vacation Archives ⋆ Leia Khu

Traveling Solo: Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Posted on December 20, 2015January 21, 2019 by xerox

On the first week of November, my boyfriend attended a videography workshop in Bohol with some of the country’s biggest names in the wedding film industry. While my boyfriend was busy in Dao Diamond Hotel (where the workshop was held), I didn’t want to just sulk in our hotel room and waste 2 glorious days away doing nothing. So I thought it was about time to do something I’ve never done before… TRAVEL SOLO. Just the thought of it was pretty daunting: a young woman, strapped for cash, with poor navigational skills is about to embark on her first independent trip. Obviously, I was both excited and frightened.

Although I’ve already seen the Chocolate Hills more than a decade ago with my family in a guided group tour, I just wanted to see if I can make it there completely on my own.

My trip to the famous Chocolate Hills started with a tricycle ride from JJ’s Seafood Village to Dao Terminal. The ride was about 15 minutes tops.

Upon my arrival at Dao Terminal around 1:30 PM, I asked around which bus I should take. I was told to catch the bus that goes to Carmen and just ask to be dropped off along the highway where the Chocolate Hills would be located.

I climbed inside a non-air-conditioned Citi Transport bus, seated myself at the back and waited about 30 minutes for departure.

TRIVIA: It’s a norm in the Philippines that ambulant vendors sell bottled drinks and pre-packed goods to passengers before the bus takes off.

Carmen is a 2-hour long commute from Tagbilaran.

As I was en route, I saw a lot of tourist attractions along the way: Loboc River, Tarsier Santuary, Butterfly Conservation Center, Python Sanctuary, Maribojoc Kayak Site, Man-made Mahogany Forest and many more.

Throughout the entire ride, I persistently asked the passengers beside me if I was getting any closer and kept reminding the bus conductor about my stop.

It was already around 4 in the afternoon when I was finally dropped off along the highway. From there, I took a habal-habal and was on my way to the observation deck of Chocolate Hills. But halfway there we made a quick stop to pay for the entrance fee.

The habal-habal driver dropped me off at the base of a stairway leading to the observation deck. I made an arrangement with the driver to wait for me as I would not be taking a lot of my time. One must overcome over 200 steps before finally seeing the Chocolate Hills. Luckily for me, the climb up wasn’t as exhausting as I remember it to be (must be all the trekking I’ve done lately).

Behold, the iconic Chocolate Hills! A geological wonder that turns dark brown during the dry season. Composed of over 1000 hills, legend has it that these hills were formed when a giant named Arogo mourned over the death of Aloya, a mere mortal, who he loved dearly. As his tears fell into the ground, they turned into hills – a symbol of his lasting love.

Yes, the climb was absolutely worth it. The view was stunning. But to me, it was more than just the view. It was a symbolic climb of triumph – triumph over fear of uncertainty and fear itself.

TIME
Tricyle ride to Dao Terminal – 15 minutes
Bus ride to Carmen – 2 hours
Habal-habal ride to Chocolate Hills Observation Deck – 5 minutes

EXPENSES
Tricycle ride to JJ’s Seafood Village to Dao Terminal – 15 PHP
Bus ride to Dao Terminal to Carmen – 60 PHP
Habal-habal from Highway to Chocolate Hills and back – 100 PHP
Entrance fee for Chocolate Hills – 50 PHP

Read about my ATV ride experience here
My Bohol Travel Guide here

Reconnect with Nature in Tibiao, Antique

Posted on July 27, 2015January 22, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

I drew a blank for every futile attempt to blog about our two-day excursion in Tibiao, Antique because I’m always at loss for words.

But how could I not? Its enchanting, pristine beauty has held me hostage and left me utterly speechless.

Tibiao is a large expanse of open fields, lush greens, verdant mountains and relaxing tropical scenery.

It is a wonderful respite for all those who seek serenity outside the hustles and bustles of everyday life.

