Wow, my plans of keeping this blog updated with my Singapore and Kuala Lumpur sojourns have obviously bombed, but I’m doing my best to catch up. I hope my memory serves me right; it’s the only thing that I can really trust whenever I blog something quite late.

Been referred by my lovely co-bloggers, I attended King Chef’s Grand Opening a couple of weeks ago.

King Chef Fine Dining Restaurant is owned by husband and wife tandem Michael and Marites Ang, along with Cantonese Soup Kitchen and King Chef Dimsum Kitchen which are also found in the vicinity.

For someone who does not frequent the place, I must say it’s a hidden sanctuary in Banawe.

I am not particularly accustomed to Cantonese fine dining, being exposed more to the Western side of fine cuisine. I remember the time though when I was a little girl; we regularly ate at this Chinese restaurant called China Pearl sitting within the slew of restaurants in Tomas Morato. Of course, I just know the usual Chinese dishes like sotanghon, chop suey , siomao (dimsum), siopao (pork pao) and pancit among others.

Going back, most of the dishes served were quite new to me. Sophie, who was my seatmate then, introduced me into the world of “Chinese Imperial Feast”. Such gastronomical celebration is common during Chinese weddings and other (perhaps, traditional) festivities.

The ten-course meal was just overwhelming for someone who doesn’t eat a lot (lies ), but then again I didn’t succumb and got to taste everything!

I arrived earlier than the usual, registered, and had my snapshot taken on the makeshift photobooth whilst wearing a crown headpiece (lol). Then, I paced upstairs, and there loomed before me a huge dining area upon reaching the next floor.

I looked for the bloggers’ table, grabbed the nearest seat, and chattered with my seatmates who are food bloggers. It was my first meal of the night. The rain was pouring down intermittently during the day; hence it was a good thing that a cupful of brewed tea was primarily served, along with a platter of Fried Prawn Dumplings (King Chef’s bestseller) and Malaysian Cakes. Due to my churning stomach, I wasn’t able to take pictures of these and gobbled like a monstrous glutton instead.

After minutes of waiting, the feast finally started. Much to my insatiable appetite’s delight, we indulged in Double Boiled Native Chicken Soup which didn’t fail my vapid taste buds. The meat was soft and delectable, reminding me that of Hainanese chicken.

Next was the Cold Cuts Combination. Funny to see a Japanese maki surrounded by Chinese delicacies.

Century egg has never piqued my interest. I completely forgot the details, but it was a childhood nightmare for me. Since then, I never dared trying it. Sophie, however, made me try the shredded jellyfish (salad). It turned out to be really good! It reminds me of Atchara.

The Suahe Tea Leaves was one of the interesting dishes served. The presentation as well as the aroma of green tea leaves caught my attention.

Of course, a Chinese (or any Asian) meal wouldn’t be complete without the rice. Here’s King Chef’s version of Yang Chao Fried Rice.

Loved it to bits! The rice wasn’t oily unlike its run-of-the-mill fast food versions. I was initially planning to scrimp on the rice, but I just couldn’t. It was that damn good!

The King Fish Mango Sauce was really, really yummy! It complimented well with the Yang Chow. The secret ingredient lies within the mango sauce itself.

Along came these huge slices of Imperial Spareribs. I loved the tenderness of the meat, which was really juicy on the inside. The sauce was good as well, although I liked the mango sauce more in terms of uniqueness of taste.

The dishes kept on coming. One of which was the Crab with Sotanghon Hotpot. I’m not a huge fan of sotanghon, but I was just in-love with the flavours. The sotanghon was nicely done as well. I chose not to dig into the crab much though, lest things would end up with a messy affair between me and my plate!

I found these Chicken Fortune Bags too cute that I didn’t wanna break them apart! I got some broccoli to boot, which almost jumped out of my plate (my bad haha[!]).

Saved the best for last with a huge bowl of Herbal Lemongrass with Mixed Fruits. Supping the lemongrass proved to be quite refreshing. The fruit titbits were light enough, so I was able to consume everything in my much smaller bowl.

All in all, it was a scrumptious experience. I ended up with my stomach so full, yet so satisfied! I therefore conclude that binging on Chinese cuisine has never this satisfying! It paved a way for me to re-embrace Asian cuisine in a new light.

So, how about a part two? Or perhaps, share the experience with someone else?

King Chef Fine Dining is located at 987-989 Banawe Street, Quezon City. For reservations, you may contact them via landline at 441-4177.

Thank you to King Chef Fine Dining and Abigail Ang for sharing this one-of-a-kind Cantonese cuisine experience with me.

Baluarte is a wildlife sanctuary owned by Chavit Singson (present governor of Ilocos Sur), and also a part of his enormous abode in Vigan.

We indulged having a few stops there, granted that it’s just a 5 to 10-minute walk from the Caoayan ancestral house where we stayed, not to mention it’s most wanted by my younger siblings.

