A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Quirino is one of those provinces in Luzon that’s often overlooked and still off the tourist radar. Formerly part of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino became a separate province in 1966. While most provinces in the Philippines are known for something concrete, Quirino’s identity has yet to be formed. It was this air of mystery and “off-the-beaten path” vibe that made me more eager to visit the province.
Aside from the typical heartwarming soups and stews, one of the most popular comfort foods in Filipino cuisine is pansit or pancit (noodle-based dishes). Introduced into the country by the Chinese, pancit gets its name from the Hokkien pian i sit which means “something conveniently cooked fast.”
Noodles have been around a long time and have since been adopted into local cuisine. Familiar favorites include Mami, Bihon, Guisado, Sotanghon and Palabok, which can be found pretty much everywhere in the country. Whether it’s the type of noodle used, the variety of toppings that goes into the dish, a special sauce / secret ingredient or the method of cooking, different provinces manage to put their own unique spin on the dish. Here are a few of the more unique ones I’ve encountered during trips.
Continue reading “That’s it, Pancit: 10 Pinoy Noodle Dishes”I chanced upon Chew Love rather unexpectedly.
From the tricycle I was riding in downtown Tacloban, the building’s bright teal color, red and white striped canopies and colorful murals painted on the walls instantly called out to me. When I entered, the first thing I saw was a sofa full of graphic throw pillows in cheerful colors and a vintage white bicycle covered with flowers. How can you not instantly fall in love with a place that looks just as pretty as that?
Aside from shopping for antiques and furniture, Vigan, the capital of Ilocos Sur, offers a lot of options for food-trippers. With their hefty servings of deep-fried pork and flavorful street food packed with native sausages, Vigan is definitely a foodie destination for carnivores. You don’t even have to go far to enjoy a good meal. A lot of good eating places are located along Calle Crisologo, just walking distance from the plaza and top hotels in the city.
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) is the most famous work of the French writer and poet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Many people have been touched by this beloved classic, which while written as a children’s book, speaks volumes about life and relationships.
So stumbling into a Little Prince-themed cafe was an unexpected surprise during a trip to Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. Continue reading “Chapters Book Cafe in Dipolog”
Most guy bikers I know don’t usually care where they eat during or after a ride. Any food – even if it’s questionable looking carinderia fare that’s been sitting out for several days – is fair game if you’re hungry. Any gas station or sari-sari store is a potential pit-stop.
Well, if you want to get your girlfriends or wives to ride with you more often, you may want to put a bit more thought into the destinations. I can’t speak for all girl bikers out there, but while I don’t mind roughing it out every now and then on the trails, I also like being treated like a girl sometimes. Good food, unique ambiance and decent restrooms are probably the three things I look out for in dining places, whether or not I’m biking. Oh, and lots of Instagram-worthy details.
Continue reading “Bike-Friendly Places to Eat in Marikina”There are a lot of places in the Philippines that are great for food-tripping. But ask any frequent traveler, and they’re sure to have Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental in the Visayas region at the top of their list. Bacolod is popularly known as the “City of Smiles” because they celebrate the Mardi-Gras like Masskara Festival, a revelry of street dancing, carnivals and parades every third weekend of October. But foodies will find plenty to smile about even if they don’t go during festival season. Here are some of the must-try specialties and restaurants in Bacolod City.
Raindrops trickled down through the holes in the tarpaulin that served as the roof of the boat, forming a puddle right next to me and waking me up from my sleep. “Duct tape,” I mentally added to my list of things I should always bring on a trip, as I moved my bag and huddled in the center of the boat with the rest of the people on the boat.
Food and travel really go together. More and more tourists are planning their destinations around food, and local cuisine is playing a big part in food tourism in the country.
Crispy spiders, insects fried in garlic and spices, stuffed frogs and barbecued snakes. These were just a few of the snacks being sold along the streets of Cambodia.
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