Ximending

Shopping at Ximending Taipei

Let us say that we got to Ximending Commercial Area by accident. Or something to that effect. I knew that Ximending is near our area, but I never imagined it to be right in our backyard, or behind our hotel. And I didn’t expect it to be so alive, just like Seoul’s Myeondong area. It …

18th St. Palapala Restaurant: Fresh Catch

Palapala, to Negrenses, is synonymous with having fresh seafood on display and you can have them cooked however you want. It has become a tourist attraction and the whole experience of choosing your fresh seafood and have them cooked is something that many travelers look forward to enjoying. I have tried it at the Palapala …

Chikaan SM Bacolod

Chikaan SM Bacolod Food Galore

Recently, we had some guests from Manila. She contacted her friends in Bacolod for a dinner together. Where else to enjoy good Filipino food with a Visayan trademark but in Chikaan at the newly opened store in SM City Bacolod? [UPDATE 2023: The restaurant has closed and is no longer in operation in this location.] …

Mely’s Garden: All-Filipino Cuisine

My sister and I were having an early dinner in this relaxed atmosphere – a dining place in a veranda.  Every corner and décor screams “homey”. And rightly so, because the diner, Mely’s Garden was situated (at that time) in Mely’s own abode. [UPDATE 2023: This establishment has closed in this location.] The food was …

A Singaporean Food Festival at L’Fisher

And a Chance to Fly to Singapore via Cebu Pacific for Free! For those in Bacolod who are craving for a taste of Singapore, you can enjoy one this weekend as L’Fisher Hotel heats up its international buffet a notch higher with the inclusion of a Singaporean Food Fest on September 19 and 20, 2015 …

Kenny Rogers Roasters is roasting in Bacolod

With all the restaurants and food outlets sprouting all throughout Bacolod, it is no big surprise to find global brands, like the Kenny Rogers Roasters, finding its way in the City of Smiles. After all, just utter Bacolod and food instantly comes to mind. Travelers who come to Bacolod find their checklist of must-dos full …

Negros Gourmet Experience

Negros Gourmet Experience

There’s a new gourmet experience in town. Bacolod, known for its good food, has a new dining adventure to offer to both locals and visitors alike. It’s an open-air-dining-beneath-the-stars kind of night that makes eating more fun and alive. Metro Manila has many Mercato-type dining places. Even when I stayed overnight at MNL Hostel, there …

Bacolod food

Eat’s More Fun in Bacolod

Home sweet home. It truly is. That’s because home is Bacolod, the capital of the sugar bowl of the Philippines. It is known for its delectable food, especially desserts. I’ve already written some fine eating places in the City of Smiles in my previous blog post Eat is Bacolod. Ever since I came home last …

Italia Bacolod

Eat is Bacolod! Must-visit restos in the City of Smiles

Bacolod: the City of Smiles; the capital of the sugar bowl of the Philippines, Negros Occidental. It comes as no surprise to find so many sweet delicacies and great eats in this beautiful city in the Negros island because Bacolod is filled with smiling people, sweet pastries and delectable food. [UPDATE 2023: Some of the …

It’s More Fun in the Philippines for a First-time Traveler

The Philippines’ tourism department recently launched the new campaign, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” To this, I totally agree. There are 7,107 reasons why it is more fun to be in this part of the world than anywhere else. It’s even a lot more fun for a first-time traveler to see the wonders the …

Bale Dutung

First-time in Bale Dutung, Pampanga

Lechon Menu Ensaladang Pakô (Fiddle head fern salad) Piniritong Lumpiang Ubod sa Claude’9 Oriental Sauce (Fried all vegetable spring roll with lemon coriander Thai basil sauce) Inasal na Manok at Claude’9 Talangka Rice (BBQ chicken wings with lemon grass marinade and crab fat rice) Talangka Sushi Hito at balo-balo Sushi (Sushi of crab fat and …

Beijing

First-time in the Forbidden City and other Beijing Sights

For someone visiting an important nation like China, it is a must to make a stop in its most essential city, its capital, Beijing. Although our entry point and exit was Shanghai, we made sure that we can swing a trip to the capital. It was a long journey as we flew to Xi’an and …

Cambodia

First-time inside Cambodia’s markets

…with interesting finds! When the third blog carnival of the Lonely Planet blogsherpas rolled out, hosted by Orange Polka Dot I picked from among my travels which best suited the topic of interesting finds in a market I’ve visited abroad. I browsed through my photos and I remembered a trip I made last year, when I visited four cities and …

paella

First-time in You Jie Xiao Chao Restaurant

…and Manila’s other hole-in-the-wall eateries It was another holiday in the Philippines as we commemorated the Day of Valor, celebrating the bravery of Filipino soldiers who fought during World War II. Supposedly, my friends and I were scheduled to go to Corregidor Island, the fortress of Japanese soldiers. Unfortunately, the cruise liner called the day …