Cuteness Overload with Happy Pao

Cute, lovable animal-shaped steamed buns isn’t something new. Yet, I’m surprised how it didn’t really catch on any sooner here in the Philippines as it is very popular in other Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand.

But thankfully, Chowking has finally jumped on the bandwagon! 

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As soon as Happy Pao was launched, Instagram was on fire! These selfie-worthy treats were very hard to get a hold of considering they sell out faster than One Direction concert tickets. Haha!

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When we finally got our hands on the elusive Happy Pao, it seemed like the heavens opened up and all the angels sang a beautiful song just for us.

However, I am grossly disappointed that Chowking Iligan branches do not serve Piggy Happy Pao.

Yes, I understand that they are doing this because of “religious and cultural sensitivity”. But what’s puzzling is that they serve meals that contain pork anyway. So, I don’t get it.

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Disclaimer: This cute steamed bun does not contain any real pandas.

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Panda Happy Pao is a sweet steamed bun bursting with velvety, smooth chocolaty goodness. Although it is served hot, I prefer to take it home with me and chill it in the fridge for a few minutes before eating it.

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Happy Pao isn’t only yummy, it’s very affordable too! Get these adorable buns for only 39 PHP ala carte, 49 PHP with a drink and 117 PHP for a box of three. Happiness guaranteed! 😉

Beer-battered Pizza at Good Fellas

Good Fellas is a new pizzeria in CDO that serves freshly baked artisan beer-battered pizza.

My boyfriend and I never had beer-battered pizza before so I knew we had to try it. A two-hour bus ride later…

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Stepping in, I immediately noticed the clean, simple interior with a warm pop of color.

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From the exposed brick wall down to the furnishing, it just screams contemporary industrial chic with a touch of rustic charm – much to the delight of my inner hipster.

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Everything here is just Instagram-worthy so there’s absolutely no shame if you want to whip out your camera phones and snap photos away. 

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When we were there, the place looked a little vacant. It was a rainy afternoon after all. Who wants to brave the rain for just pizza right?

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But a few minutes later, I was instantly proven wrong. At that moment, I knew we went to the right place and something good was already waiting for us.

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Oh, hi! Just a little sneaky OOTD right here. Couldn’t resist posting this photo. Hehe 🙂

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Pizza time!

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We got the Big Joe, also known as the Godfather of all Pizzas. Beer-battered dough topped with cheese and a variety of meat – pepperoni, bacon, sausage, ham and beef. 

Fresh, crispy and bursting with flavor. It was love at first bite. It is a little bit greasy though. But if you’re like me who doesn’t give a damn about that, you’ll definitely love this one! I can’t help but feel sorry for myself that I’m not having it right now. Can’t wait to go back and try more of their pizzas!

Good Fellas is located at Pabayo and Chavez Streets just right above Sweet Leaf Bubble Tea Cafe.

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 15: Bon Appetit La Boutique

It’s Day Five and we’re back in Davao once again.

In my quest to explore new gustatory territories, I already had my radar on Bon Appetit La Boutique weeks before our trip. They serve authentic French cuisine in a public square located at Plaza del Carmen, Loyola Street.

I never had a legit French meal in my life so I figured it would be a good place to start.

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Sophisticated, elegant and charming, the interior of Bon Appetit La Boutique is a beautiful reflection of France. It is a perfect setting for romantic dinner dates, anniversaries and other special occasions.

Displayed on their walls are artworks and some French products for sale.

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Sketches

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Foie Gras
Fat Duck Liver

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Canned French Delicacies

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Fragrance Pillows

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Fragrant soaps in Pomme (apple), Lavande (lavender) and Cannelle Orange (cinnamon orange) scents.

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You know they’re the real deal because the menu is written in French. It’s okay, I can’t read French too. Hehe 🙂

Okay, nuff jabbering. Food. Now.

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Baguette et Tapenade 
Homemade French Baguette with Tapenade

Made with ingredients imported from France, this baguette can’t get anymore authentic in taste. 

I’m very picky and hard to please when it comes to bread. You can ask my boyfriend. So when I say that I actually enjoyed eating this means a whole lot. 

The baguette didn’t have that awful starchy aftertaste that breads made in local bakeries here in the Philippines tend to have.

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Upon closer inspection, you can tell that the baguette has a light and airy texture with a thin, crispy golden crust.

Tapenade was something I never heard of before. It is a gourmet condiment usually used as spread for bread and is made out of black olives blended with herbs and olive oil until it forms into a thick paste. Its robust and distinct taste adds a unique flavor to the baguette. 

The baguette and tapenade were actually on the house. Yey for free bread basket!

imageCrêpe Sarrasin, Oeuf, Jambon et Gruyère
Buckwheat Crepe with Fried Egg, Ham & Gruyère Cheese

While normal people would have this for breakfast or brunch, we had it as an appetizer simply because we can (fit lotsa food in our bellies). 🙂

Folded inside the crepe is a sunny-side up egg with slices of ham and melted Gruyère cheese.

