Bars and Clubs: Eastwood Lounges

Eastwood has been quite the surprise for me.  I remember heading over there in 2000 to see one or two buildings, the cradle of the burgeoning call center industry back in the day.  These buildings were soon joined by low rise buildings holding the biggest concentration of bars and clubs at the time.  Now, Eastwood is a full fledged mini city in Quezon City.

Here are picks to lounge around after a hard day's work or a weekend change of scenery, whatever you feel like doing, Eastwood offers a lot of choices.

A classic in Eastwood is Jack's Loft which began as a coffee shop with cake that quickly evolved to be the first pillar of Eric Cua's empire, yep, Embassy then eventually Repuliq and Opus, the  country's biggest clubs all began from Jack's loft and this was the first of several.

There is the Eden Night Club and Garden Lounge that has quite the high tech sound system and light show and Venom Shooters Bar, a cocktail lounge that offers the widest selection of shots and cocktail variations.   

The Distillery is a very famous bar, pub and lounge which has branches in different areas.   The Distillery has a wide array of imported beers, delectable cocktail drinks, whiskey and most of the usual libations one seeks to unwind on a weekend or after a tough day at work. 

 

Need more drink places ideas?  Check out Bar Fly!

Various alcoholic beverages in the Philippines like the local craft beer craze is a new experience for some people. This is a local organic product offered by bars or liquor stores. The Philippine crafted beer has the unique and distinct taste of real beers that you can’t find anywhere else. For beer lovers, this is a welcoming treat. Some owners and producers of crafted beers are also showcasing these organic product in organic trade shows held in different areas like Metro Manila.

The term “craft beer” means beers that are crafted by master brewers, investing plenty of time and exerting more effort to attain the perfect taste of this product. The amount of ingredients is meticulously measured to get the perfect taste for a beer. In actual observation, only a very small percentage of the beer market makes up this type of alcoholic beverage in the Philippines compared to large companies. In reality, advertisements and leverage makes up in the popularity of particular brand of beers.

In Bacolod City, Bogs Brew is one of the famous local craft beers. This is a manufacturer that is rather independent, conventional and quite small.  This beer has become so popular and interesting that some bars and even restaurants already sell this product alongside their dishes. This crafted beer has a local muscovado sugar and spring waters that are an excellent change from the usual beers in the market. The flavor is strikingly different yet it is exotic and unique on its own.
If you want to discover new things, try experimenting on different alcoholic beverage in the Philippines like the local craft beers. There are still many exciting and surprising things you can find and realize in beers. Other great craft brewery includes Great Island Craft Brewery in Paranaque and Pivo Praha in Makati City. You may not know this yet but you can check your internet or friends who love local craft beers as well. Katipunan Kraft Ales offer one of the best craft beers you have ever tasted, the Indio Pale Ale.

 Local Crafted beers can also be available on different favorite places in the Philippines where tourists and locals go on vacays. It is quite fascinating exploring new things and savoring fresh discoveries like the new taste of local craft beers. For those who have not yet experience beers on an exotic note, try one.  Local crafted beers are just as delightful as the many beautiful places in the Philippines.

To get listings on more alcoholic beverages in Metro Manila click the link.

Makati Restaurant List

It is the food which draws people together. For local and foreign tourists, foodies are a way to explore a new place. Dining out around Makati is not a concern at all. There are a lot of places to have a delicious gastronomic delight around this part of the metro. There is a long list of restaurants inManila which are perfect for those who would want to savor the flavors of Makati.

Here are some of the most notable places and food establishments when one is around Makati area:

One of the most posh places to dine in Makati would be the Makati Shangri-La Manila. This is an excellent place for dining with a wide variety of dishes to offer their customers. It is the beautiful combination of Western and Asian flavors which makes the food stuffs offered at this restaurant to be extremely flavorful and unique.

Another nifty place to visit while in Makati is the People’s Place. This is a trendy and modern type of resto which serves Thai cuisine which are deliciously exotic. It has an al fresco bar which can be a perfect venue for a quick gulp of drinks after a long day of work and play. For those who are food lovers, it will be a perfect choice to try out on their signature dishes which include Prawn Spring Rolls, Pomelo Salad and Chicken wrapped in with the aromatic pandan leaves.  Tea lovers will surely love to take a sip of the People’s Place very own version of this popular warm concoction

If it is Indian food you are craving for, the Queens Crystal Garden Restaurant is the choice for you.  This is a fusion of Singaporean, Indian and Indonesian flavors which are blended with a twist for an exotic taste. For those vegans, they have 80 dishes to delight you. 170 dishes are offered for non-vegan in the house. Beef and pork are not served in this restaurant. This is one perfect place to dine for vegetarians. Queens Crystal Garden Restaurant is one of the very best in the list of restaurants in manila which offer vegetables in their dishes.

