Midnight Caffeine Fix at Cafe Noriter

Cafe Noriter is a Korean coffee shop franchise based in Cebu City.

image

Noriter is actually a Korean word which translates to “playground” in English.

image

Aptly named, there are two-story play dens inside this unconventional cafe where customers can nestle in and enjoy coffee.

image

The vibrant and colorful interior is very appealing to young people like us who want a cozy place to hang out and have a good time.

image

Everyone is free to stick photos and personalized notes on the ceiling, walls, shelves and just about anywhere which add to the playful and carefree vibe that Cafe Noriter exudes.

image

I find their menu rather limited in choices though. The prices are a tad steep (150~180 PHP) yet I can’t find any reason to complain. Considering the ambiance, free WiFi, friendly wait staff and terrific service, the prices are (in my mind) well-justified.

image

My boyfriend and I managed to score a spot in one of their elevated play dens which gave us a wonderful bird’s eye view of the entire cafe. I secretly love people-watching. But I guess that’s not a secret anymore. 😉

image

Before we actually got settled, one of the wait staff prepped our spot by vacuuming the teddy bear, fixing the clutter and making sure the deck was absolutely clean in the littlest time possible. Now that’s service!

image

As we were waiting for our order, I was surprised to see my college classmates taking the spot next to us. The world is small indeed. 🙂

image

Okay, finally, our orders! On the left is Caramel Frappuccino and on the right is Java Chip Frappuccino. The Caramel Frappuccino wasn’t very memorable for me (to be fair I’m not much of a caramel fan myself)… However, Java Chip is definitely a must-try.

I loved how our beverages were served in glass jars for that extra homey touch.

image

For food, we tried their Ciabatta. Basicallly, it’s a grilled ham and cheese sandwich served with pickle relish and spiced mayo. It was alright. I like it.

We should have tried their Honey Bread too though. I heard a lot of people singing praises about it. Too bad we missed it. At least we have another reason to go back here when in Cebu. 🙂

image

And of course, I couldn’t leave Cafe Noriter without trying their Green Tea Frappuccino. This did not disappoint! I would have ordered another serving if only my tummy allowed.

image

Cafe Noriter is a place for fun, creativity and photo-ops. They have reinvented “cafe experience” for all lovers of coffee and tea like us.

If you haven’t been here yet, I highly encourage you to indulge your inner 9-year-old self and give this awesome place a try. I guarantee happiness and Instagram-worthy photos!

Cafe Noriter is located at One Acacia Place, Unit 10 &11, Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City. They are open 9AM – 11PM daily. For reservations, you can call them up at +63927-364-7138.

Dining Alfresco at Radisson Blu Cebu

If you want to book an upscale hotel stay in Cebu City, Radisson Blu is the place to be.

Ranked 13th in the Top 25 Hotels in the Philippines in the 2014 Travellers’ Choice Awards by Trip Advisor, this exceptional 5-star hotel exudes an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere that is perfect for a pleasure or business trip.

image

Welcoming every hotel guest is a vast contemporary atrium lobby which serves as the focal point of the hotel. 

image

As someone who has never been in a ritzy hotel before (promdi represent!), I was in sheer awe as my eyes scanned the glamorous expansive space. The lobby is so spacious you can drive a car inside (but obviously this is not permissible).

image

Outside the hotel is a terrace which offers a view of the city attractions and leads out to the Pool Bar.

image

The Pool Bar is an ideal venue for alfresco dining. They offer a fantastic selection of cocktails, beverages and mouth-watering dishes. 

My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to get an invitation to indulge in a lavish feast of local and international dishes. 

image

I didn’t know where to start digging in… Everything was utterly divine!

image

Salads

image

Fresh Seafood

image

Desserts

image

Japanese

image

Chinese

image

Look at those siopaos! Too cute to eat!

image

Local

image

International

image

As we dined, we listened to a live band, watched a pyro show and soaked with the city’s atmosphere. It was an experience like no other. 

