Floating while dining at Badjao Seafront Restaurant

The long wait is finally over! Now, I will be tracing the northern borders of Palawan and will be spending my 30th awesome years on earth in El Nido. It’s a personal choice to go to this place and celebrate life.

El Nido is a first class municipality and managed resource protected area in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is about 420 kilometres southwest of Manila, and about 238 kilometres northeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital. The 6-7 hours butt-numbing land travel is all worth it when you see the place.

I departed Manila past 9 in the morning and landed in Puerto Princesa Airport after an hour. Just in time for lunch so we headed to Badjao Seafront Restaurant to grab something to eat.  

Badjao Seafront Restaurant is one of the best Restaurants situated in the capital city of the Palawan. This Restaurant offers the best dining experience to local and tourists, with its rustic and cosy ambience, to excellent exotic foods. Being famous restaurant, many local and foreign guests visit this place.

 

This restaurant is built above a mangrove habitat facing the breathtaking view of Honda Bay. To get to the restaurants one must cross a bridge with colorful swags in its post. This Restaurants interior and furniture is mostly made of bamboo, hardwood and other local native materials.

  

Palawan’s famous restaurant serving mouth watering Asian Dishes and freshest choice of seafood dishes. Badjao Seafront Restaurants has been cooking masterpiece dishes that suite every taste with an exciting and wide array of steak, sea foods and grilled.

Their highly recommended menu is Seafood Platter, a set meal featuring freshest catch of the day such as Crabs, Fish, Shrimp, Squids, Clams Shells and some seaweed. The platter is good for 2 to 3 persons.

For drinks, they have young coconut juice, fresh fruit juices, sodas, and some beer. For a special dessert they boast there, Mixed Fruit Platter, which includes chopped Bananas, watermelon, papaya and mango.

 

 

  

How to get there

There are two branches of Badjao Seafront Restaurant in Palawan; the first is located in Puerto Princesa Commercial district near the famous Fleuris Hotel and Badjao Inn. The second one is located in the small village of Sikat; it is where the restaurants named from. The second branch is one that overlooks a marsh with mangrove surrounds on it.

Badjao Seafront is located just 15 minutes from the town proper; guest can take a tricycle or jeepney going to this place. This restaurant is also 20 minutes from Palawan Provincial Capitol

Wallet Damage: Php 250-400

Technorati Tags: Badjao Seafront Restaurant

The Flavors of Bicol

It’s our first and last night here in Legaspi and of course we wouldn’t let this day pass without trying the famous food spots here. I think it’s just appropriate to taste both Bigg’s Diner and First Colonial Grill for the night.

We passed by and had coffee earlier at Bigg’s Diner and this time, we are trying what it has in store for our taste buds. With several branches all over the region, there's no excuse for you not to try the good food this fast food has to offer. They say skipping Biggs Diner makes your Bicol experience incomplete. But does it really?

Despite its ambiance and decor (very retro reminiscent of old American diners), Biggs Diner is actually a Filipino-owned fast-food joint with humble beginnings starting way back in 1983 when a group of Bicolanas put up a food business.

 

A heavy meal is suited after a long day of adventure.  What I got was the Biggs Premium Burger with a meaty and flavorful Spaghetti and a chocolate cake (I actually forgot what the name of the cake was)

 

One of the Most Unforgettable Spaghetti I’ve ever tasted

Burger richly stuffed with bacon, beef patty, some lettuce and cheese

There is nothing exceptional about the chocolate cake I ordered but the Spaghetti and Burger are a must try when you eat in Bigg’s Diner. It’s not a carbo-loading day for me, but maybe because I am just so hungry I finished it all.

It’s closing time (Mall closes at 8 PM on a weekend!) when we finished our food in Bigg’s and we have to rush to First Colonial Grill for the famous Sili Ice Cream. I admit I am still full but of course I can manage to fill in one more desert.

We are heading to our Final Food Destination and I am very excited! 1st Colonial Grill is one of the favorite restaurants in Legazpi that tourists shouldn’t miss when in the city. It offers authentic Bicol Dishes but we are here for the Ice Cream! So don't just think about Ice cream when you drop by the restaurant.  There were several flavors to choose from: sili (chili), kalamansi (Philippine lemon), malunggay (moringa), tinutung ("burnt" rice), Pili and Bailey’s. I ordered Sili Ice Cream of course! The hotness comes as an aftertaste and yes, it is hot!

