Philippines has never been far from my thoughts since my trip to Manila last year. I made a promise to visit the beautiful country again, so I jumped at the chance when I managed to get cheap flights for a short getaway to Cebu.

Cebu – one of the most developed provinces in the country – is a province in the Philippines which consists of the main Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. Alongside Boracay, it is also a top tourist destination in Philippines.

Here’s my list of 10 things to eat in Cebu Philippines.

Travelling is just an excuse for me to eat more.

#10 Zubuchon – Best Lechon in Cebu

I shall jump straight to the best thing that I had in Cebu – Zubuchon lechon (whole roasted pig). All you need to know is Zubuchon has the best lechon. You MUST TRY it if you are in Cebu.

Besides the famous lechon (P240 half kilo or SGD$7/P450 for 1kg or SGD$13.2), we also had the equally good Lechon Sisig (P190). Zubuchon has other dishes like Lechon Crispy Pata (P450 or SGD$13), Roasted Pork Belly (P380 or SGD$11) and Slow-Cooked Pork Belly (P220 or SGD$6.5) on the menu.

Note: Zubuchon is no longer at Banilad Town Center.

Zubuchon Lechon
One Mango Mall
General Maxilom Ave, Cebu City
+63 32 2395697

#9 Brownie Cup from La Marea

“Go to La Marea and eat all the desserts there,” my friend Trixie told me.

La Marea is a dessert place in Cebu that has a range of cakes and pastries at affordable prices. We went there twice during our stay in Cebu and tried quite a few desserts. Of course, there were hits and misses. Just make sure you try the warm Brownie Cup (P100 or SGD$3) which comes in flavours like chocolate, apple crumble, blueberry, and white chocolate.

The Walk, I.T. Park
Lahug, Cebu City

Banilad Cross Road Cebu City
+63 32 4162919

#8 Cheap and good food from Mooon Cafe

I was reading some of the Cebu food blogs to research on places to eat, and some of them raved about the food at Mooon Cafe (it’s spelled with three Os). I think a few reviews even went out on a limb to call it the best restaurant in Cebu.

It is not hard to understand why Mooon cafe is so popular. They serve decent food at affordable prices, and it has an electrifying atmosphere. However, the food is not consistent. We were there during the first night, and we really enjoyed the Mexican Baby Back Ribs (P198 or SGD$5.8) and Mooon Steak (P176 or SGD$5). But when we went back for lunch again, the same baby ribs was lacking in flavour and the Pork Chops (P158 or SGD$4.6) was too salty.

That said, Mooon Cafe is still a nice place to have dinner when you are in Cebu.

The Terraces, Ayala Center
Cebu City Philippines

The Walk Asiatown, I.T. Park
Lahug Cebu City

42 E. Osmeña St Guadalupe
Tel: +63 32 4159779

#7 Ribs and Burgers from Casa Verde

For the best pork ribs in Cebu, go to Casa Verde. Their menu has a wide range of offerings like Burgers (P180 or SGD$5.2), sandwiches (P158 or SGD$4.6), chicken (P170 or SGD$5), seafood (P178 or SGD$5.2) and of course, the best seller pork ribs (P198 or SGD$5.8).

The Terraces at Ayala
Tel:+63 32 2338885

The Walk at IT Park
Tel: +63 32 4123336

#6 Eat Chicken Inasal before leaving Philippines

It is a must to eat chicken inasal when you are in Philippines. With 408 branches all over the country, Mang Inasal – Philippines fastest growing barbecue fast food chain – is probably the most accessible option for chicken inasal.

Ground floor SM Cebu City

#5 Cebu street food: Larsian BBQ

Cebu Larsian BBQ is the answer most people reply when you ask them what to eat in Cebu. Larsian is like our hawker centre with rows of stalls that serve BBQ meat and seafood. I don’t have the exact address, just tell the taxi Larsian near Near Chong Hua Hospital.

If you are looking for street food in Cebu, Larsian is probably the place to go.

#4 Eat more Lechon at CnT Lechon

There’s no such thing as too much lechon. Besides Zubuchon, CnT Lechon is another place that is famous for the roast pig.

Food Court
4th Level Ayala Mall

1377 Rama Ave, Guadalupe
Cebu City
Tel: +63 32 2544249

#3 One of the best restaurants in Cebu – A Cafe

A Cafe by the Abaca group is easily one of my favourite restaurants in Cebu. We loved it so much that we actually went there for dinner twice. Definitely a must-visit in Cebu.