I can’t wait for us to go back to Radisson Blu… But next time, we better stay for a night or two.

Radisson Blu Cebu is located at Serging Osmena Boulevard, Corner Juan Luna Avenue, Cebu City. You may call them at +63 32 402 9900.

Abaseria Deli and Cafe

Abaseria is a native Filipino restaurant located at 39-B Pres. Quirino St., Villa Aurora, in Kasambangan, Cebu City

image

This restaurant is popular among locals and tourists for their charm and the unique dining experience they bring.

image

Adorned with beautiful trinkets and ornaments, Abaseria has that homey atmosphere that you’d always want to go back to. 

image

Abaseria actually takes its name from the Spanish word “abaceria” which means grocery store. Interestingly enough, most of the things displayed (if not all) inside the restaurant are up for sale. Yes, even the decors are for sale too!

image

Some of the many things that you can buy from Abaseria are food items like preserved goods, local delicacies… 

image

And even fresh fruits.

image

They also have an array of local crafts that you can choose from. Such as home decors, baskets, bags…

image

and fun fashion accessories.

image

By the way, Abaseria also provides on-premises catering service for intimate parties such as anniversaries, birthdays and the like.

Here’s a teaser of some of their most popular dishes…

image

Manggang Hilaw (green mangoes) with uyap (bagoong)
The uyap was sooo good! 

image

Smoked Fish with Itlog Maalat (salted egg)
I miss this already! I didn’t know how much I like smoked fish until I had this. I ate most of the salted eggs by the way. Guilty as charged.

image

Fried Chicken
The chicken wasn’t moist (I’m sure you can tell just by looking at the photo) – flavorwise it was alright.

image

Steamed vegetables with Special Dip
Didn’t get to try these. My boyfriend devoured them all before I had the chance.

image

Lechon Kawali
My boyfriend kept filling up his plate with these bad boys. I had to stop him at some point.

image

Adobong Bangus Belly
The fish was fresh, tender and delicious. Certified crowd-pleaser. 

image

Sabaw na Monggos (Mung Bean Soup)
This one got us all excited. Monggos is one of my personal faves. Although I like my soups thick, this one did not disappoint. I refilled my bowl too many times to count.

image

Happy and full. Thanks Jude for the wonderful treat!

Abaseria is truly a one-of-a-kind restaurant that should not be missed when in Cebu. They offer delicious meals at reasonable prices – it’s no wonder why they’re popular!

Open daily: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Monday through Saturday and 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Sundays. For reservations, call them up at +63(32) 234-4160 or +63(32) 233-8339. 

M Citi Suites – Budget Hotel in Cebu

When traveling to Cebu on a budget, I recommend staying at M Citi Suites.

image

Strategically located at J. Llorente Street, Capitol Site (near the intersection with Don Gil Garcia Street), it is only a stone’s throw away from Robinsons Cybergate, Fuente Osmeña Circle, Chong Hua hospital and among other shops and restaurants. 

On top of that, it is only about 30 to 45 minutes away from the Mactan Airport.

image

Rates are reasonable and the staff are friendly and helpful.

When we entered our room…

image

I was surprised to see two hats already sitting on the bed…

image

Upon closer inspection, attached on one of the hats was a hand-written note from M Citi Suite’s management and staff. Very sweet and thoughtful!

image

Just my sister and I trying the hats on.  

image

I’m not of a TV person… But if that’s your thing, they do have cable TV with number of channels to choose from. 

image

Apart from air-conditioning, there are two main amenities that I look for when staying in a hotel: Hot and Cold shower and WiFi.

image

Thankfully, they got that covered. There’s me trying to fit in one of their cabinets (because I can and might have been cat in my past life) whilst trying to type in their WiFi password so I can be connected through my phone.

