Lunch at Leslie's, Tagaytay

It is common knowledge that there are many restaurants and cafes in Tagaytay.

Our lunch Leslie's

Bulalo is among the most popular if not the most popular dishes in Tagaytay.

Deep fried tawilis - the fish is endemic to Taal Lake

Leslie's version of pansit bihon

Crispy liempo

Their version of turon for dessert has condensed milk, langka (jackfruit), and cherry on top.

Taal volcano is actually this entire lake. The volcano has several craters or vents. The most active are in the islands inside the lake.

What is always referred to as Taal volcano is this island inside the lake. Leslie's affords a great view of the volcano and the islands.

We had a splendid lunch in Tagaytay. The bulalo at Leslie's was especially enjoyable as the beef was so soft and the soup just right in terms of the taste. The bulalo was perfect for the weather that day but perhaps perfect for any day in Tagaytay. It was a fitting "welcome back to Tagaytay" meal.

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Back in Iloilo after a long while

I am back in Iloilo again after a long while. I was supposed to travel to Iloilo last year when we had a project in the city. That didn't materialize due to a very busy schedule. Early this year in February, I was also supposed to travel to attend the funeral of a beloved aunt. That also didn't push through and only my father was able to make the homecoming. He also visited last Holy Week when he attended their high school general homecoming.

View of Cabatuan town proper from our plane as we made the final approach to land at the airport. The church, San Nicolas de Tolentino, is at the center of the photo with the long white roof. The original roof collapsed decades ago and was never restored. This is perhaps the single most notable aberration for the church, which is also centuries old and among the province's treasures in terms of heritage.

 

Though the circumstances are not the most favorable I managed to travel to Iloilo for our coordination with UP Visayas and the hotel where we will be holding conference activities this coming September. This one's a very short trip so I won't be able to visit our home in Cabatuan. Perhaps that opportunity will come in September. It actually pains me not being able to visit loved ones especially two cousins I am particularly very close to. I didn't tell them I was in the city as I could not promise to meet up with them. I really do hope that I'll see them in September.

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Back in Tagaytay after a long while

I was back in Tagaytay last week after perhaps more than 5 years. A dense fog greeted us as we approached the city via the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, which was our usual route. We decided not to take the CALAX as we were traveling early and our driver was not familiar with that route. I wrote here and my other blog before that we used to frequent Tagaytay for personal and business trips. It used to take something like 1.5 to 2 hours to go there and it was less crowded. We preferred to go on weekdays (usually Friday to Saturday) for a quick escape and change in environment. That ceased with busier schedules and the prospect of heavy traffic and crowded restaurants and cafes.

Dense fog everywhere last Thursday and Friday. Can you see the tricycle heading our way?

This sign perfectly describes the situation

Despite the fog, I was surprised that it wasn't as cool (temperature-wise) as it was in Tagaytay. It was raining intermittently when I was there last week for a workshop so I expected the wet weather to make it as cool as before. It was not; though still cooler and less humid than in the lower lands of Metro Manila and Laguna. I hope to be back in Tagaytay again sooner than later for a quick vacation before school starts for my daughter. She says she wants to go to Tagaytay again as she misses the place especially the food.

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Simala, Sibonga, Cebu - Part 1

A new place that we went to this year is Simala in Sibonga, Cebu. Formally, it is the Monastery of Holy Eucharist or Our Lady of Lindogon Shrine. Pilgrims, visitors and residents generally call it Simala. Here is a first batch of photos I took when we visited there last April 2024.

Key chains being sold in a souvenir shop outside the shrine.

Shops, stores and eateries line the road to Simala.

More stores, shops and eateries

Stores sell all kinds of souvenir items. Many sell flowers, mainly roses, that are brought by pilgrims or visitors as offering at the shrine.

The entrance to the shrine doesn't appear to be remarkable.

And then it opens up to the shrine grounds and you marvel as the structures in the complex

The main path to the shrine leads up to this tower. There are both steps and ramps for both able and persons with disabilities.

Before ascending towards the tower and the main path, there is this wonderful view of the main buildings of the shrine.

The main church buildings of Simala.

The church and what appears as a man-made lake is impressive considering the terrain where these were built.

Another view of the property from the main walkway to the tower

View of the path along a bridge or viaduct to the main complex. Note the nice bougainvilleas along each side of the bridge.

Look back to the tower as we walked to the main shrine buildings.

More on Simala in the next posts!

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Mitsukoshi at BGC

Last weekend, we decided to have a staycation of sorts at our condo unit at the Uptown Parksuites. We took the opportunity to explore the Mitsukoshi that is just across from our building.

The mall or department store (it is what they call it if we were in Japan) is located just across from our building. We just couldn't cross in front of the condo so we had to walk to the corner to cross the street.

At the basement level are shops and restaurants including many (most actually) Japanese eating options. These are some of the options at the Itadaki Food Court at basement level 1.

There's a Key Coffee branch at the building. This one opens at 7AM so you can have your coffee fix or breakfast before heading to work or school particularly on weekdays. Key Coffee came to the Philippines later than its competitor in Japan, UCC Coffee, which had established several branches around the country already.