 

 

 

  

Wohoo! The night ended late for us, we were so tired but full from the unlimited food tasting the entire day. I must say, this is one hell busy day. Busy having fun! Oh, to top everything, we were able to follow our itinerary, good job! Now it’s time to say goodnight  and thank you so much for a flavorful night Legaspi!

 

BuzzNet Tags: First Colonial Grill,Bigg's Diner,Sili Ice Cream

En Route to Naga

After the Island Hopping, we had our dinner prepared by Kuya Henry and his crew. We got this fresh crabs from Cotivas Island earlier when we explore the different islands. Seafood has always been my comfort zone when it comes to food. I can actually live eating crabs, shrimps etc for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

CRABS, CRABS AND MORE CRABS!

Its past 10 in the evening when we dozed off. It was a tiring and exhausting yet very fulfilling day. I couldn't imagine actually reaching Caramoan islands. I have heard about this place so much and I thought this will just be a dream.

We stayed in Paniman Inn overnight. We paid 300/per person for a fan room with toilet and bathroom. Not bad for the price.  It’s located in Brgy Paniman and just few meters from the shore, roughly 30 minutes ride from the port of Caramoan.

 
 

It’s quite surprising for accommodations like this that when we woke up, we have hot water for coffee or chocolate.  Kuya Henry is very accommodating too, we had our crabs cooked in his house and even volunteered to cook rice for us for dinner plus bought us drinks too. If you wanted to visit Caramoan, I highly recommend to stay in Paniman Inn and get the services of Kuya Henry. You may reach him at 09074351962. We rented his boat for our Island Hopping at Php 3000.00 which would usually cost Php 3800.00.

We left Caramoan after having our usual morning breakfast. We hired a tricycle to take us back to the port to catch the 9:00 AM trip. Of course this trip wouldn't be complete without buying souvenirs. My usual thing: T-Shirt, Baller and Keychain. Recently I added one more to my collections: Weaved Pouch in Blue

Now its time to go back to Naga City for another set of gastronomic activity and of course, the most awaited wakeboarding in Cam Sur WaterSports Complex. It was a perfect timing when we arrived at the port, a van is waiting to take us back to the city. It was almost noontime when we arrived in Naga and of course Boss Jaymee is waiting for Lunch.  This time we are eating in Molino Grill and will try Pinangat

PINANGAT

TSINONG TALONG

 

PORK SISIG

 

PORK SINIGANG

 

 

Thumbs up to the great foods served in Molino Grill at SM City Naga, especially Pinangat. I never imagined i can eat it that food, I don't just  like it, I loved it. The taste of the “Gata” (coconut milk) is just simply irresistible. The Sinigang as well was perfectly prepared for my taste buds. I agree, Naga is a food haven.

Now it’s time to gear up for a more adventurous afternoon in CWC.  I am looking forward to three things: Sight Seeing in CWC, Wakeboarding and eat Laing Pizza.

First Step in Southern Luzon

Recalling the days when i got worried as I haven't stepped in to any towns or cities in the Southern Part of Luzon, I couldn't help myself but asked, why am i not shading the map down there? When I know that there are great spots to see and amazing culture to experience. At last, the long wait is over, i finally realized and landed in Bicol region.

Thanks to Cholo for inviting me and to my ever accommodating Boss for being our tour guide.  Finally, I am taking the road leading to South Luzon, specifically Bicol region. March 5, Wednesday, Cholo and I headed to Pasay Terminal to catch the bus going to Naga. Yes, I am taking the bus for a butt-numbing 10 hour bus ride all the way to Naga. I don’t really care coz I know I can sleep and rest the entire duration of the trip if I want to. We paid Php 570.00 for an air-conditioned bus (Philtranco). The ride we took is  bound for Tacloban but of course it’s going to pass by Naga. As I remembered there were 2 stop over along the way. First was in Quezon where the driver and most of the passengers took their lunch. The next stop over , i honestly dont remember as I just woke up because I felt that the bus is not moving. hehehe

So there, this Discovering Bicol will start in Naga City and then Caramoan and will commence in Legaspi City for me to see the Majestic Mayon and to taste authentic Bicolandia dishes.

