Baguio: Forest House

When it comes to Ilocano food, bagnet always comes into my mind. Bagnet is the Northern Luzon's very own version of lechon kawali. It's a slab of pork deep fried to perfection giving you a crunchy state like chicharon. 

Whenever we go to Baguio, we are always craving to eat good quality bagnet. What better way  to satisfy this craving by visiting Forest House!

Baguio: Cheesecake by Teano's

During my previous visit to Baguio, I discovered a new delight that you will definitely enjoy. Cheesecake by Teano's is a must try for you! 

I've known Imee Teano online a few years back and when I heard that she makes cheesecakes, I immediately ordered one for my next visit to Baguio. I was excited to try it out and I got more than what I've expected. 

It is 100% cream cheese and the flavor is really good. She used high grade ingredients on this one and she is very generous on the blueberry topping. This one here is an absolute winner and a new favorite of mine. 

Baguio: Chocolate de Batirol

Baguio's cold weather is one of the reasons why people go there. It's pristine nature and fresh air is really something you need to experience and see. But this is not the only reason I love Baguio. It's the reach culture of food that keeps me going back here. It's the gastronomical adventure that I'm really after. Plus the shared memories and enjoyment you will have with your family and friends. 

Let me share with you the top 5 food joints that you must try when you go to Baguio.

1. Chocolate de Batirol

Baguio Adventure

It's been a while since my last post and since you can already feel the summer heat, what better way to start with the City of Pines, Baguio City. Baguio is considered the"Summer Capital of the Philippines."  True to it's name, Baguio City is one of the coolest places in the country. It's a 4-5 hour drive from Manila and you will see awesome mountainside on your way up to Baguio. Though the city is highly urbanized, Baguio is still a great place to immerse yourself with its rich tradition and Filipino Culture. On a personal note, Baguio will always be one of my favorite vacation destinations and I will never get tired from visiting it.

Having that said, let me guide you on some destinations you might want to visit in Baguio.

JT's Manukan in Tagaytay

Tagaytay is one of the favorites when it comes to out-of-town trips. It's near the metro and travel time is now quick thanks to Sky Way. Beside the wonderful view that Tagaytay offers, another reason why people goes here is because of the restaurants that lines up Tagaytay. I'm a firm believer that one does not need to spend much to enjoy good quality food and I am glad that one of my favorite food joints is now in Tagaytay!

Introducing JT's Manukan! You read it right! JT's Manukan is now in Tagaytay! They had their soft opening last December 2011. To give you a little background, JT's Manukan is the best place for Chicken Bacolod Inasal (best place ever!). And if you want authentic Bacolod cuisine, JT's Manukan is the perfect place for you!

Exciting 2012

2011 was an awesome year for me! God has given me a lot of opportunity to travel around Philippines. I've visited a lot of places and try new food destinations and I'm excited to write about them for you! 

pongTrip will be featuring a lot of food hubs and local destinations that you might wanna visit. Will feature some Asian destinations as well. I'm expecting a lot of new food discoveries and what 2012 will bring. 

Have a blessed and exciting year ahead and thank you for reading my blog!

My 11 for 2011

2011 was an exciting and at the same time a very challenging year. I've learned a lot from mistakes and I've grown to trust in the Lord no matter what situation I am facing.

2011 is absolutely a great year for me. I have a lot of things that I am thankful for but let me share with you my Top 11 for 2011.

Merry Christmas!!!

Let us remember and celebrate the true essence of Christmas! Thank you Lord for giving us Jesus Christ and through Him our salvation. Thank you for all the blessings and future provisions to come.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

                                                                                       - John 3:16

Tootsie's Tagaytay

For some reason, I was lucky enough to be in Tagaytay for three (3) consecutive weekends last November. I've been posting a lot of places that you can visit in Tagaytay and enjoy a wonderful view of Taal. (You can check it out in my previous posts). Now I'll concentrate on one of the highlights of my trip. I'll be featuring one of the best restaurants that I've ever tried in Tagaytay. 

Tootsie's started since 2008 and they offer Filipino home-cooked meals. Their interior is Mediterranean inspired and it has a very homey feel to it. Not only do they serve great original dishes but they also practice great service. All their staff is super friendly. They are also knowledgeable about what they offer and they will go an extra mile to be of service to you. 

Tagaytay Highlands

Tagaytay Highlands is one of the best places I've ever visited. What I love about this place is the cool air and the breath taking nature that goes with it. It is truly refreshing!