There is just something about the beauty of nature that can have a profound effect on our senses.

The tranquility of silent rivers calms the cluttered mind.

The invigorating fresh air enhances mood and revitalizes the body.

The stillness of the mountains brings peace and healing to the weary soul.

Happiness can be found outdoors and so I invite you to come to Tibiao to reconnect with nature.

HOW TO GET TO TIBIAO, ANTIQUE
Tibiao, Antique is a great travel destination for nature lovers, soul searchers and budget backpackers. It is located in the heart of Antique province and can be reached by plane via Caticlan or Iloilo.

From Caticlan
From Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal, walk to the bus terminal nearby and take a bus that is bound for San Jose. It will pass through several towns before it reaches to Tibiao. Average travel time is 2 hours.

From Iloilo
From Molo Terminal, take a bus or van that is bound for Culasi or Caticlan. Just ask to be dropped off at Tibiao. Average travel time is 2-3 hours.

WHERE TO STAY
I recommend staying at Kasa Raya. I will talk more about it in another post soon.

Be a Mermaid in Boracay with Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy

Posted on June 1, 2015January 22, 2019 by xerox

Boracay is all about having fun with the 3 S’s: sea, sun and sand. And I think the best way to enjoy all three of them is to be a mermaid! Yes, you read that right!

Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy is where anyone can be a mermaid… or merman!

Just look for them at Fisheye Divers, Station 2, Boracay.

They have a team of experienced and professional mermaids who can teach you their fabulous “mermaiding” ways with strict adherence to safety standards, of course.

You can rent out a mermaid tail for only 500 PHP an hour (there are a lot of colors to choose from by the way). But if you want to learn how to swim in them, you’ll need to shell out 1500 PHP.

Being a mermaid is a lot tougher than it looks. With both feet locked together, it can feel a little constricting and any movement which involves the lower extremities would become unnaturally difficult. But with proper instruction and practice, it gets a little easier.

It was so much fun being a mermaid that I won’t mind doing it all over again!

If you like to see me mermaiding in action and the rest of our Boracay adventure, please check out our vlog:

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 15: Bon Appetit La Boutique

Posted on November 10, 2013January 22, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

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.

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.

Sketches

Foie Gras
Fat Duck Liver

Canned French Delicacies

Fragrance Pillows

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

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.

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.

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!

Crêpe 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.

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

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.

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 5: Nonki Japanese Restaurant

Posted on July 28, 2013October 7, 2018 by xerox

We started Day Two by munching on a popular Thai snack by Tao Kae Noi.

It’s crispy, fried seaweed that comes in different flavors. My boyfriend and I prefer the wasabi-flavored one above all else. Yup, that was pretty much our breakfast for that day. No complains here at all.

We spent much of our morning just rolling on the bed and watching TV in our hotel room. Getting ready for lunch was actually just an afterthought.

Since we enjoyed our Japanese dinner so much, we decided to have some more Japanese food for lunch because… Why not?

Here’s a little sneaky “outfit of the day” by the way…

I know I could do better… Should I do a better one next time? What do you readers think? Let. Me. Know.

MOVING ON… Nonki Japanese Restaurant serves authentic Japanese cuisine and is located along F. Torres Street, right beside Davao Trade and Convention Center.

Upon entering, we were warmly welcomed and greeted with the phrase “Irasshaimase” by ladies in their matching kimono uniforms.

We came in a little bit too late for lunch… But normally, this place would be full of people (particularly Japanese nationals) and buzzing with activity.

The awesome sushi bar. I’m still haunted as to why we didn’t eat our lunch here.

Or here. More reasons to come back I suppose?

Aside from the fact that the wait staff are very courteous… Service here is very prompt and efficient!

Also, I would like to point out that they gave me a cold mug for my beer! Also, do you see that white tube thing next to my mug? That’s a wet towel for wiping hands. AMAZING! Little things like these make such a huge impact. At least to me that is. All restaurants should follow their example.

