Adventurous me

When traveling to places, the experience would not be complete without trying the local delicacies.  In my case, I would not leave Palawan without tasting the famous Tamilok and crocodile meat...I just had to...I had to....

So on our second night in Puerto Princesa Palawan, we went to Kinabuchs Bar and Grill where I think all tourists visiting Palawan at that time was there.  The place was packed.  Luckily, the wait staffs are all efficient and in less than 10 minutes we were seated and found ourselves ordering Tamilok and crocodile meat.

• Tamilok

Tamilok or shipworm in english is not exactly a worm.  It is an unusual saltwater clam with long, soft, and naked body.  It is a mollusk found inside the branches of dead mangrove trees. At Kinabuchs, they serve Tamilok in two styles.  The first is the usual kinilaw that is raw, cleaned, and marinated in vinegar or lime juice.  The second is breaded style.  We opted for the kinilaw variant to really savor the true taste of Tamilok.

The verdict, NEVER AGAIN!  Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.  It tastes like I'm eating wood.

• Sizzling Crocodile Sisig

I love sisig.  Sisig pork, sisig chicken, sisig tuna, sisig whatever.  I tasted crocodile meat once when fiance's mom brought home some from her visit in Palawan last year.  So for this whole trip I have been anticipating eating it again.

The verdict, YUMMY!  The meat is very tender and has a flavor somewhat similar to pork.  Put some calamansi, soy sauce, and hot sauce in it and it's chow time!

It was one memorable (food) trip that I had.  Beautiful place plus good company, it was a hell lot of fun!  Thanks to the wonderful girls of F4 (Suzet, Len, Me, and Pam) and Sanchai (Dennis) lol!

KINABUCHS BAR AND GRILL

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Gravitaphobia

A month from now we will be having our size measurement for my sister's wedding.  Imagine how I freaked out when my sister told me this.  How in the world can I lose 10 pounds and at least 2 inches off my waist in a month!  Holy Molly!  I got flabby arms and thunder thighs and my protruding abdomen, which I inherited from my mom.  I like to think this as inherited since my mom, my aunts, and my lola all have huge bellies but the truth is we eat the same thing! Excuses excuses excuses!

I don't even recall the last time I measured myself up because I'm afraid of weighing scale and tape measure.  When I buy clothes, I automatically get the small or medium size, 28-29 jeans. Well, at least my feet is still a size 7 haha!

Image grabbed from web

I miss the old me.  The one that never gets fat no matter what and how much food I stuff my mouth.  I miss binge eating.

Image grabbed from web

I miss eating three cups of rice with my lola's pork adobo and biko as my dessert and never worry about gaining a pound, but then somewhere along the road my hormones messed up and my metabolism changed.

Image grabbed from web

At this moment, I think I'm on stage 3 moving fast to stage 4 unless I could control my appetite. 

But then as I was surfing the net searching for diets and exercises I could do I found this....

Image grabbed from web

I cheered up.  What's written here is true.  My weight does not define how lovable and cute and witty and humble I am. Hahahaha!  My weight does not define how reliable and kind I am as a friend.  My weight does not define how responsible and obedient I am as a daughter.  My weight does not define how caring and sweet I am as a girlfriend.  My weight should never take over my self confidence and happiness.

It does not matter if I have a bulging stomach or a double chin or saggy arms, it does not define how YUMMY I am and how God loves me just the way I am.  It's not what's on the outside that counts, it's the inside that matters most.  Just eat in moderation and take care of yourself by developing a healthy lifestyle.

May you be slim or on the heavier side, we are all beautiful, well maybe not to those judgmental freaks, but in the eyes of God we are all created beautifully :)

I'M A BEACH

I started my summer 2012 with a trip to Pico de Loro Cove at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu Batangas.  I was invited by my fiance's(naks!) sister to join them to celebrate her birthday there.  Of course I couldn't resist!  I heard a lot of good things about this resort.  We’ve been under a lot of stress lately so it was indeed a very good time to unwind and enjoy at this exclusive, members-only resort owned and managed by SM Land Inc.  One can become a member by buying a residential condo unit or by buying club shares.  However, guests can still enjoy the club amenities if you know someone who is a member and presents an authorization letter and scanned copy of valid ID of the member.