The menu is fairly small: it serves all day breakfast items like Eggs Benedict (P335 or SGD$9.8) and Blueberry Pancakes (P295 or SGD$8.6); there are lighter options like fresh Salad, Soup, and Sandwiches as well as main courses like Steak Frites (P795 or SGD$23), Angus Buger (P445 or SGD$13) and Herb Roasted Half Chicken (P525 or SGD$15.4)

crossroads, banilad
Cebu City, Philippines
Tel: +63 32 5055692

#2 Maya Mexican Restaurant

A restaurant that has consistently been voted as one of the best restaurants in Cebu, Maya Mexican restaurant (also under the Abaca group) is the place to go for good Mexican food.

Crossroads, banilad
Cebu city, philippines
Tel: +63 32 2389552

#1 The most awesome brownies from Goldilocks

No one leaves Philippines without getting brownies from Goldilocks.

For more travelling tips, read my list of 10 Things to do in Manila Philippines

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I am sure all of you are making plans to celebrate with your family.

For Mother’s Day this year, I have decided to do something different. In this post, I will be suggesting a variety of restaurants serving different cuisines to give dearest mummy a little treat. Here is a list of Restaurants Recommendations for Mother’s Day 2011.

Where to go for Mother’s Day? Where to go for Mother’s Day? Where to go for Mother’s Day?

Chinese/Seafood Restaurants in Singapore

Formerly known as Pine Court, Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant has undergone a revamp and they have a new Weekend Dim Sum Brunch Buffet at $78++for Mother’s Day Special (usual price $68++). With 120 items including dim sum and ala carte selections, your mother will be spoiled for choices.

If buffet is not your thing, why not go for a scrumptious Seafood Feast?

A few weeks ago, I went to Master Crab at Ghim Moh Road to celebrate my Mother’s birthday. The Salted Egg Yolk Crab was very impressive and the Zi Char dishes were pretty good too.

Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant
333 Orchard Road Level 35
Orchard Wing Mandarin Orchard Singapore
Tel: +65 6831 6262

Master Crab
Blk 19 Ghim Moh Road #01-229 Singapore
Tel: +65 6314 1868

French Restaurants in Singapore

Initially, I wanted to suggest Cocotte at Wanderlust Hotel. But after hearing mixed reviews about the French restaurant, I decided to recommend La Petite Cuisine instead.

Located at Serene centre beside the popular Island Creamery, La Petite Cuisine is a no-frills French cafe where the food is above average but the main draw is definitely the affordable prices. For a slightly upmarket option, go to Au Petit Salut at Dempsey. They have one of the best set lunches in Singapore.

Au Petite Salut
40c Harding road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey)
Tel: +65 6475 1976

La Petite Cusine
10 Jalan Serene
#01-05 Serene centre
Tel: +65 6314 3173

German Restaurants in Singapore

Magma German Wine Bistro serves their Fruehschoppen Buffet Brunch on every second Sunday of the month. Guess what? Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May, so it is the perfect excuse for you to enjoy a luxurious German brunch. Choose from sausages, hot dishes, soup, fresh baked bread rolls, cold cuts & ham, eggs, assortment of cheese, fruits, cakes for just $29++/pax.

Otherwise, go to Paulaner Brahaus at Millenia Walk for some German Beer, and Pork Knuckles!

Magma German Wine Bistro
2 Bukit Pasoh Road
Tel: +65 6221 0634

Paulaner Brauhaus Singapore
9 Raffles Boulevard
#01-01 Millenia Walk
Tel: +65 6883 2572

Italian Restaurants in Singapore

If you have been reading my food blog for a while, I’m sure you know that my favourite Italian Restaurant is Ristorante Da Valentino at Rifle Range road. Recently, I visited La Cantina in venezia at Changi Village Hotel and I had the best Crabmeat Linguine there. Is your mother a fan of Italian cuisine? Just remember: Valentino and La Cantina.

La Cantina in venezia
1 Netheravon Road
#08/09-02 Changi Village Hotel
Tel: +65 6546 9190

Ristorante Da Valentino
11 Jalan Bingka
Mayfair Park
Tel: +65 6462 0555

Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

“My mom loves Japanese food, where can I bring her for Mother’s Day Celebration?”

For the best of everything, try the Japanese Buffet at Senki Restaurant. It is $30++ for lunch, and $33++ for dinner. Prices are the same for weekday and weekend. For eve/public holidays, it is $39++ for the buffet dinner.

If you are not a fan of buffet, check out Izakaya Nijumaru at Cuppage Plaza. It is a great hidden gem with good Japanese food at very affordable prices.

