Mustachioventures

This little taqueria (taco shop) has been around since December 2012 but has been acting like a jumping bean. It first opened in Banilad, near Banilad Town Centre, as La Lagrima Taqueria (La Lagrima means "the teardrop"), then after a few months it transferred somewhere in Elizabeth Pond, which I never got to visit. After almost 10 months of burrito-deprivation, I lured my friend to their new shop, this time called La Lucha Taqueria (La Lucha means "the struggle"), near Baseline. (Why the name? Is it because they have been struggling with getting a good and permanent location?)

La Lucha Taqueria
Juana Osmeña St. (across Boosog/Baseline), Cebu City
0930 635 8488
Daily 10AM to 10PM

We got a burrito. Not just an ordinary burrito, but a Super burrito (Php 230). And a Super corn quesadilla (Php 100), too. The super burrito is stuffed with everything: beans, rice, salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and your choice of meat (we got the carne asada—beef). The super corn quesadilla has the same stuff in it minus the rice and beans (we chose chicken for the meat). (We were wondering what the difference is between the super flour quesadilla and the super corn quesadilla, aside from the flour/corn and the price. The answer? The size. The flour quesadilla is 12" in diameter while the corn quesadilla is just 6" in diameter.)

Doesn't look enough for two persons? Do not judge, eat it.
And you will see that it is just right for two.
Unless you have a huge stomach space.

Drench your burrito with jalapeño and tomatillo sauce.

What was missing during this visit was the horchata, a drink made with rice, vanilla, milk, and cinnamon. A cup of this would cost Php 50. Kind of expensive but I would have gladly given up my 50–peso bill to drink this small cup of sweet concoction.

Horchata

Click to enlarge menu.

(Disregard the address on the lower right.)

I have yet to meet Jorge Barita (the Mexican owner of this little joint, who, I hear, has a nice ole mustache like mine!) to thank him for bringing Mexican food to the city (Fact: Señor Barita's family owns a taco shop in California called La Victoria) and to ask him why the name La Lucha... and maybe to ask him to lower the prices a bit (hehehe).

Señor Barita, if you're reading this, in appreciation for the food, I have come up with a song. Please sing to the tune of La Cucaracha.

La lululucha, la lululucha (The struggle)
Bigote-io no puede caminar (Mustachio can't walk)
porque le fatty, porque no tiene (because it's fat, because it doesn't have)
espacio en estomago! (space in the stomach)

So it doesn't really make sense, but the point is La Lucha Taqueria has good Mexican fare that's got Mustachio so stuffed, he is struggling to get off his bum.

Hasta luego, amigo! Burp!

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. Each of the piggies lived in his own little pigpen and was not aware that there were others of the same kind. Each one was satisfied with his own cool little mud pool and with whatever food was tossed his way (yes, pigs really do eat anything).

Then technology knocked on the pigpen gates. Through the wonderful worldwide web, Pig #3 (Pigstachio) discovered two more pigs. He found Pig #1 (Babe for Food) while searching for food on the web and Pig #2 (Baktin Corporation) while searching for mud pools with a view.

It wasn't until three years later when the chance for all three pigs to meet presented itself in the form of food: Babe for Food invited Pigstachio and Baktin Corporation to have dinner with her and her BFF on another island. The pigs were excited, especially Baktin. He kept asking what to wear. (You can wear a bow tie, Baktin. And don't forget to put gel on your hair.)

Just kidding. The pigs may wear whatever pigs wear. Dinner will be at Lubu, a casual restaurant serving seafood and Filipino cuisine. Lubu is in a commercial complex called Seaport Village in Punta Engaño, just before Mövenpick Hotel.

Lubu Filipino & Seafood Cuisine

Seaport Village, Punta Engaño, Mactan, Cebu

0917 610 1866 / (032) 492 7824

Daily 11AM to 10PM

The day came for the pigs to rendezvous. "Baktin meet Babe for Food (BFF) and BFF's BFF. Babe for Food and BFF's BFF, Baktin." Pleasantries were exchanged and stars shined...on Baktin's eyes (haha, somebody got pigstruck).

At the restaurant, the foursome met the owner of Lubu, Mr Stephan Luthi (Luthi + Cebu = Lubu). Menus were studied (Pigstachio studied his menu a bit too long because nothing caught his fancy; everything on it seemed ordinary). Recommendations were given (by Mr Luthi) and orders placed (Pigstachio let the other pigs choose; he will eat anything): kinilaw na tangigue, lechon kawali (Filipino, check), spicy prawns with rum, grilled lobster (seafood, check). Plus, BFF's BFF's choice: sizzling calamari with bacon in garlic oil.(Why this, BFF's BFF? One word: Bacon!)

Kinilaw na tangigue (Php 240) and lechon kawali (Php 280)

Spicy prawns with rum (Php 340), sizzling calamari with bacon in garlic oil (Php 280), and fried lobster (500g, Php 950)

Well, well, well, this shall teach Pigstachio a lesson: do not judge the food by its simple menu description. Pigstachio was joyfully taken by surprise by the flavorful spicy prawns with rum, the tangy calamari with bacon, and the fried lobsters sitting on a bed of alugbati (Ceylon spinach). Oh, the fried lobsters. Drool. Pigstachio just wishes the food was as friendly to his pocket as it was to his palate.

