iligan Archives ⋆ Page 2 of 3 ⋆ Leia Khu

Iligan Waterfalling Adventure Tour – Dodiongan Falls, Iligan City

Posted on January 25, 2014January 22, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

Because I’ve already seen Maria Christina Falls, Tinago Falls and Mimbalot Falls a thousand times over, I decided to skip Day 2 and just continued the waterfalling adventure tour on Day 3.

For Day 3, we were set to conquer Dodiongan Falls together with an iconic mascot of a popular fast food chain (can you guess who it is?).

I’ve only visited Dodiongan Falls once before. Here’s a quick throwback on my first visit there together with my family…

I can’t remember when this was…

but I’m guessing it’s around 2007. Yes, I used to have very short hair back then.

Dodiongon Falls is located at Barangay Digkila-an and remains untouched by human hands. Going there is only more or less 30 minutes on foot from the designated drop-off point.

It is of utmost importance to slather on some sunblock and to bring more than enough drinking water to stay hydrated while walking under the scorching heat of the sun.

As a self-proclaimed (sort of) “glampacker”, I like to trek in style.

My idea of a trekking outfit is a floral crop top and DIY distressed shorts for mobility, a panda cap for added sun protection, a cute backpack that fits everything I need and a comfy pair of amphibious slip-ons designed for wet and dry paths… ‘Coz that’s how I roll.

Along the way, streams and shallow rivers need to be crossed.

The trails were not as I remembered them to be anymore. Some pathways were destroyed because of Sendong...

However, the trek is still relatively easy and very manageable for the most part.

Almost there… Even from afar, you can already tell that the falls and its surrounding area is still in its pristine condition even after Sendong.

Standing about 65-feet high, this stunning twin waterfall resembles two folded angel wings as it slides off the gorgeous rock formation before plunging straight down to a large pool of water.

Ta-da! Told you we were trekking with a mascot and it’s Jollibee no less 😉

Photo op time! 🙂

Locals who live within the vicinity of the falls actually call it “Abaga Falls”. “Abaga” literally translates to shoulders.

The plunge pool is only about 10 feet in depth.

Feeling like a kid again, my boyfriend enjoyed treading in the water. The look on his face said it all. 🙂

I could only watch them in envy as I took photos of them having fun since I had my period that day and therefore could not join them. Womp womp.

A paparazzi shot of me being the designated photographer that day.*

Not wanting to miss out on all the fun, I decided to climb this rock on a whim while I ignored the voices in my head telling me that I’d slip off and die.

It was so worth it! The feeling of being up there was so liberating and empowering. I felt like I truly conquered Dodiongan Falls! 😀

And that’s a wrap of our WAT 2.0! Excited for more waterfalling adventure tours in the future 😀

Photo credit:
Fredda Ruth Rosete*

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Iligan Bloggers Society (IBS) for organizing this event.

As well as to the following WAT 2.0 partners for making this possible:
Iligan City Government, IHARRA, Iligan Chamber and sponsors – Jollibee Iligan, Unilab, Jacko’s Kan-anan, Silvestro’s Bistro, Calda Pizza, Red Planet Grillers, Rent.ph, Tatay’s Grill, Greenwich Iligan, Jasmine Pensionne Home, Kopi Luwak, Keepsakes Iligan, GTC, Aruma, Tedts Diner, Iligan Paradise Resort, Linamon’s Best Buko Pie, Piaya de Iligan, NPC Nature’s Park, Third Team Media, JCreations, New Horizon Travel and Tours, Perfect Wedding, Jesbey’s Diner, Delecta, Bob NY USA, Councilor Freddie Siao and Councilor Michelle Sweet

Iligan Waterfalling Adventure Tour – Pampam, Kalubihon and Dalipuga Falls

Posted on January 9, 2014January 22, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

The year 2013 has finally come to pass and now it’s time to welcome a new year and start afresh.

New year means new battles, adventures and milestones. But before I speak of everything new, I’d like to talk about my Waterfalling Adventure Tour (WAT) 2.0 that happened back in September 2013. I know this post is way past its due… But better late than never right? 🙂

The WAT 2.0 was a 3-day tour here in Iligan together with other bloggers from all over the Philippines.