Izakaya Nijumaru
5 Koek Road #02-10
Cuppage Plaza Singapore
Tel: +65 6235 6693

Senki Japanese Restaurant
109 Killiney Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 5565

Korean Restaurants in Singapore

Most people are not very adventurous when it comes to food (I used to be like that before starting my food blog). Naturally, I can understand that most people prefer to go to somewhere reliable, and Crystal Jade is evidently one of them.

Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant at Ngee Ann City is surprisingly good and affordable. Be sure to try the fantastic Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup.

For Korean BBQ Buffet, go to Blue Garden Korean Restaurant at Link Hotel. The Korean BBQ buffet is priced at $19.90 for lunch and $26.90 for dinner.

Crystal Jade Korean Ginseng Chicken & BBQ
391 Orchard Road #04-20
Ngee Ann City Singapore
Tel: +65 6733 3229

Blue Garden Korean BBQ Buffet Restaurant
50 Tiong Bahru road
Link Hotel #01-07
Tel: +65 62240700

Spanish Restaurants in Singapore

I am not sure about you, but I think it is a cool experience for the whole family try something new. So how about having Spanish Food for Mother’s Day?

Bilbao Restaurant & Tapas Bar is conveniently located in town, at the second level of TripleOne Somerset. Bring your Mom to shop in Orchard and have a good Spanish dinner after that.

Another good place to have Spanish food is Don Quijote Spanish restaurant. They have been getting good reviews in the Singapore food scene, and if you do not want to go all the way West to Lorong Kilat, they have a new outlet at Dempsey.

Bilbao Restaurant & Tapas Bar
111 Somerset Road #02-16
TripleOne Somerset Singapore

Don Quijote Spanish restaurant
Blk 7 Dempsey Road #01-02
Dempsey Hill Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 2811

Thai Restaurants in Singapore

It is a shame that not many people have heard of Sweet Salty Spicy as they have good Thai food. Not that I am complaining since I’d prefer them to stay under the radar.

But I guess the location makes a difference since Railmall at Bukit Timah is not exactly accessible. Let me suggest another Thai Restaurant for Mother’s Day if Railmall is too far.

Previously located at Hort Park, KHA (above picture) has recently shifted to Martin Road near Robertson Quay. Prices are not cheap, but this is an upmarket Thai establishment and you are paying for the ambiance after all. They have a kick-ass Tom Yam Soup and I am absolutely in love with the Red Curry Rubbed Wagyu Beef.

KHA Thai Restaurant
38 Martin Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 9000

Sweet Salty Spicy
394 Upper Bukit timah road
The Railmall
Tel: +65 6877 2544

Exotic Cuisines in Singapore

For mothers who have an adventurous palate, there is a new Russian restaurant in town. Buyan Russian Restaurant at Duxton Hill promises you the full experience of Haute cuisine. In a quiet corner of Shaw Towers is Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant. I think Mother’s Day is a good opportunity for us to venture out of our comfort zone and try new things. Turkish food for Mother’s Day, anyone?

I’m sure most of you are familiar with Peranakan food, but it is definitely an ‘exotic cuisine’ to those who are not living in this part of the World. Candlenut Kitchen at Neil Road has been getting raved reviews since opening last year. Be sure to try their delicious Kueh Pie Tee, Ngoh Hiang and the signature Ayam Buak Keluak.

Buyan Russian Restaurant Haute Cuisine & Caviar Bar
9/10 Duxton Hill Singapore
Tel: +65 6223 7008

Candlenut Kitchen
25 Neil Road
Tel: +65 6226 2506
(Closed on Sunday)

Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant
100 Beach Road #02-42
Shaw Towers Singapore
Tel: +65 6291 1433

Where are you planning to celebrate Mother’s Day 2011?

I had the chance to visit Manila, the capital city of Philippines for a short trip, and oh my, it was such a fabulous experience. Other than the terrible traffic, I love everything about the country. The Filipinos are super friendly hosts, the country has a very rich history and culture, and most importantly, the food – oh my god – the food. This is a country where the people eat a lot (in a good way); the food is flavourful and very tasty. There is not a proper definition of Philippine cuisine as it differs from the various cities and provinces. But from what I have observed, Filipinos really love their rice and pork.

It is impossible to describe my four days three night experience in Philippines within a single post, but here are 10 things to do in Manila Philippines.

The infamous Balut

When I told my friends that I went to Philippines, their first question was: “did you eat the balut?” For the uninitiated, balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It certainly ranks right at the top of the list of exotic food in Philippines.