And how did these simple sounding dishes fare to the other three? They all drooled and squealed happily all the way home. (For a detailed review, read how Babe for Food squealed with delight.)

And that, my friends, was how the pig pack was formed.

The end.

Not! This is just the beginning.

It is not only Mustachio's short legs that like to travel, his stomach does, too. Mustachio's stomach travels around the world while staying in one province, Cebu. While in Cebu, his stomach has been to Vietnam, France, Mexico, China, Malaysia, Japan. And today, USA. Texas, specifically.

Texas Rex BBQ

AS Fortuna St., Mandaue City, Cebu

(032) 236 8201

Lunch 11AM–2PM daily

Dinner 530PM–930PM daily

Expectation: A handful of BBQ dishes.

Reality: An extensive menu that took Mustachio a bit of time to decide. He ended up with bacon beef meatloaf. After tearing his gaze away from the menu, it got caught by the dessert display, and banoffee cake was added to the bill.

Click to enlarge.

Menu images from Texas Rex BBQ's facebook page.

Expectation: The singer of "I'd Do Anything for Love" covered in bacon, and served with rice.

Reality: Smaller than the singer, but a bigger portion than hoped for. Plus it came with some peas, carrots, and corn. And a glass of drink.

Clockwise from top left: Bacon beef meatloaf, the restaurant, and a slice of banoffee cake.

Expectation: For the cake to taste like bananas and chocolate. And for the food to taste like real Texan food.

Reality: The cake was very chocolatey with bits of banana...which is good for the chocolate monsters, but not for the banana monsters. As for "real Texan food", Mustachio can't say—he has never been to Texas! His bacon beef meatloaf was more beef than bacon (strips of bacon was on top of the meatloaf), and for someone who is not big on beef, this might have been the wrong choice (and a case of selective reading: bacon). But if Texas smelled like grilled meat, then Mustachio feels like he just walked out of Texas.

PS. On his next visit to Texas in AS Fortuna, Mandaue City, Mustachio might go for something barbecue (considering this place is named Texas Rex BBQ) or something Mexican (the name shortened as Tex Rex is a play on words to sound like Tex Mex), like a burrito. For those who have been to Texas Rex BBQ, what would you recommend?

Heard a stomach growl...

May I suggest Japanese?

Go to Country Mall

There's Ofuku-san

A worn and faded facade

Treasures hide within

Many moons ago when Ofuku–san was still new

(Photo source)

Treasures in boxes

Red and black bento boxes

Complete meal inside

Craving for porkchop

Have a tonkatsu bento

Perfectly breaded

Php 270
kakiage (vegetable tempura), sweet and spicy anchovies, tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet),
tamagoyaki (scrambled egg), macaroni salad, rice

Is fried prawn your thing?

Try ebi furai bento

Served with chicken, too

Php360
chicken teriyaki, ebi furai (fried prawn), agedashi tofu, rice

Something bacon-y?

Say buta shogayaki

It's perfect for you

Php 270
kakiage (vegetable tempura), sweet and spicy anchovies, buta shogayaki (thinly sliced pork),
tamagoyaki (scrambled egg), macaroni salad, rice

Complete bento meal

Comes with miso soup and fruits

Surely make you full

But try others too

Like agedashi tofu

or Cali maki

Kind of expensive

But worth it I must declare

Exit with a smile

Ofuku–san

Gaisano Country Mall, Banilad, Cebu City

(032) 232 5036

Lunch 1130AM–230PM daily
Dinner 530PM–1030PM daily

What is a haiku? Haiku is a short form of Japanese poetry consisting of just three lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables. The other two characteristics of a haiku are kigo (word/phrase that symbolizes the season) and kireji (word that cuts the stream of thought)... both of which I don't know how to apply :))

What is siopao? I believe it's the Filipino spelling for xiaobao 小包, which means "small bun" in Chinese. Sure you've heard of siopao. Sure you've eaten one (or dozens in your lifetime). White bun with meat and egg inside. The meat can be asado (pork barbecue) or bola–bola (meatball). Boring but always good for a snack.

If you take the literal meaning, then this here, is not a xiaobao. It's a dabao 大包 or big bun! (Actually the siopao around the Philippines are actually dabao 大包, only a few have the small buns.) And what's inside makes it, in my opinion, a hen dabao很大包(very big bun). But enough about the Mandarin lessons.

Why did I say it's a big bun? Because it is about 10 cm in diameter (well, wiki says a dabao 大包 measures 10 cm in diameter). And why "very big bun"? Because this siopao—Taitong's Special Siopao (Php62)—has not one or two but five fillings: asado, bola–bola, Chinese sausage, plain siomai, and salted egg. Boring it certainly isn't. Taitong's Special Siopao is a fiesta in a white bun. Hen hao chi很好吃—very delicious!

Taitong Steamers Foods

AS Fortuna St. (beside AA BBQ), Mandaue City, Cebu

(032) 316 2438 / (032) 316 0327

Lunch 10AM–2PM daily

Dinner 5PM–10PM daily

Taitong offers not only siopao—the "Foods" in Taitong Steamers Foods clearly says so. Taitong also has a bunch of dishes up the chef's sleeve. Check out the menu below.