A Gastronomic Trip in Naga City

Cast-Aways of Caramoan Islands

Legaspi Adventures and more…

BuzzNet Tags: Bicol,Naga,Caramoan Island,Legaspi

Gastronomic Trip in Naga

So we finally arrived in Naga City past 6 in the evening. We were so hungry and a bit exhausted from the long bus rid. My beloved Boss is already waiting across the terminal to take us to her favorite restaurant for Dinner.

First Stop in Naga City: gastronomic exercise at Chef Doy’s Gourmet Restaurant. A cozy place at Cereza, a complex of cafes, bars and food places along Magsaysay Ave., Naga City’s rising lifestyle and dining strip.

Upon arriving and seeing how the restaurant has been set up, I should say,  I will have a great dining experience here.  It also has a signature wall for those who wanted to badge their experience.

As recommended we ordered Batang-Batang Pusit, Kare-kareng Litson Kawali and Piniñahang Manok. I will try my best to describe the food based on my taste buds, but I will highly recommend you to experience this yourself as I may not be able to give justice to how delicious they were.

Batang-Batang Pusit

As the name says, they are baby squids cooked in olive oil (sorry these squids wasn't able to experience the world as they were cooked in their early childhood). It’s a bit sweet and spicy, a perfect appetizer.

Kare-Kareng Litson Kawali

Two of my favorite foods combined into one. It’s Kare-kare or Litson Kawali with a twist, just simply irresistible.

 

Piniñahang Manok sa Gata

Chicken cooked in pineapple and coconut milk. The pineapple complemented the coconut milk and tender chicken. A must taste as well. The food was really good. Hands down! So if you happen to land in Naga City don’t miss to check this out.  Facebook Page

 

After feasting ourselves with great foods, it’s time to recharge. So we had our last panic buying and headed to Domer Residencias, our official home in Naga City.

Technorati Tags: Chef Doy's Gourmet Restaurant

En Route Baler – Adventures and MisAdventures along the way

Surfing, surfing, surfing. I've been drooling to try and experience this myself. It's been part of my bucket list for adventures i wanted to accomplish this year and i never thought that plan will materialize earlier than expected. It's still the love month and I am loving how things are falling into place. A high school friend happened to share that same passion with me and would love to try surfing as well so we then decided to explore this new water sport together. We decided Baler Aurora to be our first training ground for our surfing lesson.

Baler aurora is located on the northwest part of the Philippines, 230 kms from Manila. There were several ways to go to Baler but its only Genesis liner having direct trips to baler. Trip would usually take 6  or 7  hours and cost depends on the type of ride you wanted.

For this adventure, we are doing road trip all the way up northwest traversing several towns to get to Aurora. It's our first time going there and we can only rely to our gut feeling, initiative and confidence to arrive safely. Thank God we have high tech gadgets capable of giving us directions.

We left Makati exactly 1030 in the morning traversing EDSA all the way to Quezon City passing through NLEX. We will drop by San Simon in Pampanga to pick up the last soul for the adventure. It’s past 12noon when were exiting NLEX and should be using La Paz exit but of course we lost the sense of direction and we ended up exiting Tarlac. Good thing we have Plan B and because we were so adventurous, instead of getting sad about the re routing we decided to have lunch in Tarlac.  Its past 2 in the afternoon when we arrived in Palaisdaan floating Restaurant in Tarlac.

After roughly 2 hours of feasting to the sumptuous lunch we headed towards our destination. We passed by Cabanatuan, several towns of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya before entering Maria Aurora. Along the way, were having so much fun talking about our high school days and laughed at how we actually survived those times.

We passed by several rice fields and since this may not happen again soon in the future we pulled over and took some shots. As we all know Nueva Ecija is the Rice Granary of the Philippines. There were dams as well and we had some great shots too.

 

It's getting dark when we exited Nueva Ecija and started uphill. We just keep on following what the GPS told us and we passed by several bumpy roads , a bit eerie but we were just so positive that this will be over soon. That was the longest 20 minutes ride of my life passing the dark unknown place with no streetlights and houses. When we get back to the highway it was a relief. But the super S roads poses another challenge, blind curves and almost everything that will challenge your driving skills were presented. Good thing Len is so alert even if she's not familiar with the roads.  The route to Baler should be shorter but since were avoiding the crazy roads in Bongabon we took the longer yet easier route.