On Day 1, we started our tour at Barangay Dalipuga and our drop-off point was at Kalubihon Elementary School. From there, we asked locals to walk us through the series of pristine waterfalls running through the wooded hills.

Trekking difficulty varies from one falls to the other. Others are particularly tricky to go to especially if you’re not used to climbing up and down hills and slippery rocks. So to navigate with ease, wearing of proper footwear and attire is strongly advised.

This was the first waterfall we’ve seen as we trekked through Barangay Dalipuga. It looks cropped out from a fairytale background. I can imagine sprites and fireflies hovering above the water during nighttime.

Shortly after that, we then moved on to see another waterfall. I envy how the locals were able to go down with such ease. Whereas I, on the other hand, completely struggled to not slip off from the slippery slope.

Despite being gripped with the fear of plunging off to my death, I displayed sheer unadulterated bravado as I crawled my way down just to see what it was like down there. And I regretted nothing. The clear, cool waters were too inviting to resist. I took a dip and clearly had fun.*

I love how my hair color blended perfectly with the water. I felt like a nymph. Hee!

As we hopped from one location to the next, a number of streams and pools were spotted along the way.

Photo-op! 🙂

Pampam Falls

This waterfall fans down on a skull-shaped rock and plunges straight down to a basin of water. Kids love to climb high up the rock and perform death-defying diving stunts.

Behind us is an intimate cave with a small opening that leads to another secluded waterfall which is obscured from plain sight.

Because the mouth of the cave is very low, we had to crouch and duck to enter.

But before reaching the waterfall, we got ourselves wet and swam across a small pool of crystal blue water until we reached a limestone wall – which I’m guesstimating is only about 16 to 20 feet away from the entrance of the cave.

The water is actually quite deep albeit it may not look like so since we were all standing on a piece of rock. From there, we then climbed our way up on the path where a steady stream of water flowed down from above.

And on the way up, the sound of gushing water only got louder and louder until it became the only thing we can hear as we moved closer to the waterfall.

Kalubihon Falls**

This waterfall is about 30-feet high and is beautifully tucked in a chasm covered in lush vegetation. We all took turns standing at the foot of the falls for a quick hydro massage.

This was easily my favorite part of the tour.

Dalipuga Falls

The last waterfall we visited was the smallest of the bunch. It was a rather anti-climactic stop. I would have preferred to see this before the rest.

Its catch basin is very shallow – only about 3 to 5 feet in depth. This makes it a perfect aquatic playground for kids.

Me together with all of the IBS WAT 2.0 participants for Day 1:***

Doi Domasian, Jeffrey Wong, Yobz Tolentino, Lovette Jam Jacosalem, Kate Jumawan, Ferdz Decena, Tzaddi Esguerra, Fredda Ruth Rosete, Clement Dampal, Glen Santillan, Shugah Kang, John Badawi and Marky Go.

Day 1 was super fun! To be continued… 🙂

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Iligan Bloggers Society (IBS) for organizing this event.

Photo Credits:
Ferdz Decena*
Jeffrey Wong**
Jeffrey Wong***

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!

Z Restobar Revisited

Posted on August 15, 2012October 7, 2018 by xerox

Hello everybody, say hello to Z Restobar again!

Since there are so many dishes that we still have yet to try, my boyfriend wanted us to go there again to celebrate our 15th “monthsary”.

So without any further ado, first up was Thai Green Curry with Chicken.

Although this had chunks of pineapple in it (I dislike pineapples in case you don’t know), it was just too good to not like it! They had me at the richness of the coconut milk and the aromatic smell of the curry. The chicken was tender, the piquancy was just right and it was so hearty that I could have had one big bowl all to myself. But due to gastric problems, I had to control and refrain myself from eating too much of it. Especially since it is my doctor’s advice to avoid anything spicy and acidic for two very long months. Woe is me.

And the other thing that we had (apart from two mounds of garlic rice that were not pictured) was Thai Fried Noodles with Prawns.

I believe one must have an acquired taste for this dish. Its mix of flavors is very unique and can be quite unusual for the Filipino palette. It was sour, nutty and had a tiny kick of heat to it all at the same time. I found the taste to very weird at first… But when my taste buds were finally able to adjust, I realized that I began to like it. Just not as much as the Thai Green Curry with Chicken though.