It is also worth noting that their housekeeping service is very discreet, reliable… 

image

And artistic too! 

image

Look at how cute and glorious the fresh towels look! We couldn’t resist taking photos of it.

image

They also have their very own restaurant called Mmm Cafe which operates around the clock.

image

Complimentary breakfast is served from 6AM to 10AM (please forgive my fugly I-just-woke-up face). And of course they serve lunch and dinner as well. 

Clean, modern and comfortable are three words that would describe M Citi Suites best. I would definitely stay there again when in Cebu. It’s like home away from home.

Thank you M Citi Suites for making our stay a memorable one! For more information about their rates and amenities, you can check on their website or click here

Fort San Pedro

Yup. Still posting a blog filled with photos backdated on my Cebu trip last year. This will be the last of the series…

Located in the Pier Area of Cebu City, stands the oldest and smallest triangular bastion fort of the Philippines which was built in the 1500s. 

image

Above is the marker before the entrance of Fort San Pedro. I don’t remember this the last time I was here (circa 2002).

image

The entrance of the fort. 

image

Upon close inspection, you can see that coral stones were used to build this fort.

image

There’s me standing next to a wall of photos about the founding of Cebu.

image

The small museum that houses well-preserved artifacts was “closed for maintenance” that day. But in truth, that sign was there to cover up a very embarrassing situation. We read from a local newspaper that day that the artifacts were actually stolen and the museum is now empty. I do hope they retrieved some of the artifacts, if not, all of them by now.

image

Hello boyfriend! It was his first time to be here. 

image

Seriously, I don’t see the point of landscaping the grounds of the fort. 

image

Gwapo de Guardia. Chos! Haha!

image

Cuerpio de Guardia is the largest building inside the fort. This was where the personnel that manned the fort lived.

image

An old Japanese tourist guy trailing behind his company to take a photo of them walking ahead of him. Cute.

image

Oh hey, one of the Japanese tourists got left behind. I kid. Hehe.

image

The grounds of the fort.

And I have to abruptly end this post with a photo of me with my family and boyfriend as I can start to feel a throbbing pain on the sides of my head. Sorry…

image

Must. Sleep. Now. Ciao!

Let Sprockets Cafe Color Your World

In two separate occasions, I invited my friends and family to a restaurant that my friend Rachel owns…

image

Introducing Sprockets Cafea colorful restaurant that exudes fun, creativity and positive vibes in Cebu City!
I can’t think of a better place to just chill and camwhore all day.
 

Seriously, no Sprockets trip is ever complete without an obligatory photo op with the rainbow lomo wall, camera cardboard menus and pillows!

image

L to R: Ferocious Brent, Bombshell Erica, Quirky me, Drop-dead gorgeous Rachel

image

Oh hello there, Gluttony. Nice to see you again.

By the way, I accidentally spilled my wintermelon tea so… Let’s just rave about their food, shall we?

image

Moby Fish and Chips. Don’t belittle this seemingly simple dish. I enjoyed it very much! And yes, the dips do go very well with both the fish and fries.

image

Crispy, crunchy nachos topped with savory salsa. I swear I could finish a bucket of this deliciousness. Yum yum yum! 

image

Fettupasta in Pesto Cream. One word: NOMS. Pesto cream sauce is, well, creamy and the pasta is al dente. *finger kiss*

image

Oreo Crepe on the house! Crepe topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and then drizzled with caramel and crushed Oreo cookies. There is nothing else I can say except that this is, by far, the best dessert I’ve put in my mouth! ‘Twas gone in a flash! 

I am a self-proclaimed certified Sprocketeer and I highly recommend that you try any of the dishes I mentioned above. I promise you’ll thank me! 

*My boyfriend took the first photo
**Not all photos here are taken on the same date

Zubuchon’s Boneless Lechon

If there’s one thing not a lot of people know about me that would be how much I abhor lechon baboy (roasted pig). 

I do eat pork, okay? But that “distinct smell and taste of lechon” is just something I can’t quite take because it makes me a bit sick in the stomach. 