Click photos to enlarge

Ah, Seafood City! Brings back childhood memories!

In the 90s, whenever my parents had visitors, we'd always go to Seafood City in Lahug. I remember walking into the huge restaurant (because of my size, the place seemed really huge), and my siblings and I would go straight to the aquariums to look at all the creatures while our parents chose some of these (un)lucky creatures to be put on our plates.

The return of this impressive seafood restaurant of the 90s as Isla Sugbo Seafood City is joy! Though the new Seafood City at the ground floor of the Grand Convention Center of Cebu is not as huge as my memory of the old one, Isla Sugbo Seafood City can seat 300 guests.

Isla Sugbo Seafood City
Ground Floor, Grand Convention Center of Cebu
Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City
(032) 260 8000
Lunch 11AM–2PM daily
Dinner 6PM–10PM daily

Isla Sugbo Seafood City sticks with the same concept as its ancestor: fresh catch laid out for your choosing alongside sea creatures swimming in aquariums not knowing how it'll end up on your plate—it's your choice how it should be cooked. If you have no idea how you want your fish or prawn or crab or whatever you have chosen cooked, ask the servers for the different cooking styles. Prices of dishes depend on the weight of the seafood/meat plus the cooking fee of Php 40 per 100 grams. A one page menu lists just drinks (for available desserts, just ask the servers).

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, which ones should go (to the pot/pan)?

Isla Sugbo Seafood City opened about a month ago and barely three weeks old in their new home, I was invited by a friend to their media launch. Seefood diet, here we go!

Look closely. A part of a land creature snuck onto the table: (grilled) pork belly. The pig was probably found swimming in the sea, the people around the table joked. But, really, Isla Sugbo Seafood City has chicken, pork, and vegetables, too. All (including the seafood, of course) cooked to your liking by their chefs from Hong Kong.

I will not describe each because I have a very poor foodabulary. With my limited adjectives for food, I am picking the most used: delicious! My favorites were the sole fish fried with garlic butter sauce, deep fried blue crab with salt and pepper, and the prawns with lemon butter sauce. Oh, and the desserts were delightful, too!

The buchi is from Tsay Cheng, the Chinese restaurant next door.

It's time to bring my parents to Isla Sugbo Seafood City—just like old times but with reversed roles. All the same, we'll be there for the same reason the family has frequented the old Seafood City: the excellent seafood!

Brokeback Cafe

Spotted at Skyrise Bldg. IT Park, Cebu City

On saving

Save a water bottle.

Save money.

Bring a water bottle. Some airports might not allow more than 100 ml of liquid so you might have to chug all the water or dump the water, but make sure to keep your water bottle. Refill when there are free water dispensers—some airports, accommodations, museums, and restaurants have free water dispensers. It can save you at least 25 Philippine pesos per half a liter.

For more lessons from the road, please visit Go Learn.

One Sunday, the three little pigs—Babe for Food, Baktin, and Pigstachio—got on a jeep and went to...

Colon

They alighted near 138 Mall in Colon Street. They went in the mall, not to go shopping, but to make a shortcut to the parallel street called...

V Gullas Street

...where "Cebu's Original Best Pancit Canton" is said to be found: in Visayan Restaurant. It was already past noon and the restaurant was empty save for two other customers—one was just finishing up his lunch and the other was waiting for her take out. The one who was just finishing up, the pigs were told, was Visayan Restaurant's most loyal customer, a gentleman in his 70s, twenty years older than the current owner (the son of the founder, I am guessing) of Visayan Restaurant.

Visayan Restaurant

V Gullas Street (behind Colonnade), Cebu City

(032) 253 8631

Monday to Saturday 9AM to 8PM

Sunday 9AM to 1PM

Click to enlarge menu

Hams down, special pancit canton (Php 110) for lunch—this is what the pigs came to Visayan Restaurant for. Further study of the menu led to the decision to carbo load: fried Shanghai rice (Php 110). And because rice, the pigs reasoned, should go with meat, they added lemon chicken (Php 155). And, at the last minute, added some vegetables (chou pat chin, Php 155).

As soon as the food was served and photographed, the pigs dug in and offered their opinions. Except for Pigstachio who is no food expert and could only say "mmm..." After tasting "Cebu's Original Best Pancit Canton", Pig #1 wanted to cross out the restaurant's sign...she would still pick Mingnan's pancit over Visayan's. All three pigs, though, agreed that the fried Shanghai rice and the lemon chicken were delicious, though they thought the lemon chicken's sauce was too runny. These three pigs are carnivorous, and the chou pat chin, was there, well, not to wow their taste buds, but to erase the guilt of not having the lowermost part of the food pyramid.

Will the pigs eat there again? Warning: Pig #1 found a short strand of hair on the pancit...so, uhh, Pig #1? Pig #2 said he'd order some take out next time. Pig #3, the most thrifty of the bunch, thought Visayan Restaurant has good Chinese food for a very affordable price.