It was of great misfortune that they ran out of Matcha Green Tea… I would have had that.

Till the next post!

Revisiting the Majestic Maria Christina Falls

Posted on June 6, 2012October 7, 2018 by xerox

As a native Iliganon, I take pride in the iconic landmark of Iligan City, that is, Maria Christina Falls.

Did you know that Maria Christina Falls is actually the second highest waterfalls of the entire Philippine archipelago?

If you want to read the legend of the creation of Maria Cristina Falls and how it got its name, read here.

The staggering 320-foot high waterfalls is the main source for power (I’m talking about electricity here) not only for Iligan City but also for most parts of Mindanao.

The Maria Christina (Agus VI) hydroelectric plant which is being operated by National Power Corporation (NPC) has been generating power since the 1950s.

NPC just recently developed Nature’s Park, a family destination that offers fun activities such as tree top zipline and rock climbing.

They also have a botanical garden, a mini zoo, a trekking site and so much more. But much to my dismay, most of the sites were closed for renovation which explains why I don’t have much photos to share.

Within the park are rows of cottages so you and your family can hang out and have a picnic.

A well where you can trade your peso for a wish.

A cafeteria with a viewing area that sits right at the side of the roaring Agus River.

The viewing area of the cafeteria gives a glimpse of the falls as it drops to the meandering river below it. Say hello to Maria Falls. Christina was rather shy the moment this photo was taken.

But kidding aside, the water flow is actually controlled by NPC and the water gates are opened only on weekends for 5 minutes.

Just a random photo of a tunnel made to look like a real cave. Their sorcery tricked me into thinking that it really is an actual cave. Woe is me, such a gullible simpleton.

This is a pathway that leads to a different viewing area.

Finally, the falls on full blast! I don’t know why I like to touch and hold railings with my right hand so much. I digress. This is the best viewing area!

Maria Christina Falls, dubbed as the “Twin Falls”, is truly majestic in its natural state. As it plunges straight down to the mighty Agus river below, it creates a thin cloud of mist at its feet to complete that ethereal feel. I was simply transfixed by its splendorous beauty.

Sad to say, we weren’t able to stay as long as we liked and had to leave ASAP because the rest of the flock was getting hungry (my boyfriend and I were with my family and house helpers again). So till next time Maria Christina. I promise I will be back.

The Aviatrix

Posted on May 30, 2012 by xerox

The Aviatrix is a project that is inspired by the legendary Amelia Earhart. It is a collaboration that I have done with Jed Reyes, Jims Oga and Gio Atinen.

To say that I am honored to have worked with such amazing people is an understatement.

Before anything else, I would just like to disclose that I am by no means a professional model nor am I making claims that I am even close to being one.

It is only upon the request of my friends that I will pose for photos and this is something that I have been doing for FUN since I was a college sophomore.

Please click on the photos for a higher resolution and enjoy!

Concept, Photography and Post-processing
Jed Reyes is an MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) graduate (MSU-IIT is one of the top universities of the Philippines) and is a graphic designer by profession. Even with only over a year of experience in photography, he is already starting to make a name for himself both in Iligan City and his hometown General Santos City. His strengths are street, glamour and fashion photography.

Hair and Makeup
Jims Oga is one of the most sought-out freelance hair and makeup artists in Iligan City. He is also the image stylist of Dance Impulse Production (DIP).

Photo Assistant
Gio Atinen is an art enthusiast from Iligan City who is into sketching, drawing, graphic designing and, just recently, photography. He was also a part of the prestigious Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) as a musician and has toured all over the Philippines.

Model and Stylist
Yours truly

Birthday Breakfast at Fontina

Posted on May 22, 2012January 22, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

For a change, I wanted to celebrate another year of my life over a hearty breakfast and so I did.

Le mustache. That is of course yours truly not acting like my age at Fontina. Can you guess how old I actually am?

My breakfast. Strips of crispy bacon topped with a sprig of weed (just kidding but seriously I have no idea what that is), three carefully piled pieces of bread, some mixed fruits (I ate the watermelon but gave the pineapple to my boyfriend because I don’t like pineapples) and a sunny-side up (of course my boyfriend ate this for me too).

The boyfriend faking a candid pose just to show off the watch I gifted him for our anniversary. I have already lost count on the number of times those decorative spikes stabbed me. No kidding.