This 80-hectare vast terrain is laden with wildlife-from the commonplace zoo animals such as ostriches to the endangered species like musang (Asian palm civet)-where you can actually interact with some of them vis-a-vis.

Located along the western seaboard of Northern Luzon 408 kilometers north of Manila, bounded in the South by South China Sea, Baluarte has its breathtaking view of Vigan City.

The best about Baluarte is that it’s open to public. Admission and rides are free of charge. But of course, we’re very kind enough to tip the coachmen every time my brothers ride on the tiburin (a small horse-drawn carriage) or the bird caretakers when we had our picture taken with the great blue-and-yellow macaw sitting prettily nearby the porch.

Other places that we failed to explore (due to time constraints since we usually went there during late afternoons) include the Butterfly Garden. There’s also a live animal show that’s held 4 times a day. My advice is: go there during early mornings so that you can explore more of the place.

You can click here for more information about Baluarte.

Baluarte in Pictures:

Baluarte at mid-afternoon

Kids riding the tiburin

Animals by the grassland

Ducks by the pond

Cam-whoring ostrich. Yes, they really approach you whenever you take pictures of them.

A herd of white deer

Close-up shot

Tied-up camel

A triad of small horses approaching

Alpaca posing before the cam

Albino python

Iguana

Blue-and-yellow macaw

Sweet pair of parrots

Your trip to Vigan won’t be complete sans visiting the Heritage Village, which is sitting along the cobblestoned walkways of Calle Crisologo. Most of the structures were built during the Spanish era, if I’m not mistaken, which are probably more than a century-year-old today. I saw small sights of renovation and paint jobs here and there, while other buildings were refurbished and turned either into furniture or curio shops. Some are even transformed into restaurant chains (like Max’s and Mang Inasal). Despite the touch of modernity, wears and tears were still visible on walls and posts, which validate the antiquity of the place. Calesas were passing by here and there, and you could go for a ride for a certain fee. I didn’t try though, ‘coz I took pity on the horse.

Another view on the street

Approaching Calesa

Lolo sitting on a bench

Wooden furniture (most prolly for sale)

Handicraft and other whatnots

You can find lots of souvenir shops in here, but I strongly suggest to roam around and explore the shops first before buying, lest you’d end up getting wayy overpriced items (which happened in our case).

I have been traveling to few places in and out of the Philippines recently, and I must say that I have tons of backlogs (when it comes to blogging them all) which are yet to be posted. Let’s start off with this Vigan trip I had last month.

It’s been more than a decade since I last set my foot in Vigan, and I miss the place terribly. So, when the opportunity knocked, I did not hesitate to go there to visit my relatives who were on vacation that time. My grandmother’s eldest sister passed away recently, so she left my grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins (many of whom I don’t know) behind. From the States, they took some time off to the province in order to fix my late lola’s stuff.

First stop was my grandpa’s ancestral home situated in a small town of Caoayan, which is next to Vigan. The house has stood since 1913, and has been recently renovated. I’m glad that most of the things that I could find there are in pristine, antique condition. The house itself is interesting enough – from the vintage toy car collection to well-preserved Narra chairs and old payphones – the latter reminded me of Graham-Bell’s (though his is, obviously, way more archaic).

Here are some of the snappies I took inside the house:

Doorway to the second floor

Second floor living room

Dining room (on the second floor)

Ornate bowl-like display

Vintage Japanese wine bottle

Rattlesnake display

Rattlesnake display

Vintage payphone

Alarm clock

Indian Chief display

Vintage toy car collection (sorry for the very crappy angle )

Old weather instruments, lamp and picture frames

I also went to places such as the famous Heritage Village along Calle Crisologo (where you can find souvenirs and interesting furniture and fixtures), Hidden Garden (where you can find lots of plants and bonsais mostly came from Thailand as well as the yummiest Vigan Empanada) and Singson’s Baluarte (a wildlife sanctuary and facility that’s open to public for free). I’ll try to dedicate a separate post for each place I visited (coz they all deserve it)! I guess here’s to pushing myself to go back to blogging.

I’m not really much of a “mac ‘n cheese” person, but this tells me otherwise. Trying Mr. Jones’ Mac and Cheese after a day’s work (not to mention an event to attend after) was just so satisfying!

If I remember correctly, a platter costs around Php 300-400 pesos which is not bad, and is good for two considering someone who generally eats in small proportions like I do. It’s packed with ham bits, green peas and of course, cheddar cheese! Since the serving is really huge for me to consider devouring it in one sitting, I just had half of my order to-go. I enjoyed eating it whilst it’s hot, albeit I felt a bit jittery as soon as it ran cold. Anyhoos, the pasta’s really al dente which made me enjoy nibbling it piece by piece, whilst the ham bits served its purpose—nixing the jitters and adding more flavor to the dish. I didn’t enjoy the green peas though, only because they’re a bit overdone. Had they been cooked just-right, this comfort food would have been perfect!

I highly recommend having this dish to-go, as it tastes much better when reheated and served the day after.