Itadakimasu!

Doesn’t it look like some piece of art? But it’s not just some piece of art, it’s edible too! This is a platter of mixed sashimi with shredded radish, sea grapes (locally called “lato”) and sliced cucumber for garnish.

Definitely top quality seafood! So fresh like it was just plucked right out from the ocean! Really, really delicious! It went down very well with my ice-cold beer.

This one is called okonomiyaki. It’s a savory pancake filled with shredded cabbage and green onion and then topped with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Just think of it as Japanese pizza.

Their okonomiyaki left a lot to be desired… But it was something that I’ve always wanted to try and I’m glad that I finally did.

Lastly, because we love uni (sea urchin) so much… We ordered a hefty serving of it! The uni was really fresh and creamy… Melts-in-your-mouth kind of creamy. And I love how the cucumber added that sort of “fresh flavor” which I found really refreshing. I miss it so much already it hurts.

I can’t stress enough just how much I enjoyed eating at Nonki. My dining experience there is definitely a memorable one; I felt like I was transported to Japan (even for just a little while)!

Food here is really pricey, I won’t lie. Price range between 300~500 pesos. But I still recommend this restaurant to all sushi and sashimi aficionados because it’s absolutely worth it.

Nonki Japanese Restaurant is open at all days of the week from 11:30AM to 2:00PM and from 5:30PM to 11:00PM.

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 3: Lunch at Chicken BonChon

Posted on July 10, 2013October 7, 2018 by xerox

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.

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.

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…

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

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.

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.

Davao-Gensan Trip Part 1: The Laguindingan International Airport Experience

Posted on June 29, 2013October 7, 2018 by xerox

WARNING: May take forever to read.

For those who don’t know yet, Lumbia Airport will eventually cease to operate for commercial flights and has transferred all of their day flights to the spanking new Laguindingan International Airport (LIA) since June 15.

Now, since our departure date and location was moved from June 18, Lumbia to June 17, LIA… One of our major challenges for this trip was how to get to the new airport without getting left behind our 6:45 AM flight (check-in time is 1 hour prior departure time).

I know what you’re thinking…

“Iligan-CDO bus trips are available 24/7. So that shouldn’t be a problem if you wake up early!” Yes that’s true. But once we make our stop at Laguindingan, then what?

“Airports always have shuttles and taxis. DUH.” Sure there are smart ass… But what if there aren’t? It doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious you know.

My boyfriend and I originally planned to take a taxi from Iligan all the way to the LIA and shell out about 1300 bucks (OUCH). But I am lucky enough to have a friend who was going to drive his way there because he also had an early morning flight to catch on the same day as ours. And so we hitched and donated 200+ for gas (imagine how much we saved!) and got to the LIA much earlier than expected.

And thank God for woman intuition because I was right. Although there were a lot of “habal-habal” queuing along the highway, there were no taxis nor shuttles in sight. Taxis and shuttles aren’t available until when the sun’s up. So if you’re catching an early morning flight and have a huge luggage, I don’t recommend that you take the bus. Hire a taxi. That’s the only way to go if you’re commuting from Iligan. At least for now.

This is how the airport looks like at 4AM from the parking lot. Don’t be fooled. While it looks huge from here, it’s really a lot smaller than it looks like.

Going in. The airport is very clean and looks aesthetically pleasing. It is a huge improvement of the Lumbia Airport. I do hope they keep this up.

Despite arriving early, the queue was already very long. Notice how the line ends outside of the building.

Look how SUPER CROWDED and CRAMPED it is inside! Superimposed with the troll meme face is my friend “he-who-should-not-be-named” by the way.

Imagine, all the people in the photo above, including us, are just the early morning domestic flight passengers. I can’t imagine how more crammed it will be once the LIA accommodates international flights. But I’m pretty sure they will expand by then as there is soooo much free space around the airport (unless the funds for expansion are “pocketed” if you know what I mean).