The Tivoli is on luxury and elegant resto which is found at the Mandarin Oriental in Manila. This food establishment has extremely gorgeous interior designs complete with trellises and gorgeous mirrors to add a different sense of vibe into the venue.  The famous dishes served in this resto would include pan fried sea bass, braised wagyu beef and yummy Lobster bisque with cream. It has a very intimate and cozy alcove which is perfect for those who would want personal and private dinners with a romantic ambience.

The Tin Hau is another restaurant in Makati which is designed with exquisite antique bricks along with their china cutlery for dining. The warm and welcoming ambience of this place draws in a lot of visitors. This is one of the best in the list of restaurants in manila which would allow their clientele to savor the delicious taste of seafood and Chinese dishes altogether.

 

Breakfast Restaurant List in Metro Manila

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if you're a busy bee or a night owl, you might not get to eat any breakfast. But if still want to grab some breakfast meals although not necessarily in the morning during breakfast time, here are the list of restaurants in Manila which serves breakfast meals all day.

Pancake House. By the name alone, you can be sure that you will be able to grab some pancakes at any time of the day. But they do not just serve pancakes; they also offer several Filipino breakfast meals such as Tapa and Bangus which is perfect for I can’t survive without eating rice.

Heaven 'n Eggs is also on my list of restaurants in Manila which serves all day breakfast. Why? Because their menu is essentially a breakfast menu with the various selection of breakfast meals from American breakfast steak to tapsilog; from pancakes to adobo flakes. I also recommend that you visit their restaurant during the hours when they serve breakfast buffet.

And what is breakfast without coffee? That is why Figaro is also included in my list of restaurants in Manila which serves the best breakfast. Aside from their barako coffee to perk you up, they also serve Filipino breakfast such as Marinated Bangus, Beef Tapa, Skinless Longanisa, Scrambled Egg, and the like.

Tapa King is also another restaurant which offers all-day breakfast at an affordable price. And their specialty of course is Tapa! It is not the Tapa or the meat alone that makes the meal so palatable. In fact it is the sauce that makes their Tapa really flavorful. With meals roughly at the same price range as that of Tapa King, Rufo’s is also a strong contender for an all-day breakfast place. They offer a bunch of “silog” or sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg) in their menu but they are famous for their Tapsilog which comes with a perfect sauce. Another really good Tapsilog place which is friendly on the budget is Rodics. Rodics’ rendition of Tapsilog is different from its competitors because their Tapa looks more like corned beef.

Last but not the least, I also recommend that Kanto Freestyle Breakfast be included in your own list of all-day breakfast places. They offer gourmet breakfast at an affordable price. I highly recommend their Batangas Tapa, Lucban Longanisa as well as their fluffy pancakes, especially their mixed berry pancake.

The five big Fastfood Chains in the Philippines

Well, who doesn't love fastfood sometimes?  I have to admit that I probably eat fastfood at least five times a week on average just because its convenient and the price is right.  In case you are new to Manila these are what you can expect almost everywhere.

McDonald’s. Mcdo as Filipinos fondly call it is an international fast food chain which has captured the the taste buds of the Filipinos. They are very famous for their burgers and chicken. They also have cheaper offerings such as the Crispy Chicken Fillet which costs 45 pesos. They also have a reasonable delivery fee of 40 pesos and they have no minimum order required before they deliver you their food.

Jollibee. As Mcdo’s close competitor, Jollibee also makes it to my list of restaurant in Manila which offers fast food. What I love about Jollibee is that they understand the Filipino palate quite well and that they tweak their menu to suit the way of life of the Filipinos. Personally, I really like their Lumpiang Shanghai and their Burger Steak. Jollibee also has cheaper offerings for those who are on a tight budget – the 39ers which cost 39 pesos.

Chowking. Chowking is perhaps the most popular Chinese fastfood restaurant made famous by their dumplings and lauriat meals. This is perfect for Chinese food lover on-the-go. Whenever I dine at their restaurants, I always order Tofu or Kangkong to make my meal a bit healthier.

KFC. Kentucky Fried Chicken is also another internationally known brand which has penetrated the Philippine Market. They’re fried chicken is famous in the country. Although KFC originated from the US, they understand the market very well and they know that Filipinos are looking for a good value for their money which is why they offered their streetwise meal. Another uniquely Filipino KFC experience is how KFC “taught” its customers to treat the gravy as their soup.

Burger King. Burger King also one of my favourite fast food restaurants because of their mouth-watering burgers. What makes me love Burger all the more is their free wifi connection as well as their charging station – perfect fast food place for the techie Filipinos.

Looking for numbers and locations?  Click the restaurant directory.