Pigs will be pigs. And hair does not and will never make them lose their appetite. It was a hot Sunday and the blazing summer sun prompted Pig #1 to suggest halo-halo for dessert. "Let's have Melton's Halo-halo in Talisay!" Pig #1 said half jokingly (Talisay's about 13 km from the pigs' current location). Pig #2 and Pig #3, always up for food, took the other half of the suggestion—the not joking half—and off they went with nary a clear idea where this Melton's Halo-Halo was (Pig #1 just said she saw it on the side of the road somewhere in Talisay). Out of Visayan Restaurant they marched, looking for a jeepney going south. As luck would have it, the first jeepney driver the pigs approached knew where Melton's was and it was on his route:

Pardo

The jeepney driver dropped the three little pigs off at Kingsmen, just before the Pardo church, and pointed them to the yellow sign down the road:

Melton's Halo-Halo

52 I Tabura St, Poblacion, Pardo, Cebu City

Daily 12NN to 12MN

A few minutes after the pigs arrived, the 30 seats of Melton quickly got taken. And inside, it got warmer—Melton's has no airconditioning. No AC? Ah, so customers can appreciate the cold of their specialty: halo-halo.

Each of the pigs ordered a super special halo-halo (Php 60)—super special has two small scoops of ice cream, while special has no ice cream at all. What's in Melton's halo-halo? Coconut, banana, jackfruit, cornflakes, kaong (sugar palm), no beans (to the delight of Pig #2), no leche flan (to the dismay of Pig #1), and peanuts (to the surprise of Pig #3).

Halo-halo is a perfect dessert for summer. The pigs were satisfied, but dreaded going out in the sun again, where they and their halo-halo-filled bellies will melt. Being a long way from home, the pigs might need another dose of halo-halo when they get home. Hmm... Halo-halo for take out, perhaps?

What did we get by booking four rooms in Anang Balay Turista four months in advance and making a 50% downpayment? We got Jhanna's Inn.

How did this happen? After we have been duped and dumped, we were told that this happens often with Anang Balay Turista. Sounds like the owner of Anang Balay Turista is a bit of a sigurista (hey, that rhymes!) and overbooks her place. When everyone who has booked rooms shows up, the owner of Anang Balay Turista asks Jhanna's Inn (a stone's throw from Anang Balay Turista; both are on the south end of the beach) to take some of her guests. Lucky for Jhanna's Inn.

Jhanna's Inn

Serena St., Brgy. Buena Suerte, El Nido, Palawan

+63 947 452 4842

And lucky for us, too, since Jhanna's Inn is newer and more comfortable than Anang Balay Turista. Before we were led into Jhanna's Inn, the caretaker of Anang Balay Turista took us to the second floor of Anang Balay Turista to show us one of the rooms...which turned out to be occupied. The alley and the staircase leading up to the second floor was narrow and steep; the child we were with slipped. The hallway between rooms in Anang Balay Turista was narrow, making the place rather cramped. Yup, we were lucky to be dumped in Jhanna's Inn, where the rooms were bigger (though only three: Quad Php 2500 / Triple Php 2000 / Twin Php 1500), and there was no staircase (narrow or not) to worry about.

Jhanna's Inn has three rooms only.

The common area has a couch, some chairs, and a dining area (not pictured).

On the downside, Jhanna's Inn does not provide free breakfast, whereas Anang Balay Turista does (one of the reasons we chose Anang Balay Turista in the first place, so we didn't have to worry about breakfast). Thanks to the angry powers of one of my companions, she got Anang Balay Turista to provide free breakfast (rice, egg, ham/hotdog, coffee/bottled water).

We arrived in El Nido around 10PM and it took angry companion an hour and several phone calls to the owner of Anang Balay Turista (who wasn't around) to get everything settled. After all the furor and confusion, each one of us went into our assigned cold (AC was on) room in Jhanna's Inn, freshened up in the clean bathroom (each room had its own bathroom), and jumped in bed to sleep for the next six hours.

Triple (left) and Quad (right) rooms. The quad sharing room is spacious (though the photo doesn't show so) that it can accommodate one more single bed. Each room has an air conditioning unit, a flat screen TV, and its own toilet and bath. Towels, toilet paper, soap, and shampoo are provided.

How we reached El Nido from Puerto Princesa:

We rented a van through Northern Hope Tours. They charge Php 6000 per way, but angry companion (who wasn't angry at the time she booked the van) was able to haggle and we paid Php 11000 roundtrip (50% downpayment required). Their van can accommodate 12 passengers. We were dropped off at the inn in El Nido and picked up at the appointed date and time.

The year before, we rented a van through Trip@Palawan Travel and Tours (trippalawan@yahoo.com / 0908 376 4933). They charged Php 11000 roundtrip (van waited in El Nido and we were able to use it to/from town since we were staying in Corong-Corong) plus Php 1500 for the sidetrip that we requested to Sabang for the underground river. Their van can accommodate 12 passengers.

Just this year, groups that rent a van have to pay Php 100 (per van) upon entering El Nido town. Those who take the bus or shuttle van are dropped off outside of town and have to take a tricycle to go to their hotel/resort/inn.

Jhanna's Inn can also arrange van transfers to and from Puerto Princesa and island hopping and inland tours in El Nido. Had we known Jhanna's Inn existed, we could have booked with them and not gone through all that hassle with Anang Balay Turista. Next time we shall dump ourselves directly to Jhanna's Inn.