Yeeeeah… I know, I’m weird like that. I can’t really explain myself why. How I wish I could though. 

image

Yet, surprise surprise! Many moons ago, I suddenly found myself standing in front of Zubuchon (Escario Central branch) and walked right in with my family and plus-ones.

image

L to R: 
Angelito (Genelyn’s boyfriend fiance), Genelyn (my maternal 1st-degree cousin who is like a sister to me), me, Yobz (my boyfriend), Nadyn (my sister’s friend), Anna (my sister and only sibling), my mother and my father

And yes, that is a meme photo you see superimposed on my cousin’s fiance’s face. Because I hated looking at his grim face (he totally looked like he didn’t want to be there with us plus I just don’t like him in general), I had to do something about it by plastering a happy face. Ta-da! Problem solved!

I digress… Zubuchon is known for their most sought-after dish, a.k.a. “best pig ever”, boneless lechon. Instead of preparing lechon the traditional way, they take the best part, season it with herbs and spices, spray it with some fresh coconut water and then roast it over charcoal with bamboo poles. 

Does that sound good to you my pork lover readers? I believe I heard a resounding “AMEN”! 

But for those of you who do not eat lechon like me, worry not! They have other things in their menu like… 

image

FRUIT JUICE! HAHAHA! Kidding! Of course they have other food like… 

image

Kalabasa soup (pumpkin soup). With all honesty, it’s the best pumpkin soup I’ve tasted so far. It’s rich, creamy and, of course, delicious! You guys have got to try it yourselves! We kept fighting over the last drop. Trust me.

image

This is also a very interesting dish. It’s fries topped with crushed chicharon (pork cracklings). Nothing extraordinary. But definitely not your usual fries I say.

I believe we had more food on the table but I was too hungry to take photos of them… Sorry. You can check what other food items they serve by clicking here.

image

And finally, the V.I.P. (“very important pork”), boneless lechon.

I was definitely hestitant to give it a try but after a few sniffs and not detecting that “distinct lechon-y smell” which I find foul, I digged in. You know what they say, “Never say never!" 

As I was prodding it with my fork, I observed that it has passed the ”lechon standard test". Crispy skin, check. Tender meat, check. Juicyliciousness, check. 

They may say it’s a different spin on the traditional lechon but I could almost say it’s just glorified liempo 

My cousin made an odd comment about how the boneless lechon reminded her of Century Tuna. When she said that, I can’t pretend to disagree. Funny but true!

Just to clear things out, it does NOT tastes like tuna but somehow Zubuchon’s boneless lechon and Century Tuna have similiar seasonings I should say. 

My verdict? Well, Zubuchon has made me a reluctant convert. I can now, in fact, withstand the taste of lechon once again. Even for just a-teensy-while. And coming from someone who abhors lechon, that means a lot. I have to give them props for this. 

So is Zubuchon the best lechon then? Nah, I don’t think so. But it is more than your average lechon and, does in fact, deserve a try!

Magellan’s Cross and a Little Something Extra

image

Magellan’s Cross is just a walking distance from Basilica del Santo Niño.

image

In this chapel is a cross that Ferdinand Magellan (a Portuguese explorer) planted when he arrived in Cebu in the 1500s.

People at that time chipped away some parts of the cross because of their belief that it bore miraculous powers.

image

The remains of that cross is now housed inside this wooden case. Or at least according to oral tradition. Some believe that the cross disintegrated or disappeared after the death of Magellan.

image

Funny back story: After taking the shot above, I did a compulsory chimp check (this happened on my first trip to Cebu for 2012) when a pretty Korean lady approached and asked me to take a photo of her with the cross using her phone. I happily obliged. After I took her photo, she then asked me if I’m Singaporean. And I immediately thought, “Maybe that was why she approached me!” She might have felt safer thinking I’m Singaporean and not some scheming Filipino Maramus saquiapus who might run away with her phone. HAHA! But of course I told her I’m a Filipino as I handed the phone back to her. She smiled, thanked me and then continued on her way. 

image

Shortly after that, I heard loud shouts inside the chapel. I turned around and found out it was coming from a “prayer woman” hysterically berating and hurling expletives at another “prayer woman”. I tell you they were about to tear each other up. Of course I was terrified and left immediately! So remember, like I said in my previous post, try to keep away from them as much as you possibly can. I believe this happens quite frequently because it did happen again on my second trip but not as intense.

