Wanderlust Diary

I super miss this Singapore signature dish!!

Cereal prawns dish is a must try especially at No Signboard Restaurant…

I usually don’t eat prawn head but it was too yummy not to!

No signboard has this classy branch in Vivo City, while the one at Geylang will bring out nostalgia for most Singaporeans..I think it was the first branch of the restaurant. Their huge crabs are still one of the best, especially the White pepper crab!
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I didn’t know what I was thinking…

Scared as I was, I had to try…I had to test my limits!

Wake boarding was the one of the least things I can imagine I would do. I’m super clumsy plus unbalance non sporty girl..but I need to try.

So when we visited Camarines Sur in Bicol, we had to stay at CWC for a quick wake boarding try…well for me, I managed to make a full round for more than 20 tries.

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A quick getaway from Manila is surely a must for a recharge from all the stress of the urban life.

Tagaytay is one of the favorites for some cool weather and relaxing brunch along the way..

I’m listing my favorite places:
1. Bag of Beans — hands down best cheesecake (smooth and not too sweet), this is simply a must for me. Mind you, their coffee is also fantastic. I saw that they opened a branch nearer the Rotunda (at the Lake Hotel). The last time I visited their first branch, they seem to have extended their quaint greenhouse cafe.

2. Buon Giorno at Cliffhouse - affordable Italian cuisine with a twist of homey feel to the place, you just want to hang out here and catch the cool breeze of Tagaytay plus the famous view. You can’t go wrong with this place..but do reserve beforehand so not to wait for a long queue. I love their risotto!

3. Pamana - owned by the Ongpauco (same owner of Barrio Fiesta), this place is surprisingly authentic. Although a cheaper alternative is Leslie’s for bulalo, I guess you can do away with the usual and try more fine approach. Lately I’ve been craving for it, but our last visit, I couldn’t drag my vegetarian parents there. Filipino cuisine should expand more vegetarian cuisines in their menu.

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Ready or not, I was bound to visit Bicol in the heights of cheap local tickets. Here I was, still so disheveled from the busy ber months. I was keen to visit the place that was said to be more beautiful than my favorite beach (?) Boracay. neverrr

Bicol is somewhere south of Luzon (typical you can actually ride an 8-hr bus going there, but to make things faster, fly for less than an hour!) We booked on PAL landing in Legazpi early morning, my head was still heavy from the lack of sleep. We were worried why our friend Pane didn’t reached the airport, with no heads up why, later we found out she overslept!

Seeing Mt. Mayon before we landed was such a beauty though I heard that time it was still at level 2 (some smokes still evident). All I remembered was long trips ahead. From Legazpi, 2 hours of van ride then another 1.5 hours riding the boat going to Caramoan.

The long trip might bore you so be ready with your snacks and Ipod!

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In those stressful days of working in Singapore, I would always try different food choices, hoping that one of those will eventually become my comfort food.

My definition of comfort food: something I would look forward to eat, something which I will eventually be happy after eating…something that will never make me feel unsatisfied, something packed with regrettable calories!

Just a few blocks away from our house in Braddell, my friends and I discovered one of the best known burgers, sausages, fries served in a hawker setting. Botak Jones seems to be a favorite among locals due to their unpretentious servings and price. I believe “botak” means bald in the local Singlish term.

Orders range from 5 sgd-15 sgd unless you want to order their premium beefy treat. You can check out their menu here. Servers here are not the usual aunties and uncles, Botak Jones hired more youthful and energetic staff, some were even eye candies!

I love their Wieners/Sausages! And huge fries! I’m a ketchup addict so I prefer the plain ones. Last time, refilling of fries was usually free, not sure now. You just holler their servers and ask nicely, maybe they will slide you some. I tried their Cajun Chicken which was also yummy. A warning though, this is also a carb filled meal, choose the side dish wisely. I love their Double Baked Cheese potato.
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Despite the scare of high cholesterol, I just can’t resist not eating lechon in Cebu whenever I visit. My addiction was initiated by my Cebuano friends…and also being influenced by fellow wanderlust like Anthony Bourdain, Cebu Lechon…Best pig ever!

My first taste was when I took home 5kg of lechon from CNT, that one near SM Cebu. It was actually very flavorful in spite of the heavy bones they included in the take out package, we were still satisfied.

When I formally toured Cebu with my Beijing friends, my friend Gale introduced us to Cang’s! It was a smaller pig, more succulent and less tough. She taught us that ribs are much better than skin and indeed they were! My brother’s last party, he was also able to ask for delivery to Manila cost him around 3k plus with transfer already.

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