There’s a new biker bar in town!
Rock and Ride Biker Music Bar in Antipolo opened just last December 21, 2012, in time for the “end of the world” according to owner Jowel Rubio Yauder, an artist and motorcycle enthusiast. Jowel, who started working on the place since February last year, has been riding since his early high school days.
In recent years, Sagada has gotten a reputation for having lots of great eating places. If you’ve been there, you can probably agree that the cool crisp mountain air and all that walking around surely works up an appetite. Thankfully, there are lots of great restaurants to try out. For those who like to plan where to eat in advance, here’s a list of some of the restaurants we sampled during our five-day trip there, with accessibility ratings and distance on foot from the town center (with the hospital as the starting point).
MISTY LODGE & CAFÉ
Ah, yes the year-ender post. Where do I begin, when I haven’t written about half of the trips I took this year? Let’s see, bullet points would be the easiest way. The year 2012 has been pretty good in terms of travel. I wasn’t able to go on some of the international trips I had planned this year, but in return I got a lot of local trips, some of which were totally unexpected. Here are the major blog/trip highlights and “achievements unlocked” this year:
Capiz is known as the seafood capital of the Philippines. You can enjoy a variety of fresh seafood here like prawns, crabs, catfish, and oysters cooked in a variety of ways – grilled, steamed, stew, fried, dried smoked or even raw – take your pick! I really enjoyed our food-tripping experience and got to try some unique dishes for the first time. Here are some of the memorable meals I had in Capiz.
Puyoy (grilled eel): At first glance, this barbecue dish looks like something out of Fear Factor. The street-food resembles tiny snakes skewered isaw-style and grilled. I’ve tasted types of eel before in soups and stews, but this was the first time that I tried it barbecue style. It really helps if you don’t look at it directly or think about it too much when you eat because the heads are intact and you can see the open mouth of the eel through the stick. It tasted like grilled fish, only slightly slimier with tiny crunchy bones (like those of sardines). I think it would have tasted better if it were dipped in vinegar.
Despite our love for drinking, the craft beer scene here in the Philippines is still quite young compared to other countries. The good thing is that this means there’s plenty of room for growth. While guzzling down 99 bottles of beer for a self-imposed sidequest, I was glad to come across some great craft beers which are brewed right here in the country. If you’re a beer enthusiast or you just want to try mixing up your usual Friday drinking sessions, here are some alternatives to the usual bucket of San Mig.
Bogsbrew and Primo
After searching through photo archives of previous trips where I know I drank beers abroad, checking out several places that serve imported and craft beer in Manila, and raiding the alcohol section of a LOT of grocery stores, I finally completed my 99 Bottles of Beer on the (Facebook) Wall collection! I thought about seriously doing this sometime in October 2011 after thinking to myself “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” would make a cool post, and am happy to say that I have completed it as Oktoberfest 2012 is coming to an end.
Here are the beers in alphabetical order:
Continue reading
I guess we can all agree that the heat in Manila has been really unbearable lately. With temperatures soaring, everyone’s thoughts turn to halo-halo, shakes, ice cream and cold drinks to cool down.
I was watching Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho last week to catch the segment on Outbreak Manila and saw their feature on summer coolers – which included Crocodile Egg ice cream from Davao and Tilapia ice cream from Nueva Ecija – two ice creams I have just added to my “must-try” weird food list. Here are a few other creative coolers which I’ve come across during recent trips. Beat the the heat with these weird finds:
SILI, PILI & MALUNGGAY ICE CREAM
Where found: First Colonial Grill, Legazpi, Albay Continue reading
The year 2011 has been a great year for me in terms of travel and work. I have a lot to be thankful for this year and can say that I have successfully “leveled up” a few ranks. Instead of listing all the different trips I’ve taken as a year-end post, I’ve listed below a few of the worthwhile “trophies” and Achievements Unlocked:
Many video games, especially the role-playing/adventure types, usually have sidequests where the goal is to collect certain items. Usually these items are not really essential to finishing the overall game. However, getting a complete collection can bag you extra trophies, special weapons or abilities when you play the game again (or just bragging points).
Among the memorable collectible items in games I have played are those rare cards from the Triple Triad card minigame in Final Fantasy VIII, the insanely hard to complete 100 stray beads from the game Okami, , and memories and bottles (among others) in the game I’m currently playing – Alice: The Madness Returns.
Because of this, I’ve recently started collections based on real life travel. Since I don’t have the space to start a physical collection (like magnets or t-shirts) I’m taking photos of the items instead, which I will update in my “Menu screen” (Facebook page). Here are the missions I’m doing so far: Continue reading
Did you know that a typical Pinoy drinks an average of 20 liters of beer a year? (Source: Inquirer)
For many beer-loving Pinoys, the month of October is often associated with Oktoberfest – a very good excuse to get together with friends over a bucket (or more) of beer. Though we like to brag that our home brew San Miguel Beer, is one of the best beers in the world, many Southeast Asian countries have their own flagship brands worth trying. Below is a map of some beer brands around Southeast Asia, which I’ve been lucky enough to try during various trips.
Take note that prices of beer vary greatly on which establishment you buy them from. The prices quoted here are average prices in small to mid-sized restaurants (during the time of visit). You may find beer cheaper in supermarkets and convenience stores, and roughly double or triple the price at fine dining restaurants or hotels. Continue reading