Gruyère cheese has a rich, creamy texture and tastes sweet and salty at the same time. There is really nothing like it.

This is something I can have everyday! Light, savory and decadent. That’s what it is. It’s one of those things you have to try!

And yes, the salad did go very well with it too.

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More free hot bread. They won’t stop serving free bread until you get to the main course or until you say so. 

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Penne Sauce Roquefort et Noix
Penne Pasta with Roquefort Cheese & Walnut Sauce

Roquefort is a type of blue cheese characterized by its blue veins of (edible) mold. It has a strong characteristic odor and taste that may put a lot of people off. But if you happen to like blue cheese, you will surely enjoy this dish like we did!

Served al dente, the penne was pasta perfection. 

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Steak de Gindara Grillé Sauce Beurre Blanc
Grilled Butterfish with White Butter Sauce and Potato Gratin

Tender and moist, the grilled butterfish was a delight to eat. The beurre blanc sauce was rich and buttery and it helped elevate this seemingly simple dish.

And the potato gratin was AHMEYZING. I could eat a casserole of that all by myself. It’s rich, creamy and tender. It’s so good that I’d rather have it over pizza any day! And yes, I still can’t believe I actually said that.

Bon Appetit La Boutique is a restaurant one should not pass up. I will not hesitate to recommend this place. Warm service, outstanding meals and fantastic dining experience.

Open Mondays thru Saturdays, 11AM to 11PM. Prices usually range between 300 and 500 pesos.

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 14: Little Kitchen Restaurant

Still unbelievably full from lunch, we opted for a light supper…

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Little Kitchen Restaurant is a popular snack house in Gensan which is owned and managed by a doctor.

Originally built to cater the doctor’s patients and other people within the vicinity, Little Kitchen Restaurant unexpectedly turned out into a flourishing food business.

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With the cozy atmosphere, it’s too easy to feel at home here. The wait staff are accommodating and the service is prompt.

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For appetizers, we got complimentary garlic butter toasts. Loves it! Who doesn’t love free food? Hehe 🙂

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For our supper, we had Shrimp Scampi Pizza. It had a crispy crust topped with olives, mushrooms, shrimp and cheese. This is one of their best sellers.

I know the pizza sounds really good on paper but it was a little too bland for my taste. It was a huge letdown for me because I really wanted to like it. Just everyone else does. 

But despite being disappointed, I’d still like to go back there and sample other of their food items. I’m sure I’ll find something I’d love.

Little Kitchen Restaurant is located at Quirino Avenue, next to Calderon Clinic.

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 13: Blugre Coffee

Brewing since 1998, Blugre Coffee is a coffee shop chain based in Davao which is known for exotic durian coffee blends. 

Why Blugre Coffee has made its way in Gensan is no surprise as one of the major franchisees is the power couple, Manny and Jinky Pacquiao. 

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Walking into the coffee shop, I was caught off guard by a strong whiff of durian aroma lingering in the air. To be blunt, the scent was a little bit off-putting because I am not particularly fond of durian… However, it was bearable. 

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While Blugre Coffee specializes coffee, they serve pastries, desserts and other hot and cold beverages as well.

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Too full for anything else, we just had some iced latte for a little afternoon pick-me-up.

And although I was never a fan of durian, I braved myself for one of their durian coffee blends: Durian Arctic Blast… Which I painfully regretted.

Well, at least I tried. Let’s face it, it’s not for everyone. I read awesome reviews about it though and is certainly a hit with all the durian lovers out there.

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Blugre Coffee is a great place for study, work, hangouts, or meetups. You don’t have to be a durian connoisseur to be here. When in Gensan, visit them at Robinsons Place or at JMP Building

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 12: Team Pacquiao

General Santos is the hometown of Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, the “Fighting Pride of the Philippines” and the first and only eight-division world boxing champion.

Whether you’re a fan of his or not, his chain store Team Pacquiao is one of the must-go-to places in Gensan.

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With several branches nationwide, Team Pacquiao carries various products and limited edition collectibles especially made for all the Pambansang Kamao fanboys to covet.

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They offer Pacman must-have items like graphic tees, polo shirts, jacketscaps and other novelty items. 

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Spotted on their high shelves are some kick-ass memorabilia that you can’t get anywhere else in the world but here (and other Team Pacquiao branches of course). And out of everything I’ve seen, the Mad Mickey toy figure is something I’d like to bring home with me (but didn’t). I’m not gonna lie, they don’t come cheap at all.

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They also have autographed items such as boxing gloves, coffee table books and more.

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And just like a kid in a candy shop, my boyfriend was in a state of utter fascination. I swear his eyes were sparkling with joy. Haha. 

When in Gensan, you should definitely swing by the flagship store of Team Pacquiao which is located at the ground floor of Robinsons Place General Santos.