Primarily, Tagaytay Highlands is a Golf & Country Club and later opened it's gates for their residential communities. There are three ways you can stay here: (1) you are a member of one of their Golf Club or affiliate Clubs; (2) you are a home-owner in their residential community; or (3) you have been invited by someone who is a member or a home-owner of Tagaytay Highlands. You can check their website at www.tagaytayhighlands.com for more information.

Tagaytay Weekend

Tagaytay is one of the favorite out-of-town destinations of families and barkadas. It is located in Batangas and it's a 2 to 3 hour drive outside of Metro Manila. Tagaytay is also known as the 2nd Summer Capital of the Philippines with its cool climate similar to Baguio. 

Through the years, the area has developed to cater the demands of tourists from the metro. Tagaytay now offers a lot of hotels and restaurants that you can choose from. You may also opt to build your own house in different residential property developments near Tagaytay's breath taking view of Taal Lake.

Club Balai Isabel

When talking about vacation or out of town, I always look for a place that is lively. Maybe a bar to hangout. A place where I can listen to live music or do some sing-a-long. Or just any happenings that will occupy my night. I want fun. I want something interesting. I want excitement. I want something to fill my night.

If my friends ask me to join a trip, I always make sure that there will be some night life in that vicinity. If they are only going for some kind of nature trip, I immediately say no and reject the idea. This has always been the case until I experienced a weekend getaway at Club Balai Isabel.

Pinoy Pao

Of all the dimsums out their, siopao and siomai seems to top it all and it has become one of Filipino's favorite snacks or appetizers. Sometimes siomai even serves as 'ulam' to satisfy our hunger pangs. 

If you will look around, you can see a siomai kiosk in every mall or any high concentration of people foot traffic. It is a food industry in it's own right and I'm not even talking about restaurants who serves siomai as part of their daily menu.

Having that said, let me share my new discovery: Pinoy Pao!

PsorRock: A Benefit Concert for Psoriasis Philippines

On August 20, 2011, Psoriasis Philippines is celebrating its 6th year anniversary. As part of the celebration PsorPhil is staging a benefit concert entitled: 'PsorRocks!'

Carol's Texan 5

Carol's Texan 5 is not new to my ears. I've been hearing it through my friends in PSI Leadership and I do trust them when it comes to food because they are food lovers like me.

I've seen a lot of food pictures from my friends FB page and it makes me drool every time I look at them. Then I decided that it's about time that I try it and also attest that Carol's Texan 5 offers the best chicken and ribs on this side of Manila.

Banchetto is On Vacation

For those who don't know yet, Banchetto is a nightly event every Friday and the pilot location was at Emerald Ave, Ortigas, Pasig. Part of the street is closed to give way for hundreds of food stalls offering different dishes from barbecues, burgers, pastries, pizza, pasta and other one of a kind food finds that you will only see in this wonderful event.

Cebu Foodies

Now let's go to my gastronomical adventure in Cebu! We've tried four (4) restaurants during our last visit. I know it's a few restos during a 3-day trip right? We ate at the usual commercial restos so I won't bother putting it here. I'll just concentrate on the food destinations that you can only try in Cebu City.

Did you know that Julie's Bakeshop started at Cebu? And they actually serve real food? Our first stop was Julie's Canteen. It is located near our hotel along F. Ramos St. and we usually ate most of our lunch and breakfast here. Their cooking is really good! They also have good desserts too and the price is just right.

Roaming Cebu City

We left Manila around 10am and we arrived in Cebu after an hour’s flight. Luckily we landed at Mactan-Cebu International Airport after it rained. We stayed for three (3) days in Cebu. So let me walk you through what we were able to visit in a short period of 3 days.

Cebu City: Diplomat Hotel

I've visited Cebu 10 months ago with my friends. Usual round trip air fare to Cebu will cost you around less than P5,000 but we we're lucky enough to avail air fare promos during that time (I'd suggest you book your flight during those promos and you can save up to P3,000).

We planned to stay for 3 days and we stayed at Diplomat Hotel located at 90 F. Roxas St., Cebu City (Check map here). The room rates are reasonable and can accommodate at least 2-3 persons. You can enjoy your stay for as low as P1,200 per night. The room comes with your basic needs (at least as far as I'm concerned): Cable TV, Aircon and Hot/Cold Shower. You can check the rest of the room rates here.

Banchetto: Mr. & Mrs. Tuclings' Tacos

It's been a while since I've posted. Just want to share one of the stalls I frequently visit every time I go to Banchetto. If  you are a taco aficionado, you should definitely try Mr. & Mrs. Tuclings Bite Size Tacos!