His breakfast. Bite-sized burritos with that sprig of something again, some dips, a scoop of chili and a salad.

To start my day with a gorgeous breakfast like this was absolutely splendid. Yes to more birthday breakfasts to come please!

Revisiting Tinago Falls, Iligan City

Posted on April 21, 2012February 22, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

Born and raised in Iligan, the city of majestic waterfalls, it’s really a shame that it’s been literally ages since I had my last glimpse of Tinago.

My family used to frequent Tinago Falls a lot when I was still in elementary. I can still remember playing in a zoo, swimming in a pool and riding a choo-choo train in a mini-theme park which is now no more.

So anyway, two weeks ago, in my frustration to have a quick getaway, I called up some of my friends to come with me to Tinago Falls. I was so glad they were totally game.

Meet my friends, Density, Gemima, and Deiniol (apparently he is a cousin of mine). Here they are being funny as they mimic the poses of Mayor Noel Deano, KC Concepcion and Sam Milby in the banner. And no, they are not the only ones who came along with me.

Me with a big smile pasted across my face as I stood before the stairway that leads to the hidden paradise. But lemme tell you, going through these steps was a strenuous workout (especially when going back up)!

So when planning to go here, pack very light, be physically fit and have a bottle of water with you.

More insider tips (also photos) on my boyfriend’s blog here.

The ethereal Tinago Falls beckoning us to take a dip already after the intense cardio workout with the 400-step stairway.

A raft at the foot of the spectacular 240-foot long waterfall that cascades down in great splendor.

My boyfriend, friends, friends of Kuya Ace (the one who took this photo with his awesome camera and lens) and I standing in front of the falls.

By the way, all the photos from this point forward are his.

Me playing with my underwater DSLR casing and CPL filter for the first time!

Testing it out with my friends. It was so much fun!

My boyfriend and I having fun in the water. All smiles.

All of us on a raft. Can you see me clinging on to that rope with my left hand as I was firmly gripping my camera with my other hand? I make it look so easy. Very hardcore. We were right at the very foot of the waterfalls. Another first time moment. Priceless.

And that caps off today’s post. And till next time… Another day, another waterfall!

Seafood Capital of the Philippines in Black and White

Posted on January 16, 2012January 15, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

It was Day Four and we barely had any sleep from last night. All the vigor and excitement for our planned Boracay get-away quickly faded away when we heard that our hometown, Iligan City, was deeply stricken by calamity.

PAG-ASA only gave a heads-up about an upcoming storm on the eleventh hour almost literally. But both my boyfriend and I never took that warning seriously because tropical storms in the Philippines normally go up North and never bother the part of the country where we live. To top that off, Iligan has been known to be closely guarded by nature and has been dubbed “Typhoon-free”.

But on that dreadful night, this tropical storm named Sendong decided to take a strange detour. Nobody was equipped for what was going to happen that night.

Sendong came like a thief in the night. It severely hit both Iligan and our neighboring city, Cagayan de Oro. The constant heavy downpour, strong winds and power interruption during an unholy hour was the perfect blend for disaster. Over a thousand of lives were instantly lost (and some are still missing up to now) in a blink of an eye.

People were very quick to post photos of the storm’s aftermath. We not only saw that Sendong drowned both cities in muddy flood waters, but it also dragged along with it tons and tons of logs from the mountains which destroyed everything that crossed their path… It was very ugly and heartbreaking.

Obviously, we were both in shock and in sheer disbelief.

I never knew about the illegal logging activities going on in Lanao del Sur until Iligan and Cagayan de Oro felt the fury of Mother Nature. I have never hated illegal loggers this much in my entire life and I am still extremely indignant of what had happened. Their selfish acts for personal gain has stained their hands with so much blood. I believe that Karma shall slap them in the face with a mighty sledgehammer andI cannot wait for the day of their retribution.

We really wanted to go back home right there and then, to be with our families and to help out our fellow Iliganons but can’t. The soonest that we could go back home was not until three days later.

So we took solace in making long-distance phone calls to our families and friends to feel assured that they were okay… And indeed they were.