Anyway, I think that just writing about Magellan’s Cross would be too short of a blog post… So why not include photos of a car show that took place in Ayala Cebu when I was there? Sounds cool right?

I must tell you though that I am no Mikaela Banes. Not even by a mile. My knowledge about cars is quite elementary. 

All I know is that cars…
1. Run on gas.
2. Take me from point A to point B a lot faster than having to walk.
3. Help me run over people in my hitlist. I KID. Because I can’t drive.

Anyway, enjoy the uninterrupted car porn stream below. Car show girls not included.

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

image

Okay, I think that’s enough. So much for cars I can’t afford (YET). 

*Not all photos here are taken on the same date

Basilica del Santo Niño

Sinulog Festival is just around the corner and still no tickets to Cebu for this year (just like last year and the year before that… even all the way up to the year when I was just a puny helpless zygote). 

I’ve always desired to experience the festivities of Cebu. But alas, this year is not yet the time. Maybe next year. With better a camera (gear) by then hopefully. 

To distract and comfort myself from this misfortune, I went downstairs, grabbed a bag of chocolate chip cookies from the fridge (I need a good dose of endorphins you know), took it with me upstairs, sat down in front of the PC and, as I was eating, I decided to start editing some photos of my quick tour on Basilica del Santo Niño.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been to Cebu twice in 2012 so all the photos that you see here may not taken on the same date.  

image

Basilica del Santo Niño is one the most crowded churches in Cebu.

image

It is constantly filled with devotees, pilgrims and tourists (both foreign and local). 

image

This church has been standing for over 400 years now and still it looks pretty majestic up to this day. If you can tell what kind of architecture this is, I would appreciate if you would leave that in the comment section below.

image

Bet you tilted your head a bit, didn’t you? Hehe.

image

Standing very close to the entrance are women who sell candles and offer prayers for a living. Should you request that they pray for you, they will light the candles you bought from them, wave them in the air and do a little dance while reciting a prayer. You might want to keep away from them though, they do fight over on who gets to buy their candles sometimes (and they are absolutely not shy when it comes to expressing their indignation).

image

Inside the basilica. 

image

A beautiful fresco painting on the ceiling.

image

Some tourists taking photos.

image

People offering flowers and praying before the crucified Jesus.

image

A closer view of the altar and the wall of statues.

image

Behind all the people praying is a door that leads to…

image

This. Since there are too many churchgoers and not everyone can be accommodated inside the basilica, they have this “extension” (forgive me if I don’t know that it’s technically called) that is just right in front of the basilica’s main entrance. Masses are no longer held inside the basilica but here. At the center is an altar and at the sides are rows of chairs. 

Picture this: During masses, the people who are seated inside the basilica actually face the opposite direction of the altar outside. So they have to occasionally turn around when needed. If it’s time to stand up, they turn around to face the altar outside. And if it’s time to sit down again, they turn around once again to face the altar inside. Very unusual, isn’t it?

image

My boyfriend is not saying “hi” (nor attempting to portray Kim Jung Il) here but rather he tried to blend in and pretended to be a local by waving his hand as a sign of reverence to the basilica and Santo Niño. 

Although both of us were born and raised to be Roman Catholics (we are now Pentecostal Christians), honestly, we found the hand-waving practice rather strange at first because from where we live, we’ve never seen anyone do this (not even the Catholics in other places). So this must be a Cebuano thing.