We had planned to eat dinner at Mendokoro Ramen but settled for food at the food court instead. Here's my ramen from Mitsuyado Sei Men.

 I am already looking forward to the next time I go there so I can try out other restaurants. There is a Fully Booked x Kinokuniya collab branch at the store as well as a branch of Muji. But there are other stores inside that I have yet to check out. Maybe later this month there will be an opportunity to hang out there.

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Back at Chives, Antipolo

I only recently posted about Chives. As it is near where our daughter goes for Kumon, it is an option for us to have a snack or even early dinner. Here are what we usually order for early dinner or heavy merienda. It's always a heavy meal when you have pasta whether its merienda, lunch or dinner.

Truffled mushroom soup

There's the mushroom in the soup

Truffled mushroom pasta - this is our daughter's favorite at the bistro

Grilled chicken pesto - always one of the go-to meals for me

 

So far, they have been consistent with the quality of the food at Chives, which makes us come back for more.

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Lava cake at Ippudo

Last week, our daughter concluded her 'summer workshop' with Trumpets with a recital at Ayala 30th. We celebrated afterwards but prior to the recital, I caught up with them towards the end of their lunch at Ippudo. I decided to have some dessert to share and ordered this lava cake.

Moist, hot chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream

Believe it or not but it was the first time I ordered dessert at Ippudo. I was not surprised by the lava cake though as I did expect that they would have good desserts at the restaurant. This definitely did not disappoint and I'm already looking forward to the next time or opportunity to have dessert there.

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Heavenly Desserts Heavenly Moist Chocolate Cake

I think one of the more indulgent yet enjoyable desserts we've had recently is this moist chocolate cake from Heavenly Desserts. We always pass by their branch walking around Ayala 30th while waiting for our daughter who's taking music lessons there. We never entered their shop to see or purchase anything. So have not tasted their creations - until recently. We were gifted with a their "Heavenly Moist Chocolate Cake", which is apparently one of their bestsellers. And bestseller it should be as it was definitely a delight.

Heavenly moist chocolate cake

Close-up of the cake as a slice was being pulled out

The photo doesn't do justice on the cake. But take my word for it - it's definitely a must try.

We thought at first that this was a strawberry cake because of all the strawberries on top. That was more like a distraction for the cake itself, which was held by a plastic sheet in order to preserve its form. We thought it was more mousse than cake. Nevertheless, it did not disappoints and we now look forward to tasting and enjoying their other cakes and products.

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On haircuts and barbers

I'm a creature of habit and one of the things I am very particular about is where I get my haircuts. I've had a barber in Cainta before who cut my hair since I was in High School. Mang Alim was also my father's barber so we usually only had to sit down on the chair and he would know how we wanted our hair trimmed. The only time he wasn't my barber was during my time in Japan (Yokohama, Tokyo and Saitama) when I went to a barber shop in Meguro to have my haircuts. Unfortunately, my barber Mang Alim got sick and passed away. 

He had an understudy of sorts though as at times when Mang Alim wasn't available and I had to get a haircut, there was this younger fellow who agreed to cut my hair. He was always reluctant, probably thinking Alim might get angry at him for what may seem as 'stealing' a regular. It was actually okay with my favorite barber as he knew there were days I needed to have my haircut when he wasn't there. The next time I'm there he would usually be there, too. After Alim passed away, I automatically and naturally shifted to this fellow and he was my barber  for a few years until for some reason he just disappeared and didn't show up a the newer barber shop where he transferred. Mulong's or Romulo Santos barber shop closed shortly after Alim passed so I also had to transfer to another barber shop. Unfortunately, there was no understudy for this fellow and the other barber didn't do well the only time I tried a haircut with him.

It took some time for me to find another barber. I recall having a few of haircuts at a barber shop at the Petron station at La Vista. That closed and I found myself without a barber again. I tried another shop at SM Taytay but that shop also eventually closed just when I was getting comfortable with a barber there. Perhaps a year or two passed before I found a new barber. The barber shop at Q Plaza in Cainta was recommended by my brother who had his haircut there. It turned out that my brother-in-law and nephew also had their haircuts there. That's where I met Alvin, my current 'go to' barber. I just sit on the chair and he knows how I want my haircut.

During the pandemic, it took a few months before I was able to get a decent haircut. As the shop with Alvin had not reopened, I had a couple of haircuts at one barber shop near our condo at the Uptown Mall in BGC. I think I went there a couple of times before I was finally informed by Alvin that they were back in business. Those were the times one had to wear a mask and face shield for a few times (I routinely had a monthly haircut) until we transitioned to just the mask and eventually got rid of it.

Fast forward to this week when I had my regular haircut, Alvin informed me that he will be moving on soon. He was hired by another shop in Quezon City. The catch is that this was located in a posh area (White Plains) and the price of a haircut is significantly higher than that of an ordinary barber shop (i.e., 4 to 5 times more expensive). While I haven't really decided yet, I am gravitating to try out the new place once my barber moves in. If its not as snooty as I imagine it to be and if I can get my satisfaction and money's worth then perhaps I wouldn't have to look for another barber soon.

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