Prawn House Seafood Restaurant and Suites

Last year (this is another backlog entry apparently), my boyfriend and I were invited to a wedding party in Cagayan de Oro and since it was going to start late in the afternoon (and would most likely continue late into the night) we looked for a place to stay…

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After spending some time on research and much deliberation, we finally decided to stay at Prawn House Seafood Restaurant and Suites. As obviously implied by its name, It’s not only a hotel but it’s also a restaurant that serves seafood. And because I really love seafood, it’s a double win for me!

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The best part is, it’s only a walking distance from SM City! And for those of you who want to know, it’s only just a few minutes away from the Lumbia airport too.

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There’s my boyfriend checking out their menu… Food prices range between 200 to 300 pesos.

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Yes, they have aquariums that contain live sea creatures just like in Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant.

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And then there’s my boyfriend again, enjoying his fresh buko juice, or as Americans would like to call it, coco water.

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Forgot what this is called but it definitely looks like steak. I remember to have enjoyed it. The gravy went really nicely with it and so did the vegetables on the side.

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Sizzling sisig. One of my favorite Filipino food of all time. Pairs perfectly with ice-cold beer. 

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Of course, no Prawn House trip is ever complete without having to try any of their seafood, especially their prawns! Their Prawn Thermidore is a definite must-try! 

And here’s a preview of the room we got…

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This is the Standard Room. Can you believe that this only costed us 850 for the night? It’s neat, tidy and cozy. The linens and towels were fresh. And they provided complimentary bathroom products too! Believe me, not all budget hotels here in the Philippines do that. And with this note, I am impressed!

So for those who want to experience quality service but are on a budget, I highly recommend this place!

For more information about Prawn House Seafood Restaurant and Suites, please click on this link.

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. 

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

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The entrance of the fort. 

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

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

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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.

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

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

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Gwapo de Guardia. Chos! Haha!

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

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

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

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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…

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Must. Sleep. Now. Ciao!

Sonya’s Garden Country Bed and Breakfast

And to wrap up our mini-adventure in Tagaytay, we dragged ourselves to Sonya’s Garden just to have a little look-see before we finally head back to Manila.

Posed right before the entrance for posterity purposes.

The garden blew my mind away. It looks so romantic and it exudes that fairytale vibe! On an unrelated note, I felt like I walked right in Katy Perry’s Wide Awake set

Couldn’t resist taking a photo of the sign. Beautiful quote.

This is their restroom. If they’d let me, I could just live there (provided that I pay no rent and WiFi access is free of charge of course). 

My boyfriend fooling around… Like he’s lost in Wonderland or something. 

I need this transported to our lawn. 

I’m not so sure what he was trying to do here. A ninjutsu perhaps? Haha! Anyway, notice that structure behind that fountain? This is how it looks like inside…

Seemed like we just missed a tea party and the Mad Hatter was certainly nowhere to be found… Such a charming place to lounge and dine, isn’t it? 

This is inside their shop. Here you can buy organic products such as insect repellents, lotion, scents and more at very affordable prices. We left the shop empty-handed because for whatever our reason was. In retrospect, we should’ve bought at least an insect repellant because that would have been very useful (you better watch out for mosquitos there). 

I can’t quite understand why I felt like a princess just sitting there. To just pass by here without having a photo op is absurd and preposterous! 

Relaxing at their Quiet Zone. Wish we had time to pamper ourselves at their spa so we could have tried out their signature massage… But alas, time was a-ticking.

Just a quaint fountain surrounded by colorful flowers.

For those who seek refuge from the hectic metropolis life, Sonya’s Garden is a dream. I wish we really could have stayed longer but at least we have more reasons to go back there again soon, right? 

For more details such as location and services, click here

Bag of Beans Coffee Shop, Restaurant and Bakery

After our lunch at Hellenic Tavern Hotel, we took a jeepney and headed straight down to Bag of Beans to find out why there’s so much rave about it…

And when we got there, just judging it by its quaint entrance, I knew I was going to love the place right off the bat.

They have a shelf chockful of excellent quality coffee beans and some delicious pastry goodies.

If you can afford to try their expensive and globally-famous Coffee Alamid, I suggest that you give it a go. I heard this unique coffee blend has a sweet and dark chocolatey taste to it and it’s the best one they have. 

My boyfriend and I decided to have our coffee at the balcony (you too can read what’s on their menu here)…

Overlooking at their beautiful lush garden below.

Get it while it’s hot 😉

Chocolate mousse for dessert. It was gooooddddd.

Clearly, my boyfriend enjoyed his mug o’ coffee very much!

I say that no Tagaytay trip is ever complete without making a stop at Bag of Beans. Its cozy and homey atmosphere is the perfect place to retreat over coffee and dessert on a chilly afternoon. Located just along Aguinaldo Highway near the Mendez intersection, I promise, you wouldn’t miss it!