Panuluyan Farmstay in Marinduque

This is literally a piece of bliss deep into the fields. Going here is not easy breezy but it’s definitely worth it. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by their accommodating staff. If you wish to fill your tummy with delish local delights made even special by adding some cocoa on it, you can enjoy it at the Azotea which is the jump off point before you go up and enjoy the view upstairs.

Once you are done at the Azotea, you can move on to the next phase which is actually the highlight of Panuluyan. You will be greeted with the marvelous view of the mountains and the plains. You can enjoy this lovely view while lying down in their “kubo.” This place is really a wonderful respite from the busy life in the city. If you are up for some chill time while reading a book or just basking on the beauty of nature, this is the perfect place.

Address: Brgy Masalucot, Sta. Cruz Marinduque Philippines

Price range: starting from 110-400 php.

Ambience/ design: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

Weekend hits. Revisiting Rustic Mornings by Isabelo

On weekendS, I turn off my teacher hat and go out and explore hidden finds in the city. I have always loved going to hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurants and cafes. I love my job as a teacher but I live for the weekends😁☺️.

And for this weekend, I decided to revisit one of my favourite hidden finds – Rustic Mornings by Isabelo in Marikina. I have been there in 2013 and since then, I have grown such fondness for this shabby chic restaurant. I even blogged about it back then (https://applelopez.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/that-shabby-chic-feel-at-rustic-mornings/)

I once wished to have my wedding ceremony there but guess its space won’t suffice anymore since both my husband’s and my families are big .

I’m just happy to go back there with my husband this time☺️

My staple order — Tocilog -:)

First Olympic Gold for the Philippines

And the first time the Philippine National Anthem was played in the Olympics. My Filipino heart couldn’t be any happier!

No matter what they say about the Philippines or its government, I will always be proud to be a Filipino. Living overseas for more than half a decade now, I cease to be like the other OFWs who only have criticisms to say against the Philippines and kept comparing the Philippines to other countries– the former being always the worst in their eyes.

As the Philippine flag is being raised high during the awarding ceremony And the Philippine national anthem is being played, I couldn’t help but cry. It might have took almost a hundred years of waiting but it is definitely worth the wait. The waiting made the victory even sweeter!

Thank you, Hidilyn! Thank you for putting a smile on every Filipino faces tonight! We are proud of you!

Saigon Coffee Scene

Before I went to Vietnam, I’ve done quite a few researches on what to expect in this country. I tried to find out how life is in Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh city since I’m planning on staying there. And one of the top things that enticed me more into coming to Vietnam is its vibrant coffee scene. I didn’t know then that Vietnam holds the second spot in the best coffee-producing countries in the world. I didn’t even know how Vietnamese coffee actually tastes. But I must admit that just looking at the interior shots of those coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh city is already enough to make me want to go there.

And they didn’t fail me. Having been in Ho Chi Minh city for almost 9 months now, I could say that the coffee scene in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) and in Vietnam as a whole is really vibrant, fascinating and so chic. I love how coffee shop hopping is such a fun thing to do here. My fondness for chic and thematic designs is being indulged in this country, especially in Saigon. I love how the ambiance of each cafe is different from each other.

I must admit, I’m really impressed. And surprised. Never had I imagined and expected that Vietnam has this really huge, vibrant and artsy cafe scene. I thought that these kinds of coffee shops can only be seen in South Korea or in Japan. Not in Vietnam. Definitely not in Vietnam. 

And yes, I was totally wrong. Man! I don’t need to travel all the way to South Korea just to have that chic coffee shop scenes I’ve always imagined myself to be in. I am actually having those scenes here, right in the heart of Vietnam — Saigon!

Ngoi Nha So 7 Cafe, District 3, HCMC

ID Cafe, District 3, HCMC

 

Fig Cafe in Phu Nhuan District, HCMC

The styles of the coffee shops in Saigon range from traditional Vietnamese designs to chic, artsy, and modern ones.

Vung Oi Mo Cua Cafe,  District 3, HCMC

Cafe Coi Xua, Phu Nhuan District

Cosmo Cafe, District 1, HCMC

The Morning Cafe, District 1, HCMC

She Cafe, District 1, HCMC

Koneko Cafe, District 2, HCMC

Plus,there are also garden coffee shops that are nature-inspired to add a more relaxing, calming feel.

Du Mien Cafe, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC

Mien Dong Thao Cafe, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC

S Cafe, Phu Nhuan District

These are only some, and I mean just SOME of the most fancied coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh city. There are still a LOT more! Believe me, my 8 months here is not yet enough for me to visit all those charming fascinating coffee shops in the city.

And yes, these coffee shops are one of my top reasons why I’m enjoying my stay here in Vietnam. I always feel like I’m in a K-drama whenever I’m in a coffee shop here.

