CieLJ Eats: Hayahay Pizza, Alona Beach

Just like in our other trips, we were curious about the home grown restaurants along Alona Beach. I've read about Hayahay's restaurant, apparently they were made famous by their pizzas so we decided to try it on our third day in Panglao. We ate at around 4pm and we were the only one seated at the beachfront. I noticed that most of the choices had seafood in it, I'm not convinced that my pizza should have seafood so I asked the server what is their best seller and she suggested "Carne." A Hayahay pizza topped with tomato, mozzarella, ham, salami and chicken, priced at Php270 for medium and Php380 for large. We ordered the large sized pizza and waited anxiously. 

We then got our first piece of not so good news, you have to buy your drinks, there's no free service/house water here. We just really wanted to try the pizza and then hop again to a different restaurant but since we don't want to choke, we ordered a small bottle of Coke each, priced at Php 30. They also don't sell 1.5 liter soft drinks unlike other restaurants along Alona.

CieLJ Eats: Jasz Bar and Restaurant, Bohol

It was our first night in Alona Beach, the last "meal" that we had was a very thin and tasteless ham and cheese sandwich from a kiosk at the airport 3 hours ago. Sobrang gutom na, waiting for food to be grilled isn't exactly appealing, but we were willing to try. 

We picked Jasz because of the clean display, the prices were clearly shown with the food so we were assured that we will not be surprised by a sky high bill. This is right next to Hayahay which also has a restaurant.  

We ordered, liempo, grilled squid and skewered chorizo. The viands were reasonably priced, but just like with any other restaurant along Alona, the rice and the drinks will be on a more expensive side. They do offer a 1.5 Coke for 100 pesos, so that helps cut the dining cost a bit. 

The grilled liempo and squid were cooked well, service was fast enough. There was a good sized crowd but they still managed to attend to us when we asked for ice or to clarify our order. 

Jasz Bar and Restaurant will be a good choice for those who would like to try freshly cooked seafood along Alona Beach. The waiters are nice, food was tasty, and given the location the price can be considered reasonable. 

CieLJ Cravings: The Original Hawaiian Bar-B-Que Tagaytay

I can't get a good review about the food at Punta Fuego, so to make sure that I will at least have one good meal on my birthday I've scouted for some restaurant options in Tagaytay with a few requirements 

> I wanted it to be on the way so that it will be easy for us to spot, 

> A bit commercial, so that we don't need to reserve in advance and have the option to be flexible with the time, and 

> have great, consistent reviews to save us from disappointment

The original Hawaiian Barbecue immediately became part of the list because of it's location which is just along the highway. The rave reviews in various blog sites just made me even more curious and I took note of the best sellers. 

Wedding Duties: Happy Tummies!

They said that for the wedding, you should invest on two things -- great photos and amazing food. We do like to eat, but we don't have gifted palettes that enjoy complex recipes. We eat what we like, we eat what we crave. So for our wedding, we used that as our guide. When we were picking our caterer, we based our decision solely on the food. So far, we are happy about our pick and hopefully, our guests will be too.

We've attended food tastings with Center Table in the past. In fact, for this week, we had two. Takaw?! 

CieLJ Cravings: Bar-B-King is Luuurv!

Have you tried eating at the Bar-B-King yet? no?! you should! 

With our frequent trips to Megamall, we've actually strolled past this resto many times but never really considered eating here before. That day, however, we were feeling a little adventurous (or perhaps "lazy is the right word, no?) we decided to just not think about it and walked inside the first restaurant we saw that offered rice and meat. 

We were so happy we did! 

Grilled Angus Belly Beef, Php 165

CieLJ Cravings: Cue Modern BBQ

We recently tried the Cue Modern BBQ located along Bonifacio High Street. 

The place was well decorated, with interesting accents. My eyes couldn't stop admiring the details, from the ceiling to the walls, and the simple table decor. 

Have a Happy Hapa Dog Day!

I love being from the South, just the right balance of probinsya and city-ness. The trendiest things in Manila are accessible via the malls in Alabang or the outlet stores in Sta Rosa, sans the big crowd. We had lunch recently at Alabang Town Center and I was so happy to see some popular restaurants have already started to set up shop in the new wing.  

For this trip, we tried Hapa Dog. I’ve read about this in clickthecity but gave up on the idea that I will be able to eat there since it’s in some location that I know I can never visit at a whim. 

Happy Bundle, Happy CieLJ!

We know this treat is good for 4 people, but we EAT like 4 people, so just the same, we welcome McDonalds Happy Bundle!

There are 2 Happy Bundles available

Happy Bundle A (Php495)

Laugh and Play Combo

ONE

Started the weekend with a prayer,

dropped by the Holy Family Chapel in Eastwood

TWO

Availed of the Subway Everyday Value – Subway Melt Sandwich

Drinks courtesy of the ever reliable 7-11

THREE 

Just like any comic fanatic in the world,

Fruity Tutti, Yum!

Flower boquets will always be a classic, but if you are feeling rebelliously healthy then why not try fruit arrangements! No, we are not just talking about the regular fruit baskets, we are referring to sliced fruits arranged to perfection by FruiQuet (froo-kei).

“FruiQuet™, short for “fruit bouquet,” is a concept borne out of a passion to offer Filipinos here, and even those abroad, a unique alternative to the usual gifts sent to loved ones or given to close family members and friends.” - FruiQuet.com

We noticed their store while walking around the Eastwood Mall, and our friends joked that since we'll have an alternative wedding cake, might as well consider this as an alternative bouquet for my entourage. I gave the pictures a closer look and they actually looked interesting so I went inside to learn more.

Wedding Duties: Food Tasting

We’ve been consistently invited to attend the Hizon’s food tasting event since the 2nd quarter of 2012 but never had the chance to go. It was either because it’s going to be in some far off place or we simply can’t fit it in the schedule. 

Last Sunday was the best chance for us since they will be hosting it in Pergola, an events venue just in front of the World Trade Center, which was hosting a bridal fair we planned to attend. I confirmed with Crenz, our sales exec, that we will be able to attend this time and expect us in the afternoon.  

Merienda night

I had to be in Makati last week, and as always, my cousin and I grabbed the opportunity to catch up para dumaldal to the max. She will be our prettiest MOH (maid of honor), and we decided that this meeting will be dedicated to wedding planning, specifically, for the entourage gowns. Seryoso na!

Well we didn't really got to the planning part, nor talk much about the wedding, not even to discuss her own gown! haha! I guess that's just really how we both roll, bahala na couz!

Even our food for that evening was bahala na, I initially wanted to go to Mom and Tina's, and she also suggested Bistro Ravioli, then we started walking to Greenbelt to check out more options. I then blurted out that I want comfort food as I'm not having the best day, so we landed at Razon's with the purpose of getting some some halo-halo. It ended up that they also have some arroz caldo, perfect! 

Halo-Halo - Php 90

Razon's bestseller!

This proves that the simplest combo works

macapuno + saba + shaved ice.

topped with leche flan and milk = yum!