* In the confusion upon our arrival, I forgot to take photos. All photos above are from Jhanna's Inn's facebook page. *

Why did my friends and I find ourselves eating pizza and pasta while in El Nido? Put the blame on the restaurant and its strategy... Trattoria Altrov'e smartly placed its pizza making area where it can be seen by everyone walking Calle Hamma, the street parallel to the beach in the town of El Nido. It was the man making pizza that we saw through a plastic cover and the smell of pizza emanating from a brick oven that made us stop in our tracks and stare at the pizza dough smothered with tomato sauce and getting emblazoned with meats, greens, mushrooms, olives.

Here's why. Looking thru the plastic cover and smelling the pizza. (Photo by R Abastas)

One second we were glued in front of this mesmerizing sight, the next second we were walking barefoot (slippers have magically been left on the shelf by the entrance of Trattoria Altrov'e) on the wooden floor of the second level of the restaurant. It was dinner time and the restaurant was packed but we luckily got a round table and some pillows for our butt at the far end of the restaurant.

Trattoria Altrov'e

Calle Hamma, El Nido, Palawan

0927 741 8016

Daily 5PM–11PM

Photo from Trattoria Altrov'e's facebook page

I left the task of choosing the food to my three friends and they decided on two pizzas and two pasta dishes. That's like one for each person. Big appetites? Or big wallets?

Peperoni has...pepperoni (Php 390) and Quattro Stagioni has mushrooms, artichokes, ham, and olives (Php 445)

Gamberi e olio d'oliva has shrimps and sun-dried tomatoes (Php 310) and All'arrabiata has bacon, garlic, paprika, and parmesan cheese (Php 230)

More like big wallets with nothing inside. But, it's proven, we have big appetites. We finished everything. It was that good. Or we were very hungry. No, I think it was just really good, and we could not let anything go to waste.

El Nido, A Year After (2014)
We Got Dumped in El Nido
Trattoria Altrov'e (you're here!)
(more soon!)

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido

Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong

A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping

A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping

Palawan on the Pocket

Source

There are four island hopping tours in El Nido to choose from. In 2013, tours cost between Php 700 to Php 900. In 2014, you get to be Php 1200 to Php 1400 poorer, depending on which tour you choose. (That's a whopping Php 500 increase for each tour!) In addition to the tour fee, an environment fee of Php 200 per person is collected (valid for 10 days).

The four El Nido island hopping tours are:

Tour A (Php 1200) : Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Simizu Island, Seven Commandos Beach

Tour B (Php 1300) : Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Cathedral Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island

Tour C (Php 1400) : Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Talisay Beach, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach

Tour D (Php 1200) : Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan Beach, Bukal Beach, Natnat Beach, Paradise Beach

All tours include lunch. It is best to bring a waterproof camera on these tours (if you don't have one, you can rent one in town).

Tours can be booked through any of the tour agencies scattered in town or through your inn/guesthouse/hotel (most inns/guesthouses/hotels in El Nido can arrange island hopping tours). Rates are standard. If you're one big group, you might be able to haggle and request for combo tours. Like we did.

We did tours C and D on day one, and A and B the next. The disadvantage of doing combo tours is that you will not get to visit all spots...unless you speed through each spot.

El Nido, A Year After (2014)

We Got Dumped in El Nido

Trattoria Altrov'e
El Nido Island Hopping Tours (you're here!)

(more soon!)

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido
Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
Tour A: A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
Tour C: A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping
Palawan on the Pocket

To make the most of our two short days in El Nido, our leader was able to arrange for combo tours (on top of arranging transfers and accommodations! Super woman!): A+B and C+D. I will not bore you with Tour A and Tour C since I have already bored you with it a year ago. This time, allow me to show you the Tour B and Tour D spots we visited.

Tour B

What comes after Tour A? Tour B! Two islands and two caves.

Snake Island

When we reached Snake Island, two groups had just had their lunch and were wrapping up. We, on the other hand, still had empty stomachs. It was already 130PM. While our boatmen prepared lunch, we went up to the viewdeck to look for snakes. We found a long, white one—a sandbar connecting Snake Island to the island of Palawan.

The sandbar

The view to the east

Cudugnon Cave

After lunch and two hours of swimming and lazing in Snake Island, we sailed south to Cudugnon Cave. To enter the cave, we had to go through a small hole one by one. Openings in the high cave ceiling let sunlight in and there was no need for flashlights. Our boatmen didn't really say anything about the cave's history. Had we had more time, I would have stayed inside longer to eavesdrop on another group's guide.

Left (photo by L Salas): That hole on the bottom? That's the entrance. Right: Inside the cave.

Outside the cave is a small beach with a open cottages

Cathedral Cave

Southeast of Cudugnon Cave is the small island of Pinasil where Cathedral Cave is. Once you see it, you'll know why it's called Cathedral Cave. We could have gone inside and explored the cave if we had a kayak. But, no, we didn't have one and we were left to imagine what was inside the cave.

Pinagbuyutan Island

Our last stop for the Tour B loop was Pinagbuyutan Island. On one end of the beach is fine white sand, on the other are broken corals. The beach is dotted with trees that provide much needed shade when the sun is high.

The fine sandy portion (Photo by R Abastas)

The other end of the beach is covered with coral sand

Tour D

Tour D includes five spots but we chose—actually, our boatmen did—just these three spots since it was getting late (we visited all spots included in Tour C before proceeding to Tour D). The two beaches we missed were Natnat Beach and Paradise Beach.