Yes. That is weird.

Aside from having really eye-catching cafe designs, Vietnam also boasts off its world-renowned coffee taste. It is just so addicting-ly good and definitely for the win!

Being a self-proclaimed coffee lover, this city and this country is really satisfying my coffee taste bud and my love for chic designs. I just know that I am exactly where I should be at this moment of my life.

Thanks for the awesome coffee, Vietnam!

My Maginhawa Hits for A Satisfied, Happier Tummy!

I don’t know when my fascination to discover new places to eat started. I just know that whenever my friends or cousins would ask me to go out with them, I’m usually the pa-bibo one who always suggests places to eat. And usually, I will google for restaurants that are not found in the mall, but in the streets where it is unlikely to find a picture-worthy restaurant. And Maginhawa Street in Quezon City is one of my favorite go-to-places whenever I go on a food trip with family and friends.

Maginhawa Street is actually no longer an unfamiliar name for foodies. It is a residential area that is just a walking distance from Philcoa in Quezon City. This street and its neighboring roads are known for hole-in-the-wall restaurants and houses which were turned into restaurants. Students from nearby universities such as University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and Miriam College usually frequent this street for the number of indie restaurants, cafes, kiosks, and dessert places you can find in this strip.

And because it is one of my happy places, I’ve already tried some of the restaurants here with some of my favorite people in the world:-) Here’s giving you some suggestions on where to eat when in Maginhawa Street:

1. Pipino 

-This is a vegetarian restaurant owned and operated by the same people behind Pino Restaurant — that is why it is also located in the same building as Pino. What I like about Pipino is that you can eat a whole plate without feeling really bloated since they offer healthy food.

What we tried: 

• Garlic Noodles with broccoli, walnut and parmesan cheese. It’s like Aglio Olio with a little twist. *
• Creamy Pesto with Wasabi onion rings *
• Vanilla Graham Ice Cream *
• Pipino Shake *

Veggie Date with my friend, PA

Munching Budget: P200-300 per person

Address: 39 Malingap Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City
Telephone No: 4411773

2. Ally’s All Day Breakfast

-Ally’s is small breakfast place in Malingap Street which offers really yummy pancakes, waffles and other all-time brekky goodies. What’s famous about Ally’s is their create-your-own-pancake item in the menu wherein you can choose on a number of yummy ways to make your pancake the way you like it.

What we tried: 

• Ferrero Rocher Pancrepe (P170) *
• Cadbury Pancrepe (P150) *
• Toblerone Pancrepe (P150) *
• Lucban Longanisa meal (P160)
• Bagnet Liempo meal (P270) *
• Sweet Pork Tocino meal (P130)

Muching Budget: P200-300 per person

Address: 50 Malingap Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Telephone #: 0906-444-3878

Big appetite date with my cousins 🙂

spending time with Lessie

3. Friuli Trattoria 

-A restaurant that offers comfort Italian food at an affordable price. The place is not really big enough but it is one of the restaurants in the strip that is usually full. Well, why not? Their pizza and pasta is really yummy — at par with the taste that other Italian posh restos are offering at a very wallet-friendly price.

What we tried:

• Pizza Margherita (P190) *
• Classic Pepperoni Pizza (P205)
• Barbecue Chicken (P240) *
• Angel Hair Puttanesca (P140)
• Penne in Smoked Sausage Sauce (P155) *
• Spaghetti Carbonara (P140)

Munching Budget: P200-300 per person (Pizza and pasta are good for sharing)

Address: 79-A Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City

Telephone #: 4341416

Extension of the big appetite date with the cousins 🙂

Catching Up with Vannah and Joni 🙂

4. The Breakfast Table

– Another restaurant that offers breakfast goodies and added some more appetizing flavors in the menu is the Breakfast Table. What I like about this place is its quirky ambiance–that kind of interiors you can see in Pinterest. I love the blue and white color combination of the place and how they made use of old denims as part of the table set-up.

What we tried:

• Binagoongan Omurice (P185) – 2 eggs, crispy pork binagoongan, garlic rice and petite salad *
• Adobo Omurice (P175) – 2 eggs, roasted adobo chunks, garlic rice, petite salad
• EGGS TBT Eggs Benedict – (P195) – 2 poached eggs, tinapa flakes, pinoy hollandaise, challah and petite salad *

Munching Budget: P200-300 per person

Address: Ground Floor, Maginhawa Building, 189 Maginhawa Corner Makadios Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Telephone #: 4333597

Clingy 3 date with Jhen and Rhona 🙂

5. A Taste of Heaven 

-If you are craving for milkshakes, you should head on to A Taste of Heaven. Here you can find a wide variety of milkshake flavors you can choose from — Speculous Cookie Butter, Salted Caramel, Peach Banana, S’mores Banana Split, Bubblegum, and many others. They also have some pica-pica in their menu for you and your friends to munch on and balance the taste like the fries, chilly wings, frankfurters, and burgers. The place is relatively small and could only fit approximately 10 guests inside.