Also, in the premises of the basilica…

image

is a small garden with a quaint water fountain at the center. There are also sculptures standing at some corners of the garden. I heard there’s a museum somewhere.

image

This hallway leads to the adoration chapel where a statue of Santo Niño is placed. As you wait in line for you turn, you can look at the paintings hung on the wall which were donated by various artists.

When I was about to take a photo of the oldest religious relic of the Philippines inside the adoration chapel, an old lady raised an eyebrow at me and looked at me with much disdain… So to not spite that old lady, urm, anyone, I didn’t take a photo. Oh well, better try my luck again next time.

Up next…

image

Magellan’s Cross 🙂 

Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant

I never realized how much I missed blogging till now. Please excuse my month-long absence. It’s been the holidays. A belated Merry Christmas by the way to you my dear readers (if you don’t celebrate it, Happy Holidays) and have a Wonderful and Prosperous New Year ahead of you!

Anyway, I have been to Cebu twice this year actually but I never really got around to blog about it. Why? I really don’t know. 

Now, since I haven’t been posting a lot of food stuff lately (in fact, I haven’t even blogged about some of the food that we had in Manila)… I think it’s about time to share to you again some of my food adventures.

Without further ado, as the title of this post suggests, I’ll be talking about Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant

This Cebu-based restaurant serves you the freshest selection of seafood. And when I say fresh I mean swimming-in-front-of-your-face kind of fresh. 

image

image

You can just point at what you want to have for dinner and they’ll prepare it for you. That easy.

image

Normally when I look at any live creature I don’t think of them as food but these crabs… HO HO HO *tents fingers*

Kids will love it here! My two nieces were gawking, smiling ear-to-ear as they were pointing at all the food, urm, fishes…

image

This is one of my two nieces, ‘Lienne. This was her first encounter with eels. You can definitely sense the amazement in her eyes.

Also, you can feed sharks. Pretty amazing right? 

image

That’s my cousin Gen on the left and my sister Anna on the right by the way.

image

Feeding is free of charge. Without even asking, we were given a bowl full of fish to feed the sharks with. 

image

Look at me! I’m feeding! Those two tiny “shadows” you see in the water are the sharks. Oh, I’m sorry. Were you expecting this

image

Dinner time with family, relatives and the boyfriend! Click here if you want to find out what’s on their menu.

image

We had two servings of nicely seasoned steamed oysters served with a slice of lemon and topped with a sprig of parsley. The texture of the oysters were very soft and almost creamy. I could never have had enough of it. Really, really good! 

image

Here’s is a small tray of crunchy Chicharon Bulaklak. Basically, it’s pork rind that has been cleaned, salted, dried and then fried. I don’t think it was the best chicharon bulaklak that I had but it was also good nonetheless.

image

This is a dish of fried soft-shelled crabs. Both delicate and crunchy. I enjoyed it very much. From the photo above, you can tell that at this point the table was getting crowded (you can see a piece of cutlery peeking at the left hand corner). And since everybody was getting hungry (me included), getting “artistic” food shots was the least of our concerns. 

image

Delectably fluffy crab omelette. I was never a fan of omelettes but this has made me a convert.

image

And finally, “Kinilaw na Tangigue”. That’s Mackerel Ceviche in English (I think). I love how it had a refreshing twist on the traditional kinilaw. The freshness of the fish, sweet notes of the vinegar and citrus flavor of the calamansi blended perfectly together with the other ingredients. I’ve never had kinilaw like this before and I think, by far, this has got to be my favorite! 

Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant isn’t only a great place to enjoy a great meal but it’s also a perfect place to just hang out and chill.

image

image

Três Marias reunited once again.

image

Please don’t mind the photobomber behind me.

image

Same spot. And yes, that is sand.

image

I invite everybody to come and try the food here at Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant! Located at Bridges Townsquare, Plaridel St., Alang-alang, Mandaue City, Cebu. Great dining experience is definitely guaranteed!