Cadlao Lagoon

The quiet Cadlao Lagoon is a good area for stand up paddling. If only we had thought of that idea prior to getting on the boat, we could have rented stand up paddles in town. For a few minutes we just gazed in envy at the other visitors on their stand up paddles...then forgot about it and enjoyed swimming in the clear waters of the lagoon. It felt like we were in a huge aquamarine pool surrounded by karst walls covered in green and yellow leaves.

Pasandigan Beach

Wewere the only visitors in Pasandigan Beach. Unfortunately, we were only given ten minutes to enjoy the serenity and soft sand. It was already 430PM and we had one more beach to visit.

Bukal Island

Nearing 5PM, we reached Bukal Island in shadow—the sun was already behind Cadlao Island, the island facing the small Bukal beach. Photos and last minute dips were in order.

Photo by L Salas

Each place has its charm, but my favorite of the above would have to be Snake Island...when all the other groups had left. Since I could not put into words the feeling while floating near the sandbar, the main island of Palawan behind me, Snake Island to my left, another island to the right of my frame of vision, some karst mountains in the distance in front of me, and nothing but the sound of the sea, I just drew as best I could the picture that is still etched in my mind.

India has snake charmers. In the Philippines, I found a snake that charms people.

El Nido, A Year After (2014)

We Got Dumped in El Nido

Trattoria Altrov'e
El Nido Island Hopping Tours
El Nido Tours B and D (you're here!)

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido

Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
Tour A: A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
Tour C: A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping

Palawan on the Pocket

Big Tom's Charbroiled Burgers

111 Juana Osmeña St. Cebu City

(032) 239 8101

Daily 11AM–9PM

Who is Tom? Tom, short for Thomas, is the owner.

Is Tom big? I haven't met him, but, for you, I got into spy mode and googled him. He is bigger than me.

Is the restaurant big? The restaurant can seat about 30 and has a very tiny parking space (good for two cars only).

What's "charbroiled"? Charcoal + broil = charbroil(ed). In other words, grilled over charcoal.

How many burgers does Big Tom have? Enough to serve customers from lunch til dinner every day. For a list of Big Tom's burger creations, check out The Exaggerated Zeal's blogpost.

How many big burgers can a person eat? It depends on their appetite. Most of Big Tom's burgers come in two sizes: 4 ounces (that's a quarter of a pound) and 6 ounces (0.375 lbs). The Mash Burger is the smallest at 2 ounces (0.125 lbs). The biggest is the double decker cheeseburger—a choice of 8 ounces (half a pound) or 12 ounces (3/4 of a pound).

How many burgers can Mustachio and two friends eat? Three. One burger each (each burger comes with a small portion of fries): 6 oz. Portobello blue cheese burger (Php 335 for 6 oz. / Php 295 for 4 oz., not on the menu, occasionally offered), 4 oz. deluxe bacon cheeseburger (Php 175), and grilled chicken vinaigrette (Php 180).

Can one easily bite into Big Tom's burgers? Open really wide and you can plug your mouth, if you're having a Portobello blue cheese burger, with a 5–inch burger bun loaded with a 6–ounce patty, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, crumbled blue cheese, and oozing with mozzarella cheese and blue cheese sauce. It's going to make a delicious mess.

Once you've bitten into your burger...would you like to share it? "Share," came the reluctant reply of Portobello blue cheese burger eater as he slowly sliced small portions for his two companions...all the while thinking "Noooo!! Mine! All mine!"

Now that you've had a bite...Big Tom's or Big Daddy? Deluxe bacon cheeseburger friend liked her burger but still preferred Big Daddy over Big Tom.

Mustachio, chicken or beef? Half of the answer was between his fingers—grilled chicken vinaigrette. The other half of the answer was in his mouth—tender and tasty grilled chicken vinaigrette.

Three people, three wallets, three burgers, and three opinions.

Dear Gawad Kalinga,

If I were a teacher and you were my student, I'd give you a D. A double D.

D for Delight.

It was a delight to find out you'll be having another Bayani Challenge this year. This time it would run for two months and in different locations in many provinces. The activities would include house building, school refurbishing, mangrove planting, coastal cleanup, health mission, and paraisong pambata.

I eagerly signed up—two months ahead of the schedule I had chosen. In the two months of anticipation, I received very few updates and too few details. I was only informed of where to go two days before the date I was scheduled to jump on the bus. With only that information in mind (go to the Municipal Hall) and no other instructions, I went.

D for Dismay.

I arrived at the municipal hall, spotted a Gawad Kalinga tarpaulin, but not a Gawad Kalinga person in sight. First question in my head: where do I volunteer? Good thing a friend (who went a day ahead) thought of telling another volunteer who was still at the municipal hall to be on the look out for me. I asked her what the activities were for the day and that's how I got myself to the elementary school where people were painting the facade pink.

While painting, I was told that the facade had already been painted the day before—in another color. They (I am not sure who "they" is) decided that that color was too drab and needed to be painted in a brighter color—pink. Hmmm...wasn't that "wrong" (color) decision a waste of time and a waste of gallons of paint?

Volunteers paint the facade twice

During lunch break, my friend, who volunteered at the beach, told me they really didn't do anything there. And that the day before, there were dozens of volunteers ready for the mangrove planting...which did not happen at the last minute. Again, a waste of people's time.