What we tried: 

• Butterfinger Milkshake (P85) *
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Milkshake (P85) *
• Speculous Cookie Butter milkshake (P130) *
• Freedom Chips (P55) *

Munching Budget: P100-200

Address: 71 Maginhawa Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City

Milkshake goodness:-)

6. Artsy Cafe

-Another dainty restaurant you can find in Maginhawa Street which serves rice meals, pasta, sandwiches, coffee and desserts. Their art wall is an impressive  factor of the place plus their porch area really gives off that relaxing, coffee-by-the-garden-side-kind of feeling.

What we tried:

• Chicken Parmigiana (P15o)
• Baby Back Ribs (P360) *
• Lengua (P180)
• Tuna Melt sandwich (P120)
• Iced Butterscotch Coffee (P120) *
• Benguet Brewed Coffee (P120)

Munching Budget: P200-300 per person

Address: 36 Maginhawa Street, Diliman, Quezon CityPhilippines

Telephone #: 4349487

Year-ender Cousins’ Date

7. Leona Art Cafe

-This laid-back artsy restaurant offers really tasty and cheesy pizza at an affordable price. The place looks kinda old which added to the artsy vibe of the restaurant. They have a fixed promo of P499 for three kinds of pizza but the Three Cheese and the Pepperoni are a staple so you will only choose the third one. I’d say it is already enough for 6-10 people since you can enjoy three types of pizza for only P499. When I went out with my cousins (we were 6), we only paid P75 each for the three types of pizza we indulged ourselves on:-)

Munching Budget: P75-100/person if in a group

Address: 45 Matimtiman Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City

Telephone #: 9297490

Pepperoni Pizza

Three-Cheese Pizza

8. The Baker’s Table

This is a small dessert place where you can buy cakes which are very Pinoy in taste such as the Milo Mousse Cake, the MikMik Cake, HawHaw Cake, Butterball Cake, Viva Caramel Cake, and even Puto Bumbong Cake. You can even go on a nostalgia talk with your friends or family while munching on the sweets since the tastes of the cakes could really remind you of your childhood days. When I went here with my cousins, we just ordered 4 variants of cakes and just shared with each other so we can all have a taste of the different cake flavors.

What we tried:

• Milo Mousse Cake (P120/slice) *
• Butterball Cake (P110/slice) *
• Mikmik Cake (P110/slice)
• Puto Bumbong Cake (P120/slice) *

Munching Budget: P120-P150 per person

Address: 880B Maginhawa Street, Quezon City

Telephone #: 0917-5766001, 4337543

Milo Mousse Cake

Puto Bumbong Cake

MikMik Cake

Butterball Cake

9. Breakfast and Pies

Another restaurant owned by the people behind Pino and Pipino, Breakfast and Pies serve unique breakfast dishes, home-made pies, gourmet waffles, and fresh bread. You may also want to avail of their 50% off promo on their breads during closing hours (which me and my sister!). We got 10 pieces of cheese rolls for only P15/each. Their Mombana Hot Chocolate is really for the win! It tastes like Chuckie choco drink, but only made hot.

What we tried: 

• Mombana Hot Chocolate (P75) *
• Malongo Coffee (P75) *
• Cheese Rolls (P30/piece) *

Munching Budget: P100-200

Address: 39 Malingap Street,Teachers Village, Quezon City

Telephone #: 4411773

10. The Porch by Casa Verde

One of my favorites in this side of the city, The Porch by Casa Verde serves American home-style comfort food like ribs, steaks, hamburgers, pastas, sandwiches and desserts at a budget-friendly prices. Dining in their porch area gives me that feeling like I’m really in a country-side American house. Their single serve of ribs is already good for sharing for 2-3 people.

What we tried:

• Brian’s Ribs (P250, single order) *
• Tenderloin Tips and Eggs (P198) *
• Best Sampler (P328) – bacon & cheese, potato skins, fried cheese and buffalo wings *
• Caramel Macchiato Ice Cake (P218) *
• Lauren’s Lava cake (P188) *

Munching Budget: P250-400 per person

Address: 113 Anonas Extension, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Telephone #: 9527178

The Fam-bam 🙂

Brian’s Ribs

Caramel Macchiato Ice Cake

Lauren’s Lava

I only put here ten restaurants but there are still many restos worth trying in Maginhawa Street. Indeed, this street is food haven! 😀