Nobody was expecting me to try it. But I wanted to experience and see what it is really like.

Everyone was crowding around to watch me eat the “supposedly-dangerous” food, which has been over-exaggerated by the Western media. My friend cracked the shell and I took it with my trembling hands. Time really stood still at that moment. My first bite tasted like a normal egg, then my mouth came into contact with the eerily soft bones, and it was followed by the feathers of the embryo.

Actually, it was not that bad. I mean, if you do not think of the bones, the feathers, and the fact that there is a nearly developed embryo inside — it is really not that disgusting. If I had to choose again, I would still try it. How about you? Would you dare to try the Balut?

Eat anything that the locals eat – Filipino Street Food

I specifically requested my friends not to bring me to any fine dining restaurants as I wanted to eat what the locals eat. I wanted to be out in the street and try all the Filipino street food.

After having the balut, I could eat anything. I went on to try pork intestines, pig’s blood, pig’s ear and chicken intestines. Of course, Filipino street food is not just about raw egg and intestines. They also have fried banana fritter, which is similar to our pisang goreng – only that it is coated with lots of sugar. Apparently, fried fish balls are also popular. It is very different from the ones we have in Singapore. Our fish balls are bouncy and meat, whereas the ones in Philippines are hollow and rather empty inside. Not that I’m a fan of fish ball anyway.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping in Philippines

SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is big huge gigantic massive! Here is a brief background information: MOA is the 3rd largest shopping mall in Asia, and the 4th largest shopping mall in the world. It’s about three times the size of Vivocity, the largest shopping mall in Singapore. How do you finish shopping at such a massive mall in a day? You don’t.

Find Bugis, Mustafa and Sim Lim Square at Greenhills Shopping Center

Another shopping area which is popular with the locals will be Greenhills Shopping Center. To put things into better perspective, Greenhills is like Singapore’s Bugis village, Mustafa and Sim Lim Square combined into one. You can also go to V Mall and Shoppesville, where you can get anything, and everything there.

For shopping in Philippines, there is also Greenbelt. Do not be mistaken by the name, Greenbelt at Ayala Center (Makati City) is a completely different place from Greenhills Shopping Center. In total, there are five buildings: Greenbelt 1 to 5, with 5 being the newest (opened back in 2007). Greenbelt has a very good mix of high end retail shops, where you can find your Prada and Gucci, to the mid-ranged brands, restaurants, leisure and entertainment.

Go for body massage after a whole day of shopping

I fell in love with Bonifacio High Street the minute we got there. It is a very chic and happening place with a good mix of retail shops and dining establishments, making it a popular ‘last-destination’ place where friends meet for a drink, and couples end their day after a date.

My body was complaining after a whole day of shopping (& eating), so Carlos brought us for the best spa in Manila Philippines. The service and facilities at The Spa were top-notch. I’m not going to write an in-depth Spa review, but if you ever find yourself needing a good rub, try the Swedish Massage (P810 or SGD$25). Prices are considered pricey for local standards, but it is one of the high-end Spas in the city, and it is definitely worth every cent.

The Spa
Bonifacio High Street, B8, Ground Floor
Tel: +632 8565858

Explore the Fort City of Philippines, Intramuros

It was a 30 minute drive on a Sunday (with considerably lighter traffic) from Makati to Intramuros. The name itself literally means “within the walls”, and it’s a fortress built by the Spaniards in the 16th Century. It is a charming old place where you get to see lots of old historical buildings with Spanish influence.

Find Peace in San Agustin, the oldest church in the Philippines.

Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, and eat some more.

For the 4 days that we were there, the food was simply amazing. We ate, and ate, and ate. We had breakfast, brunch, followed by a heavy lunch, and then some light snacks before having desserts for high tea. And it was snacks again before another heavy dinner, and we continued with even more food before supper. It was food, food, and more food. There is simply no word in the dictionary to describe Filipino food. Amazing is an understatement.

Things to eat in Philippines: Lechon manok, lechon liempo and chicken inasal

Lechon manok, lechon liempo and chicken inasal are the authentic Filipino food that the locals eat. They are cheap and affordable, and very tasty. Take my word for it: the thing that you see in the picture right now – they are the best roasted pork in this world. With a bottle of the light San Miguel beer to go along with the greasy but extremely delicious roasted pork, this dinner easily became one of my most memorable meals.

Filipinos love pork, Brad loves pork — Brad loves Philippines!