The morning of my second day, I went back to the same elementary school to paint the interior walls, which we had started painting yellow the day before. Ah, but the paint that was prepared was a shade too light and we were all asked to stop til they got the mixture right. But, lo and behold, there was no tinting color to be found, and somebody had to hunt down the right color at the two hardware stores in town (color not available) and at the hardware stores some distance away from town. While that somebody was busy looking for the right color, more volunteers arrived, armed with paintbrushes, but with nothing to do. A whole morning gone to waste (painting—with the right color—resumed after lunch).

I am not sure if others saw what I saw, but I observed that the school needed more than a fresh coat of paint (by the way, for the exterior walls, only the front was given a fresh coat of paint). The ceiling was sagging. The floorboards were bending underfoot. Would it have been better to repair the school building first?

I am not writing this to discourage people to volunteer, but I am writing this in the hopes that you, Gawad Kalinga, would plan better next time so as not to waste materials and everyone's time. I know your intentions and goals are all good.

Sincerely,

Mustachio

Do you know Kuya J? He used to live somewhere near Capitol. He did so well that he moved to a nicer place near Ayala, acquired two new homes in SM (SM Cebu and SM Consolacion), and will soon be adding another home somewhere in Manila.

Kuya J in SM Cebu

Kuya J's not–so–secret secret? Good food. Affordable prices. We all love that, don't we? I bet one or two or three of these are on your favorite Filipino food list:

Three are on mine: ginataang monggo, crispy pata (crisp skin and tender meat!), and baked scallops. I usually don't care for kare–kare, but Kuya J's very peanuty (I love peanuts) kare–kare earns a spot on my list.

Menu. Click to enlarge.

Not on the menu, but is currently available, is the lumpia presko/fresh lumpia: stuffed in a malunggay infused wrapper (thus, the green color) are bamboo shoots and crab meat. I like to eat this topped with fresh garlic and crushed peanuts and smothered with sweet garlic sauce. My list of Kuya J favorites has now grown one item longer.

And that list will soon become a little longer, with their new dishes, drink, and desserts to be launched this June: tokwa't baboy—deep fried pork belly and tofu with tuba (coconut wine) soy sauce; chorizo dinamitas—jalapeño peppers stuffed with Cebu chorizo and cheddar cheese; chicken tagudtod—deep fried chicken wings with sweet sesame sauce; dalandan (flavored) beer; tablea flan with coffee syrup; banoffee saba; and fried halo–halo ala mode.

I already have a meal plan (one that any doctor would put a big red X mark on) for my next visit: ginataang monggo, crispy pata, baked scallops, kare–kare, lumpia presko, chorizo dinamitas, and three desserts: leche flan, tablea flan with coffee syrup, and banoffee saba! But I can't finish all these by myself, so who wants to eat these with me? Know that I am a sweet lover (not the driver kind, but a person who likes desserts); I will share everything, except for the desserts.

PS Thank you, Kuya J, for letting me be one of the first few to try your new creations. I want to shake your hand, or maybe your chef's hand, for being bold and coming up with interesting new dishes, desserts, and drink. Kudos!

Kuya J Restaurant
Upper Ground Floor (by the entrance facing Radisson Blu), SM City Cebu
(032) 266 8600
Daily 10AM–10PM

Escario cor. Tojong Sts. Kamputhaw, Cebu City
(032) 260 2991
Lunch 11AM–3PM daily
Dinner 6PM–10PM daily

SM City Consolacion
(032) 266 8188
Daily 10AM–9PM

I hope the servings are dino-sized, too.

Spotted in SM City Bacolod by Fred of The Exaggerated Zeal. Thank you!

On roads less traveled

Or alleys and pathways off the tourist path...

Explore an alley (but be safe).
The alley could be dingy,
but there might be a pot of gold at the end of it.

A pot of gold...or maybe not.

While wandering in Hong Kong, my friend and I spontaneously decided to turn right ("Hey, let's see what's in here!). At the end of the alley, we made another right turn and, lo and behold, found a cluster of restaurants filled with locals! A terrific dinner, thanks to our brilliant decision making skills: restaurant selected based on eenie meenie miney mo and dinner chosen based on pictures since we couldn't read Chinese. It was one of our best finds that trip. (But don't ask me where it was...I couldn't remember. Unfortunately.)

For more lessons from the road, please visit Go Learn.

Mustachio loves animals. Some animals he loves best as eating buddies. Pigs especially. Why? Pigs eat with gusto and are not ashamed to eat like, well, a pig.

A pig (Babe for Food) and a dove (10 Dove Street)

Mustachio loves animals. Some animals he sees fit as eating destinations. No, he can't eat in a whale and he can't eat in a monkey. But he can eat in a crab, a crazy one; he can eat in a chicken named Charlie; and he can eat in a dove, one that is a bit confused with its address.

10 Dove Street

Oakridge Business Park, 880 AS Fortuna Street, Mandaue City

(032) 418 1010

Daily 10AM to 10PM

Mustachio love animals. And most animals he loves best in his stomach.

On this particular night, Mustachio had a happy meeting with animals. He was invited by Babe for Food for a date, with a dove as a host, and an assortment of animals on the table.