It’s been more than a week since I cast my vote for the third time. Being the apolitical yet cynic me, I’m very proud of myself for not giving up on our system yet. Speaking of which, there’s actually a new system that was introduced, in which ballots are automatically counted by a machine called PCOS—which stands for Precinct Count Optical Scan. Sounds like machines are making things a lot easier, eh? Well, not really for some people who happen to fall into an unruly precinct like mine.

I had to brace the scorching heat and long queues for 4-5 grueling hours before taking my turn to vote. But heck, the sacrifice was worth it, I hope. I’m proud to say that I have exercised my right to vote, which every Filipino of legal age and a capacitated mind has.

A week has passed and the election has spawned so many issues—good and bad. It’s more of the “bad” to be honest. But, given all the negativity abound, one must be vigilant enough to circumspect all the possibilities of such being feigned and fabricated and not fall abruptly into the abyss.

I’m falling my face flat onto this deep quandary. I could never get this poetic! Lolol. Maybe, it’s because of the hormones and the unusual sleep patterns (I’m an insomniac btw). Hence:

I still do not have a slightest idea on who to vote for as President.

My mind is boggled especially at this very moment. May 10 is just less than a week away, and I hafta make up my mind before shading the first circle. Pressure is rising as I’m deeply contemplative on resolving this crisis of what it seems to be more of a conundrum that my noggin just can’t handle.

It’s easy to separate the grain from chaff, but what if there are too many chaffs to see and none of the freshest, highest-grade grain available? Am I overlooking at something?

You see, I’ve got like 4-5 candidates who seem capable of handling such position, but issues have been thrown here and there which constantly put their names into question. False Denigration or True Claim as they appear, they cloud my judgment still.

Anyway, here’s a roundup of some of these presidentiables:

One had already been convicted of plunder. You can already consider him a senile, and thus he is somewhat off my list.

One clearly seems to be the Michael Bloomberg of our country, yet his impoverished-then background and reputation are being put into question. Is he struggling for more than the bounteous wealth he possesses at this day and age?

One was considered a taciturn. But, thanks to his mom and dad, he has risen up from oblivion, and has come out from his shell and claimed the spotlight. Still, am I fighting for this own person’s goodwill, or am I precariously fighting for someone else’s hidden agenda in the guise of the mom and dad’s imagery?

One is considerably the most ideal of all. He’s got the brains, the fervor and drive, the indubitable skills and capabilities, and the clearest platform. But then again, I don’t want this hobbit and her lust for power reign supreme for another year, decade, score or even a century (if she can)! Lolol. But seriously, there is doubt, namely the present government, which clearly besmirches his good name.

One has a proven track record on a certain province back then. He’s also considerably competent, has the required skill set, and is up for a challenge. But then again, I cannot help but consider his indirect (or covert) connection to the present administration.

Anyway, I may rather be cynical about this, but this is what is exactly in my mind right now. Anyhow, I still have six days to go to make up my mind…

When you go to this ethereal place of Coron Island in Palawan, think about working out and backpacking. This place is filled of, uhm, water and land adventures that you have to be physically fit and prepared to climb and swim through the rest of the day (or depending on your itinerary).

Here’s the deal:

All lakes and beaches are teeming with corals, schools of various kinds of fishes and other forms of marine life. Witnessing such marine biodiversity will wow you and make you think twice on wasting precious water in the future.

I wanna try scuba diving in Apo Reef next time, but hafta take scuba diving lessons first!

Anyways, here’s my favorite spot: Kayangan Lake. Do not miss this should you go to Coron.

I know, my pics don’t do much justice. That’s why, you hafta go and see it yourself!

Some random house in Kennon Road, Baguio City, Philippines

To be honest, I wasn’t really all that excited going back to Baguio. The place just looks like Manila. It’s sad that it’s too commercialized already. Maybe it’s just me, ‘coz I yearn for some rustic type of place whenever I go out-of-town.

Anyway, what’s nice about being in Baguio is the weather. Summer heat is much more bearable there than in the city.The weather was nice and a bit chilly when we got there, so strolling around wasn’t much of an ordeal. I also love Baguio’s ukay-ukay, lengua de gato, peanut brittle and even the sundot kulangot (some thick, sweetened coconut preserved encapsulated in a small circular fruit-like container).

If Manila has Luneta Park, Baguio has Burnham Park where you can enjoy a nice picnic under the less aggressive sun.

Burnham Park, Baguio City, Philippines

Here’s what I got for dinner during our second night. Well, I was able to try Coron’s finest seafood, so I opted for something way different that night—a French deli called Coq Au Vin in some place called Coron Bistro. It’s a braise of chicken, carrots and mushrooms swimming in red wine sauce. I paired it with french fries, which is a little Belgian of moi.

(click on the image to enlarge)

Verdict: It’s actually tasty and yummy! I love how chicken was braised soo perfectly, as ’twas really soft and tender. I also love the just-right taste of the red wine sauce. It’s not overpowering at all. My only concern was the so-so frites (french fries).