And because it must be said, I find that the 200-peso terminal fee is quite unjustifiable since LIA has horrible service. Chaotic queues, grumpy customer service assistants, clueless airport personnel, poor air-conditioning, no ATMs, cash only transactions (I prefer to just swipe my debit card for a faster transaction thank you very much) and the list goes on… Just be ready to get upset in short. I seriously doubt if anyone working there was ready for LIA’s soft-opening. Although, I do commend them for their baggage handling service. My Mickey Mouse suitcase was properly cared for. I’ve been very particular about this especially after what NAIA did to it (read story here).

After all that chaos and a few security checks later, we just had to sit down, relax and have our morning beverage at Seattle’s Best Coffee.

Beside Seattle’s Best Coffee is Kenny Rogers which I didn’t bother taking a photo of since it was still closed.

Also, what I didn’t bother taking a photo of was the passengers’ lounge area since all I wanted to do at that point was to find a seat for the three of us and just rest. It was a challenge to do because not only were the seats insufficient, there were a lot of inconsiderate asswipes taking the entire bench space for themselves to sleep on. JUST WOW. As if they were the only ones who didn’t manage to get a blink of sleep. LIA security personnel should tell these selfish people off! I know I should’ve complained but if I leave my seat, someone else will take it. Lucky for them I just let that slide that day but next time I definitely won’t.

Another thing I don’t like about LIA was the smoking area. Badly thought-out. Every time a smoker comes in or out of the smoking area, the lounge area just reeks of cigarette smoke. Like what’s the point then? Somebody better do something to fix that!

Boarding for Davao (“he-who-must-not-be-named” friend not included). Surprised to see a small plane.

Touchdown from Davao. Surprised to see a big plane.

I still stand by my opinion about their great baggage handling service. My suitcase is still in a good condition thus makes a happy me.

When it was time to look for a shuttle… I spotted LAX. LAX is short for Laguindingan Airport Express. Their pick-up and drop-off point is located outside Seda Hotel. Fare is 249 per head. For contact numbers and more details read here. For people bound to CDO from the LIA, you’ll find that link very useful as it includes a list of transport services and other helpful information.

But then we’re not bound for CDO, so we took a different shuttle (which I wasn’t able to take a photo off since we were super busy tugging our things). And to drop us off along the highway, together with other people, we were charged 25 pesos each.

And voila, this was our stop! THANK YOU LIA for your pre-mature opening and lack of preparedness! No waiting shed, chairs, whatsoever. I DEMAND a shuttle terminal/bus stop here with an air-conditioned lounge area plus free WiFi access; and no, that is not too much to ask!

More than an hour has passed since and we were STILL standing and waiting here for a bus to ride. Buses that passed by were either already full or there just wasn’t enough room for the both of us anymore. No luck. Obviously, my patience was running thin at this point.

But thank heavens a van driver (who did not intend to go to Iligan) drove us home along with some other people bound for Iligan. We were only charged 85 pesos each. Real good bargain that one.

If you’re bound for CDO, you barely have anything to worry about since shuttles like LAX are readily available. But if you’re bound for Iligan, it is HIGHLY recommended that to have a “sundo”, lest you want to suffer like we did.

I know this vitriolic post is getting very long already and so I have to abruptly end it as writing this has drained all of my energy.

With all that said, I’m just glad we came home in one piece and survived LIA!

Fort San Pedro

Posted on February 22, 2013October 7, 2018 by xerox

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.

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

The entrance of the fort.

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

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

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.

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

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

Gwapo de Guardia. Chos! Haha!

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

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

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

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…

Must. Sleep. Now. Ciao!

Let Sprockets Cafe Color Your World

Posted on January 27, 2013October 7, 2018 by xerox

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

Introducing Sprockets Cafe, a 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!

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

Posted on January 25, 2013October 7, 2018 by xerox

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.

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.

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…

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

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.

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.

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!