Dove, the host, offered her guests two options: The 10 Dove Street Experience (Php 250), which includes soup, salad, sandwich, and a slice of cake; and the Kitchen Favorites (Php 275), which includes soup, entree, and a slice of cake. Dove, the generous host, said dinner was on the (bird)house.

Mustachio, on a fitness mission, chose The 10 Dove Street Experience—this was the easy part. The difficult part was picking from a long list of soups, salads, and sandwiches.

Mustachio's 10 Dove Street Experience

The food was served by course, and the first animal to go into Mustachio's maw was the crab...and corn bisque, a creamy soup that made Mustachio want to lick his bowl clean. And then a break for animals: Salad Tropicale, a sweet medley of lettuce, apples, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, red onions, feta cheese and poppy seed dressing. For the sandwich, the next animal to be sacrificed was the chicken. The chicken was chopped and made to squish in with apples, walnuts, lettuce, and mayo-yogurt-honey mustard between slices of wheat bread. According to Babe for Food, it's a salad put between two slices of bread, and Mustachio laughingly agreed. Lastly, the dessert. Was it a fitness mission Mustachio was on? Clearly, this guy was pretending. Who on a health mission would eat a sinfully moist chocolate cake, smothered with icing and strawberry sauce? Maybe it was a typo...maybe it was really a fatness mission Mustachio was on.

Mustachio did pretty good on his fatness mission, thanks to that last part of his 10 Dove Street Experience. But he has to do eat more. His date, Babe for Food, does the mission with ease. Babe for Food had the Kitchen Favorites and then some.

Babe for Food's Kitchen Favorites plus Pancheco Salad plus Old Fashioned Lasagna

Mustachio wonders how his date does it. He suspects Babe for Food has an extra stomach hidden in her purse. While Mustachio investigates this case of the bottomless pit, read about Babe for Food's Kitchen Favorites plus plus, and tell him if you find a clue there.

I am glad we caught the only bus going straight to Aloguinsan a few minutes before its scheduled departure, 7AM. If not, we would have had to take a bus to Toledo then transfer to a jeepney to get to Aloguinsan; or a bus to Pinamungahan and then a tricycle to Aloguinsan.

It was a one–day weekday holiday and I would spend at least five hours on the road to and from Aloguinsan, just to see Bojo River.

After 2.5 hours on the bus, we were ejected near a turnoff where a bunch of motorcycles were parked under a tree, on which a tarp showing the fares was nailed.

For exactly how much the fare was shown on the tarp, Php 20, we were taken to Bojo River, where we paid Php 400 (weekends and holidays; Php 300 on weekdays) each for the tour. We had arrived just as the tide was coming in, perfect timing. (Bojo River tours only happen during high tide. Check the tides when scheduling your tour.) A briefing was held before we were asked to don lifevests and get on our assigned banca.

The starting point of the tour

As we drifted along the river, our guide pointed to different types of mangroves and rattled off scientific names which sounded gobbledygook to me. Half my brain absorbed the scene unfolding in front of me, and the other half struggled to register all the names of mangroves and other information the guide had painstakingly memorized. I commend him for going through months of study and training, just to educate us, but, unfortunately, this student is of the rotten bunch and would only pay attention to the interesting stories and funny jokes he injected in between.

A small clearing where fishermen park their boats

At the inlet, we were given time to jump into the water and swim around. If not for other groups waiting, we would have spent hours in the water, not caring if our fingers turned like raisins—all wrinkled. But time's up, we musn't be selfish, there were other groups to teach and it was their turn to get the Bojo River education.

To Tañon Strait

When there are no guests to ferry along the river, the Bojo River tour guides work as fishermen. Tour proceeds go to the fishermen and their families, and to community projects. If you feel that Php 400 is too much for a short tour (about an hour), think of it as a way of helping the community.

Package tours (minimum of 5 persons) are also available. Advance booking is required. Contact the Aloguinsan Municipal Tourism Office at 032 469 9034.

Aloguinsan
Bojo River (you're here!)
Hidden Beach (soon!)

How speeding through Aloguinsan sped through Mustachio's wallet:
Bus, Cebu to Aloguinsan Php 80
Habalhabal to Bojo River Php 20
Bojo River tour (walk–in weekend/holiday rate) Php 400
Habalhabal Bojo River to market to Hidden Beach Php 40
Hidden Beach entrance fee Php 15
Hidden Beach table rental Php 150
Habalhabal to Pinamungahan Php 50
Bus, Pinamungahan to Cebu (aircon Ceres bus) Php 100

Hola! La Lucha Taqueria

The Three Little Pigs Prequel: Lubu

To Texas, Cowboy!

Haiku for the Hungry: Ofuku–san

Siopao is Boring... Or Is It?

Welcome Back (Isla Sugbo) Seafood City!

What's in a (Business) Name? Veintinueve

Wisdom from the Road #15

The Three Little Pigs Went to...

We Got Dumped in El Nido

Trattoria Altrov'e

El Nido Island Hopping Tours

El Nido Tours B and D

Big Tom's Charbroiled Burgers

Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge 2014

Filipino Food Favorites at Kuya J Restaurant

What's in a (Business) Name? Treinta

Wisdom from the Road #16

Mustachio Loves Animals

Aloguinsan Part 1: Bojo River