Map from Aliya Surf Camp Website

 

Pantabangan as I can remember was the longest road we ever had going to Baler. Its past 8 in the evening when we finally arrived in Baler. We were so exhausted, tired and hungry. After we checked in and freshen up, we grab dinner at the nearest restaurant, Yellow Fin. We had White Marlin and Grilled Squid and soda for dinner.  Baler is alive even if its late in the evening, you can see locals and foreigners having a great time bonding over a bottle of wine or beer.

White Marlin served with Tomatoes and Chili

The Mouth Watering Grilled Squid

After which we head back to Mahdox Backdoor. We call it a day, lights off around 1130 in the evening, we just had a long day of road trip in the unknown and were looking forward to great and adventure filled day tomorrow.

Flickr Tags: Aliya Surf Camp,Baler,Surfing,Yellow Fin,White Marlin,Grilled Squid,Isdaan Restaurant

Eat Explore Experience Sagada – Part 1

The long and winding road leading to this place will be set aside once you step into this small yet tranquil town of Sagada.  That’s what I felt the moment I landed my feet. The thrilling ride, the temperate weather, the breathtaking view of the mountains, the sea of clouds and the hospitality of the locals makes this place a mountain paradise full of  adventure.

The thought of finally arriving in Sagada made me smile and I am proud that I did it all alone! Undoubtedly, the charm of this mountain has captured my heart making it one of The Blue Rider’s favorite destination, I considered the place a home away from home like most tourists do, local or foreigners.

This place have lots to offer, whether you came here just to relax and enjoy the breeze and scenes or more into adventures, you definitely have a place here.  With the variety of activities to choose from, places to see and foods to eat , Sagada is truly an adventure, nature and food haven. That’s what I came here for.

As soon as I stepped down from the Van, I looked for Ganduyan Inn, that’s where I made my reservation for this trip.  Good thing it’s conveniently located in the center of the town just across the Municipal Hall and Sagada Public Market. There are other Inns available, here's the List of Accomodations in Sagada. I hurriedly went to the Reception to check in and paid Php 600.00 for a room for 2 with private bathroom.  Sadly, when I was assisted to the one reserved for me, we had to walk few meters uphill. According to the caretaker, it’s newly built and the extension of the original Ganduyan Inn.   

Welcome to Ganduyan Inn

My room is located at the 3rd floor, it has a private bathroom with twin size bed.  I also have a private balcony. Just enough for me to spend a day or two. I just love the color of the curtains, blankets and the bathroom. Its BLUE!!!

My Room

 

The Bathroom

View from my Room’s Balcony

I need to rest and sleep for few hours before I start my Sagada walking tour but my tummy is already growling telling me it’s time to grab some lunch. On top of my list is Yoghurt House and so I walk downhill to look for it. By the way, be ready for endless walking here in Sagada as they don’t have any short distance vehicles except if you want to rent a bike which I won’t recommend. I’d rather walk than punish myself riding a bike uphill.

As I walk towards Yoghurt House I pass by the Municipal Tourist Information Center.  Tourist visiting the place is recommended to register. I paid Php 35.00 and this serves as my Passport here in Sagada. They also gave me a Map of Sagada for Free. This piece of paper contain all the information I need to know about the place, the Inn/Lodges/Guesthouses available with contact details. The tour packages available as well the standardized rate. Most of the sites can be reached with a great deal of walking and hiking, in short it’s physically challenging.

After registering i headed to my destination which is Yoghurt House. When I arrived there were many guests having their lunch and I thought I wont be able to find a seat but they pointed me to the second floor of the restaurant and I got a spot.  I got Pork in Bechamel Sauce (Php 220.00) and of course the specialty of the house: Yogurt (Php 140.00)

 

Pork in Bechamel Sauce

Mixed Fruits with Yogurt

Just got lucky, the two folks I met in Banaue came to Yoghurt House to have lunch as well and they offered me to go with them for Caving/Spelunking and the rest of activities for the entire day.  Of course, it’s a YES! The more the merrier and the cheaper! :)

Me and My New Found Buddy in Sagada

After having lunch we set the time that we will be meeting in SAGGAS (Sagada Genuine Guides Association) so we can start our first activity for the day: Spelunking in Sumaguing Cave

Eat Explore Experience Sagada - Part 2