Bang for the Buck, Buffet Restaurants

Filipinos are such great food lovers that Buffet Restaurants are such a treat to us.  Since buffet restos are the typical eat-all-you can type of serving dishes, people flock in these places to experiences the variety of Filipino food offered.  The Kamayan Restaurant, offers a Filipino tradition of eating buffet style which highlights different specialties of various regions in the country.

Eating buffet style is also a value for your money.  You can enjoy tasting and eating almost all the dishes that you love, repeatedly, even in large portions without any additional cost.  You go home fully satisfied and happy all at the same time, that you get to eat new and exciting recipes.  If you are quite adventurous and a traveler, out-of-town restaurants like the My Pot located in Antipolo wherin you pay a measly P100 only for an eat-all-you can experience. 

More classy restaurants like Saisaki and Cabalen offers exotic and delicably tasty buffets.  Some have choices ranging from Chinese cuisine, Japanese and even European.  The real advantage of these buffets aside from the choices of different dishes and the price is the quick service.  Sometimes we do not have the luxury of time waiting for the food to be cooked and served. This is just convenient especially to busy people who are always in a hurry.

At other times, ambience also play an important role in buffet restaurants, it can affect one’s appetite. There are people who want magnificent dining even though the place is a buffet restaurant. In addition, there are also people who concentrate more on the variety of Filipino foods rather than the ambience.  Whichever way it is these restaurants definitely should have the best of the two worlds, meaning good food and good place.

So if you are looking for the best variety of Filipino foods around, you may ask your friends for those places you have not gone yet, or even check the internet.  Buffet restaurants are also good for bonding with the family, since you tend to enjoy sharing and discussing the flavors of these dishes.   Good places are packed with a customer which means fine foods are being served there.  But beware.  Some restaurants offer very low quality of food, and you might be caught unaware.  You can find buffet restaurants who may offer simpler Filipino foods yet quality is not sacrificed.  It is alright to choose from simpler foods as long as they taste delicious as they should be. 

Look at the Food Selection

Let us say for example that you have found a great buffet restaurant with a nice luxurious ambiance and good traffic.  Now, your search will be meaningless if they have low quality food selection.  For this reason, you should also take a look at their food selection, too.  Fortunately, there are buffet restaurants in the Internet that can help you narrow down your search.  Customers who have dined at the buffet restaurants provide testimonials not only about the place but most especially about the food selection as well.  This way, you will get your money’s worth when you visit the place.  Remember, the more food choices offered in the buffet restaurant, the better.

Baguio, the Summer Capital of the Philippines

Hurry to the city of pines and summer Capital of the Philipines, Baguio City! Travel packages offered by Asia Light and Wow Philippines Travel Agency ranges from P3000 to P6000 which includes tours around the city. It is a favorite summer destination to escape the heat of the sun.

The Mansion is the summer residence of the Philippine’s President, one of the most photographed places. The entrance gate is said to be the replica of the Buckingham Palace in London. Inside the Mansion is a museum housing memorabilia of former presidents. Philippine marines are manning the guardhouse at the vicinity of the entry gate.

Mines View Park on travel package is a big must. The observation deck of the park offers a breathtaking and panoramic view of the valley and mountains of Benguet. It is also where you can be treated to a spectacular view of Benguet’s abandoned gold and copper mines and the beautiful contours of the Cordillera mountain region.  Gone were the boys in Igorot costume by the cliff.

Ideal for picnic and macro photography is the Panagbenga Park with a lot of flowers, plants, totem poles and butterflies. Visit the butterfly sanctuary.

Included on a travel package is Camp John Hay, a must-visit with charm of its pine tree-lined roads, beautiful landscaping, quaint cottages and wide open. Drop by their Liberty Park, Bell Amphitheater, Igorot Garden and Cemetery of Negativism. Enjoy at the camp’s leisure facilities of non-stop fun through paintball, rappelling, mini golf, children’s playground and eco-trail hiking.

Visit Tam Awan Village, nestled on a steep side of the mountain was built with native huts with the purpose of showing how a local villages looks like. Traditional authentic huts upland recreates a typical ethnic Ifugao village.

Travel packages include accommodation at Hotel Veniz, perfect for budget travelers because of its central location to almost everywhere. Try Golden Pine at the heart of the city with luxurious suites and elegant superior. Another is The Manor, not only distinguished by its impressive architecture and cozy interiors, but also blessed with an environment. It provides a magnificent view of the Cordillera mountain range. Here, one can literally open windows to cool, fresh air.

Complete the Baguio experience with a souvenir photo with the famous lion’s head along Kennon Road, an undisputed landmark. Bring home “sundot kulangot” the most popular pasalubong from Baguio. It is a sweet packed in small round thin shells, eaten by using a stick in scooping it. Another is the peanut brittle, crispy and chunky caramelized sugar with peanuts. And strawberries you picked at the Strawberry Farm in the nearby La Trinidad Valley.