that we didn’t got a chance to try their other dishes and desserts. If ever I will visit Bataan again, this will be on my top places to visit. I really love the ambiance and interior of the place. My heart is so full when I saw the place. I left with a heavy heart because I don’t wanna go yet. HUHU. This place must be on your list too!
Skip the 3-4 hours travel time to Bataan and reach it in just an hour by riding the 1Bataan Ferry. Read our full experience here.
