Davao-Gensan Trip Part 3: Lunch at Chicken BonChon

After that not-so-good breakfast, we booked ourselves at D’ Counter Pensione (we got our bags back of course), freshened up and took some much needed rest… And before we knew it, it was already 2 o’clock in the afternoon and we should go out to have lunch already

We didn’t know where to grab our lunch so we thought to just to go to Abreeza and decide when we get there. But one thing’s for sure though, we wanted something fast, convenient, affordable and preferably something we never had before…

And Chicken BonChon just fits the bill. 

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Chicken BonChon is a fast food chain that originates from South Korea. And as the name suggests, they primarily serve chicken but they do have other food items on their menu as well. Such as salads and rice meals that have nothing to do with chicken at all.

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Chicken BonChon has a global cult following on their crispy, less greasy (I won’t say non-greasy) double-fried chicken.

Let’s see if they get us to join the bandwagon…

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My pink hair has faded into this ombre color. I digress. Waiting for our chicken thighs and kimchi. 

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Jalmukesumneda! Learning some Korean table manners won’t hurt anyone.

We got the 3-piece chicken thigh ensemble for 185 pesos (exclusive of the rice and kimchi). It is a tad pricey for a fast food meal… But since my boyfriend and I shared it, I think it’s not bad considering that a 1-piece chicken meal from Jollibee is around 70~80 pesos minimum.  

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The thighs were paper thin crisp and glazed with their signature soy garlic sauce (we had the spicy version) that everyone seems to go bananas about. And truly, the sauce itself is delicious. But the chicken, hmmm not so. It was bland to the bones. And just to counter the lack of flavor, I was hoping they’d have some gravy or dipping to go with it… But there is none. In all fairness though, the chicken was moist and juicy.

I guess I just had my expectations so high up that I got really disappointed. 

But frankly, we came for the chicken and not the sauce. So I don’t think we’d come back here anytime soon. Sorry guys. Not jumping on this bandwagon.

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.

Magellan’s Cross and a Little Something Extra

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

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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