Image grabbed from web

Hamilo Coast is accessible by land via the Tagaytay-Nasugbu route, which is about a 2.5-hour drive.  There are two main areas in Pico de Loro that you can enjoy throughout your whole stay.

The Pico de Loro Country Club

Images grabbed from http://www.picodeloroclub.com

There are a wide selection of indoor and outdoor sports and recreational amenities in the country club, which include pool complex, covered courts for racquet sports and basketball, bowling and billiards hall, fitness gym, game and karaoke rooms, a library, club pico that is an interactive play area for kids, and Lagoa an alfresco restaurant and snack bars that serves delicious food, more on that later on...

The Pico de Loro Beach Club

Images grabbed from http://www.picodeloroclub.com

Beach club amenities include of course the beach and pool, Sun Coral cafe, Brisa bar and Arribada lounge.  This is where you can also enjoy land and sea-based adventure activities like mountain trekking, biking, snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, birdwatching, and boat tour of Hamilo Coast's coves

It was almost 11 am when we arrived.  It was scorching hot that day so I opted to stay in the shade and just took photos of the resort.

 

 

 

This post wouldn't be complete without, of course, the food!!!

We had lunch at Lagoa and here's what we had.

• Adobo Mambo

Huge serving of pork and chicken adobo with petchay, potatoes, cherry tomato, and hard-boiled egg.

• Buffalo wings

Chicken wings coated in barbeque sauce.

• Lechon kawali

Crispy pan-deep-fried-roasted pork belly with atchara on top served with liver sauce (aka Mang Tomas).

• Beef bistek

 Marinated beef in lemon juice with sauteed white onions.

• Fried chicken with fries

Meal for the kiddo

Sean:  Gusto ko siomai!
Mommy:  Walang siomai dito. Hindi ito Luk Foo.
Sean:  Hmpf! Chicken nalang.
Me:  Sean, penge ako ng fries ah :P

It was a fun, fun, fun stay at Pico de Loro.  Will definitely come back here again (Babe, are you reading this?!? haha)


Hamilo Coast Pico de Loro Cove
Nasugbu, Batangas

Tony, Tony, Bo, Bony, Banana, Fanna, Foe, Fony, Fee, Fie, Moe, Mony, Tony!

Thanks to group buying sites we are now able to get good deals from restos, spa, hotels, etc at almost half its original price.  Who wouldn’t be tempted by all these discounts we can avail that are just a click away.  One of the best deals I bought was a voucher for Tony Roma's.

Tony Roma’s is an American family restaurant specializing in ribs.  With nearly 200 restaurant locations in 17 states, 33 countries and six continents, Tony Roma’s is one of the most globally recognizable names in the industry.  The company has won numerous awards for the “Best Ribs” and also has won nationally acclaimed industry recognition as “The Best Ribs in America.”  They also have an extensive selection of steaks and seafood entrees for those who are not just rib eaters.

 

 

Irish and I headed to its Glorietta branch for a very late, almost merienda time, lunch.

We were served complimentary bread with two kinds of spread, which I, without any hesitancy, chow down.  For God sake it’s almost 2:00 pm! Haha!

 

On the table

• French onion soup

Caramelized onions simmered in beef broth and topped with French bread and melted cheese.

• Baked potato soup

 Baked potato topped with grated cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives.

• Steak and ribs with coleslaw and baked potato

The baby back ribs did not disappoint.  It is tender and marinated really well.  However, the steak was tough, chewy, and dried.  Coleslaw has this kind of sour taste to it which I didn’t enjoy at all.  The baked potato is another story.  It’s topped with cheese and ohhhh BACON!  LOVE <3

• Barbecue chicken and ribs with plain rice and baked potato

The chicken barbeque was flavorful, juicy, and cooked well.

We wiped off our plates in about a few minutes.  I am definitely coming back for the ribs and baked potato and also to try their seafood selection.

TONY ROMA'S

Ground Floor, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center
Makati City