Todd English Food Hall

Todd English Food Hall was originally from New York with a flagship store in SM Aura, the food hall has a European-inspired culinary stations which offers the finest food and offer a delectable dining experience set in a stylish and convenient atmosphere. 

The  Food Hall is a communal dining space with well-curated stalls or food stations. It is not a buffet, because you can order from one or any of the stations. It is not a food court, because the food is typically handmade, with a cohesive theme which includes: Salad & charcutterie station, Sushi bar station, Raw bar station, Asian station, Flatbread pizza station, Grill & ocean grill station, Wine & tapas bar station, The dessert & bread bar station. 

The ambiance is nice, with a dim light setting and well decorated with store's specialty. The food is too expensive if you ask me, good thing our dinner was sponsored by the company. I like their Flat Bread and Food Hall Burger but their Macaron tastes just like a plain merengue and I believed the resto was just received with great hype but nonetheless food is just the usual.

Rating:
7 out of 10

Laiya Beach

The Southern Tagalog, specifically the province of Batangas is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the region with its fair share of scenic landscapes, mountains and of course beautiful beaches. Fifteen towns in Batangas lies in the coastline of the West Philippine Sea, whereas beach resorts in the said province are some of the places that tourists loves to visit due to its close proximity from Metro Manila.

Laiya is the coastline barangay of San Juan, Batangas which borders Quezon province in the North and is about 140 km. South of Manila. The coastline stretches a total of 12 km. and is composed of fine grain sand that varies between white, cream and gray sand. Several private resorts can be found along the beachfront that offers places to stay but I opted to just take the Public Beach.

The beachfront is enveloped with Mt. Lobo at the backdraft giving it a paradise-like setting.

How to Get There:

I.). In Cubao/LRT Taft there are buses (ALPS) that has direct route to San Juan (Batangas).

     Once in San Juan town proper, ride a jeepney bound for Laiya.

II.) Another option is to ride a bus bound to Lucena, then alight in Candelaria town proper.

     Ride a jeepney bound to San Juan, and once in San Juan ride another jeep bound to Laiya.

Mt. Sungay (Palace in the Sky)

Located at the peak of Mt. Sungay - the highest point in the province of Cavite, Palace in the Sky is known today as People's Park. It has an altitude of 2400 ft above sea level which can be reached by a short uphill trek from the entrance and consists of  about 120 ft. ascent.

Upon reaching the summit, a breathtaking and panoramic 360-degree view of the area surrounding Tagaytay City can be seen. The green curves of the winding hilly roads, Taal Volcano together with the lake and the vast landscape of the surrounding provinces of Laguna, Batangas and Cavite offers a picturesque sight to behold.

According to the locals Mt. Sungay was much higher before and one of the visible landmarks used by early navigators when sailing to and around Manila Bay. The peak was destroyed with the construction of Imelda Marcos's Palace in the Sky which started in 1979, thus it leveled the mountain to about half of its former prominence to accommodate the mansion.

The park was built to serve as a guest house for then U.S. President Ronald Reagan who was suppose to visit the Philippines. When the EDSA People Power broke out, the Marcoses was ousted, the visit never transpired and the whole project was scrapped, leaving everything into an utter despair.

A fee of 30 pesos is collected at the main entrance. Several establishments can be seen inside the park; among which are the souvenir shops, viewing deck, restaurant, amphitheater, PAGASA Dappler Radar and of course the dilapidated rusted structure that continually serves as a constant reminder how it could have been if the change of power did not come into place.

How to Get There:
1. From LRT Taft/ Cubao, ride a bus bound for Nasugbu, Batangas then alight at Tagaytay City (Olivarez Terminal).
2. You can then ride jeepneys bound for People's Park.

IsKarGu (Isda, Karne at Gulay)

Iskargu is located along the national highway of Calauan, Laguna beside a ricefield which also gives a nice view of Mt Kalisungan on the background. The name is the amalgamation of "Isda, Karne and Gulay" which is an upgraded eatery "carinderia", where one can choose and point a specific menu of their liking to get their orders (Turo-Turo). They have a wide selection of ready to eat food choices for fish, veggies and meat viands.

Pictures of actors, well known politicians and other local celebrities who once dined in the resto are displayed. Local delicacies, "pasalubongs" and souvenir items are also sold at the display counter. I like the unique ambiance of their restaurant, it is not fancy nor cozy but it is well ventilated and portrays a rural and Filipino setting almost similar to that of "Kamayan" or Isdaan".

Prices are affordable and similar to most local eateries that offers a simplicity in dining experience.

Rating:

7 out 10

Tipsy Pig Gastro Pub

We visited TIPSY PIG as part of our team's engagement activity. The name was inspired by the after effects of alcohol and the huge amount of food serving which they are known for. Once inside the resto, an array of long tables can be seen that are designed to cater for big group gatherings. The ambiance is nice with a spacious high ceiling and a second floor. 

I'm not a drinker myself, but for anyone who loves drinking - they will surely love the extensive lists of signature brews, alcoholic drinks and good food that your group can share. Thus, they have become one of the coolest place to hang out at Capitol Commons in Pasig. People flock this resto pub because of the nice hang out ambiance, but the price is not too reasonable (thank you MS Philippines for the dinner).

They have a wide selection of food and drinks, but a limited choices of desserts; we tried their Dirty Mexicana, Chesse Mussel, Crispy Pata, Pork Sisig, Shrimp Popcorn, Beef Mash Potato and for dessert we had Choco Lava and Mango Pavlana. 

Rating: 

7 out of 10

Banana Que and Turon - Filipino's Local Snack Favorite

Turon and Banana Que are two of the most favorite "meryenda" (snacks) among Filipinos which is commonly sold by local street vendors and usually available during afternoon.

Banana cues are deep fried ripe bananas (Saba aka Cardava) coated with caramelized brown sugar while it’s cooking. The fried bananas are placed on bamboo sticks for ease of eating. Since they look similar to barbecued meat just by being on a stick, thus, it was named “banana cue”.

"Turon" on the otherhand are also made up of bananas (Saba) which are thinly sprinkled with brown sugar and then rolled in a spring roll wrapper and fried. Other fillings can also be used, including jackfruit.

Rating:

A heavy snack rich in calories and carbs ideal to wake you up during the sleepy afternoon at work.

Lake Pandin

Lake Pandin is one of the lakes in the city of San Pablo that is only separated by a narrow strip of land from the it's twin crater lake which is Lake Yambo. They are part of the Seven Lakes system and are bounded by a nearby Mt. Mabilog and surrounded by Mt. Malauban. According to the tourism officer, Pandin is said to be "the most pristine" among the seven lakes with an approximate area of 20.5 hectares and a maximum depth of 63 meters.

For only 360pesos (not sure if it is still the rate after 2 years), you can ride the bamboo raft with a hefty serving of dishes (Tilapia, Shrimp, Buko Juice, Banana etc.).

Lake Pandin reminds me of the movie Lake Placid which was filmed in South America.

How to Get There:

1.) Take a bus bound to Lucena (DLTB or Jac Liner), they have terminals in Cubao and LRT Buendia
2.) Tell the conductor to drop you off in San Pablo City (since, bus were not allowed inside the city you will be drop off at Mahalarlika hiway in San Pablo, you can either ride a trike or take a San Pablo bound jeepneys.
3.) Once in San Pablo, ride a jeep bound for Liliw/Nagcarlan tell the driver to drop you off in Lake Pandin (there's a big signage, and you will be required to walk 300meters to reach the lake)