Chic-Boy
112 Jupiter St, Makati City (24 hours)
Tel: +632 6594762

2/F El Molito Commercial Center,
Madrigal Ave. cor. Alabang- Zapote Rd., Muntinlupa City
Tel: +632 8467117

The chicken inasal that we had was mind-blowing good. Jt Manukan Grille is like a roadside stall where they grilled the Paa Chicken Thigh (P85 or SGD$2.6) and Pecho Chicken Breast (P88 or SGD$2.75).

Jt Manukan Grille
4 Granada, Valencia, Quezon City Philippines
Tel: +632 7219025

The Courtyard Building
#26 Sgt. Esguerra St.
South Triangle, Quezon City
Tel: +632 928-8085

We also tried Halo-Halo (P85 or SGD$2.6), a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served in a tall glass. It’s the perfect drink/dessert for a hot day, and somewhat reminded us of chendol.

Pancit Luglug (P85 or SGD$2.6) is another Filipino comfort food which consisted of thick round rice noodle topped with ingredients like shrimp, and hard boiled egg.

Razon’s of Guagua
22 Jupiter Street Bel-Air Village Makati
Tel: +632 8972481

81 General Aguinaldo Avenue
Araneta Center Quezon City
Tel: +632 9126303

I know it is not fair to compare the prices between Singapore and Philippines since the cost of living is different in both countries. But it is difficult not to compare when I saw the prices of the desserts on Max Brenner’s menu. We had a couple of chocolate desserts which include the Chocolate Pizza (P268 or SGD$8.3), and the chocolate souffle (P178 or SGD$5.5)

Max Brenner’s Philippines
Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center Makati, Manila, Philippines
Tel: +632 728 8801

Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Manila. It is located in Makati City, the major financial and business center of Philippines. The set lunches are very reasonably priced, and there’s an additional 20% discount for them during weekends. I had the Ebi & Katsu curry set (P490 or SGD$15), which was absolutely a steal for the price. The Teppanyaki lunch set (P650 or SGD$20) was also well-received, and so was the huge portion of the Sukiyaki lunch set (P800 or SGD$25). Great Japanese food at very reasonable prices, Tsumara restaurant is definitely one of the must-try Japanese restaurants in Manila.

Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant
2nd Level 88 Corporate Plaza
Sedeno corner Valero Streets,
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel: +632 887 4848

Goldilocks is a traditional bakery which has branches all over Philippines. Their outlets are like a combination of bakery and fast food restaurant, serving both cakes, pastries as well as affordable Filipino cuisine. Remember to buy their famous brownies back as gifts.

I swear I am usually not like this, but I actually went gaga when I saw Krispy Kreme. The irony? I don’t normally have donuts in Singapore. But I had an Krispy Kreme original donut in Sydney, and it was so good. With a bottle of A&W Cream Soda and one (only one) Krispy Kreme original donut — this is the best thing you can have, before lunch.

“Is there a bubble tea craze in Manila too?” I asked out of curiosity. Carlos proudly declared that Serenitea is the best bubble tea in Philippines. If you are craving for bubble tea during your vacation there — you know where to go!

Serenitea Bubble Tea
San Juan
1F G&L Bldg. J. Abad Santos cor. V. Cruz, Little Baguio, San Juan City 3794166

BF Homes
268 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City
Tel: +632 7943288

Banawe
74B N. Roxas St., cor. Banawe, Sto. Domingo Q.C. (near Goldcars)
Tel: +632 2382545

Have lots of cheap and good Seafood at the Dampa

From what I understand of the word ‘Dampa‘, it basically means a hut, and it is like a wet market food place. Picture this: once you step into the area, there are many stalls selling fresh seafood, and you need to buy from them before heading to the rows of seafood restaurants which are just located right beside the market.

We went to the Seafood Paluto Restaurants, which is along Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City, a few minutes drive from Mall of Asia. It was quite an experience to buy seafood from the wet market as all the sellers tried their best to convince us to buy from their stall.

Between the five of us, we had 1 kg of calamari, half a kilo of big prawns, 2 lobster, and a huge slab of tuna belly. Do you have any idea how much food that is? It can probably feed more than 10 people! Even though we tried out best, we couldn’t finish all the food. But we didn’t waste any of them as we took home the leftovers. We paid around SGD150 for the seafood ingredients and the cooking fee.

* * *

Philippines is such an amazing country and there are simply so much to share with you. My post on the 10 things to do in Manila Philippines definitely does not do justice to this beautiful country; please book a ticket and fly over to experience it for yourself.