With a big sense of relief, it was easier to carry on with our vacation. However, my boyfriend decided to postpone our trip to Boracay anyway because of the bad weather that day. Instead, we went to Capiz (a little earlier than initially planned) which is just a 3-hour bus ride away from Iloilo City (but depending on traffic and weather conditions it could only be 2 hours).

Hello and welcome to the Seafood Capital of the Philippines (Roxas is the capital city of Capiz) where every mollusk, fish, crustacean and everything edible that comes from the sea here are probably mutants on steroids! Nothing is exempted from being jumbo in size. Not even shrimps! Oxymoronic, I know.

To all seafood lovers of the world, this is paradise! Fish, shrimp, squid, oysters, scallops and everything seafood are priced ridiculously rock-bottom here that they’re almost for free! Must I mention I blitzkrieg them all. Hey, it’s not everyday I could have “last supper” meals you know.

In this post, I won’t be showering you with photos of food (because it won’t suit the black and white theme too well) so just simply take my word for it.

Pedicabs are the main mode of transporation in Capiz. I bet there must be only 1 four-wheeled vehicle, be it a jeepney or a private car, for every 20 pedicabs at the very least.

La Capiz Provincial Capitol. This is located in the heart of Roxas City. In its vicinity is Colegio de la Purisma Concepcion (a school where my boyfriend finished his highschool), Parish of Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral and a plaza if I remember it correctly.

La Museo de Santa Monica. This is now located in Pan-ay, Capiz. We did not have the opportunity to take a look inside unfortunately. This is just right next to a beautiful church established in the 1500s.

Glorious isn’t it? That’s now a wrap for our Capiz trip. Up next is Alkan and Boracay!

Have I left you hanging? For bits and pieces that I missed, you can check out my fave Filipino travel blogger’s post here on his trip to Capiz. Enjoy!

Delecta Diner and Cafe – A Sooo Pinoy Search for the Ultimate Food Blogger Entry

Posted on November 21, 2011January 15, 2019 by Leia Bartolome

I am a food enthusiast and a shutterbug at day and a blogger at night.

It is the marriage of my passion for food and photography that has developed my love for food blogging.

Blogging about food is definitely not something new to me but it is just lately that I have started to become really religious on coming up with new content every now and then.

To share about all the fantastic restaurants in our humble hometown gives joy not only to me but, apparently, to my friends too.

However, I believe it is about time for me to venture out and go what is beyond my horizon.

It has always been my dream to go to around the Philippines (and hopefully, soon, the world) to sample authentic delicacies from various regions.

For me, this is a different kind of learning experience because it helps me to be more open and appreciative of the unique notes of flavors and tastes from all over the country.

I believe that I am the Ultimate Food Blogger because my passion for food (especially Filipino food) simply runs into my veins and I can translate my thoughts and experiences into words and photographs.

Blogging about food is not only something that I do as a pastime but slowly it is starting to become an extension of who I am.

It is a lifestyle. My lifestyle at that.

Now, allow me to narrate about what my boyfriend and I had for lunch the other day at Delecta Diner and Cafe…

We had “Kinilaw” (a classic favorite of mine), Humba (“Pork Adobo”), Smoked Bangus and Halo-halo Supreme.

I like how Delecta’s “Kinilaw” had a wonderful nippy mix of fresh raw fish marinated in vinegar with some spices. The heat from the chopped chilies was perfect. Just thinking about how this dish tasted makes me slobber.

The Smoked Bangus was something I never had before so I really have no clue what to expect of it. I was quite hesitant to give it a try. But curiosity won me over, so I took a bite and boyyyy did it blow me away! I instantly wanted more! I love its woodsy smoke flavor which really elevated the flavor of the fish. Plus, the salad on the side was a bonus.

Here’s a closer look of the Smoked Bangus. Yum.

And there I am looking dead serious. Seriously dead hungry that is. Beside the platter of “Kinilaw” is “Humba”… Another delicious heart-clogging dish which I failed to document due to hunger. Pardon.

Lastly, here is their massive bowl of Halo-halo Supreme which pretty much had every essential ingredient to make heavenly halo-halo. All it lacked was Cornflakes. But I enjoyed it very much nonetheless. The perfect dessert to end a DELECTAble meal. Pun intended.

Closing this post with a wacky photo of my boyfriend showing the enormousness of Delecta’sHalo-halo Supreme. Please compare it to the size of his head. Kthxbye.