Alejandro's Crispy Pata: Now in Century Plaza Commercial Complex

Me and my wife were walking to National Bookstore around lunchtime from Redemptorist Church and along the way, we saw a signboard in Century Plaza Commercial Complex, Juana Osmena Street, Cebu City which says "Alejandro's Crispy Pata, now open" or something like that. We thought maybe "crispy pata" is the restaurant's specialty and perhaps they also serve Filipino dishes, so we decided to give it a try.

Ryans' Pizzarelli House in Ma. Cristina Extension, Cebu City

Craving for Calzone and Pizza? You may want to order from Ryans' Pizarelli House.

They offer a variety of calzones and pizzas at a relatively affordable price -- a good alternative to the expensive pizzas found in malls.

Ryans' Pizarelli House is located in a house itself located in 181-D Ma. Cristina Extension, a walking distance from Sacred Heart School for Girls. One can order pizzas for delivery from them.

One of my favorite is their Gladiator Calzone which is stuffed with pepperoni, ham, beef, mushroom and chorizo.

Gladiator Calzone

I had an impression that when you order a meaty pizza with them, you really get lots of meat. If you are a pizza person who prefers more meat than spices, then Ryans' Pizzarelli pizzas are for you.

Harsimran's Special

The above pizza is composed of tomato sauce, garlic, ground beef, bacon, sausage, bell pepper, onions, tomato and mushroom.

The price of the aforementioned calzone and pizza? Below P300 for the Calzone and P300 for the pizza serving perhaps around 3-4 persons.

Here is a closer look at Harsimran's Special. 

You can opt to eat them at the comfort of your homes since they do delivery or eat at their pizza house itself.

Personally I like their Calzones more than the pizzas but the curious foodie in me can't wait to taste their other pizza varieties too.  I just wish they had more spices and cheese especially Mozzarella cheese but I guess it will make the pizza more expensive.

Still I recommend Ryans' Pizzarelli as a nice alternative to the usual pizzas. Prices range from P250 to P380. For deliveries, they can be contacted at telephone numbers 347-8830, 347-8827, 354-9475 and cellular phone numbers 09227627990 and 09228009878.

There is Always Something New in Singapore

I always enjoy going to Singapore. In the past when my brother used to reside there, I was fortunate to visit the Singapore Zoo, the different attractions in Sentosa and commercial districts through Fun Tours.

The last time I went to Singapore, it was for an international medical education convention and every time I go there, it seems something new always comes up.

Singapore is a favorite destination nowadays for Filipinos, not just for tourism but for work. And I would like to share to my readers what's now there in Singapore, what's new and what's coming up.

Of course, located in the heart of downtown Singapore is a premiere integrated entertainment destination --- the Marina Bay Sands (MBS). It showcases meeting and convention facilities, luxury hotels, superior dining and entertainment all under one roof. The Sands SkyPark has a 150 meter long infinity pool.

There is also the Louis Vuitton Island, the largest boutique outside Paris designed by award-winning architect Peter Marino.

Resorts World Sentosa has all in one destination the Universal Studios Singapore, the Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium, 2 New Hotels (Equarius Hotel and Beach Villas), the Galleria, the Forum, the Waterfront and soon, the Marine Life Park.

Shopping is not just Orchard Road. Try the Shopping Precincts like Holland Village, Haji Lane, Ann Siang Hill, aside from Raffles Hill and Bugis Street.

For Pasalubong, suggestions are the Giordano I Love SG T-shirt, TWG Tea, Prima Taste Premium Gifts, Bengawan Solo, Ya Kun Kaya, Bee Cheng Hiang Bak Kwa and many others.

For a memorable Dining Experience, try the Singapore Food Trail at the Singapore Flyer, St. James Beer Garden at 3 Sentosa Gateway (which has Satay, Rojak, Chicken Wing and live bands), and Marche (in Somerset and Vivo City).

Buffets Galore? Try Ellenborough Market Cafe, Pete's Place at Grand Hyatt, Coleman's Cafe, The Square @ Furama, Carousel @ Royal Plaza on Scotts, Sakura International Buffet, Hanabi Japanese Restaurant, Zhou's Kitchen and Kuishin Bo.

Want musicals? Wicked the Musical, the Untold Story of the Wizard of Oz is still playing at MBS until April 2012.

Upcoming Events

• Timbre Rock and Roots on March 30 and 31 at the Marina Promenade where one band from the Philippines may have the chance to perform.
• Great Singapore Sale, an island-wide sale offering exclusive Mastercard privileges as well as tourist privileges at ION Orchard, Marina Square, Suntec City, Vivo City and Wisma Atria; Happening from May 25 to July 22, 2012.
• Asia Fashion Exchange

Summer activities which you may not have yet tried

• Exploring the farms at D' Kranji Farm Resort and Bollywood Veggies
• Wild, Wild Wet
• Picnic and Kite-flying at Labrador Park and Henderson Waves
• Tea at TWG Tea Salon
• Educational and entertaining experience at Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium
• Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition at the ArtScience Museum until April 29, 2012.
• Cooking class at Shermay's Cooking School and Dining at Prive and Lantern (perfect for couples)
• Romantic walk in Sands SkyPark
• Shopping at Haji Lane and Ann Siang Hill
• Electronics Galore at Funan the IT Mall
• Transformers, the hyper-realistic 3D Thrill Ride

Coming Soon

• Gardens by the Bay in Bay South, Opening in June 2012, which is a showcase of vibrant garden artistry, edutainment and environmental sustainability
• Attractions: Supertrees with aerial walkway, illuminated at night; Cooled conservatories; Horticulturally-themed gardens, etc.
• River Safari - showcasing the world's greatest rivers, exotic flaura and fauna and a pair of Giant Pandas

For more details, visit YourSingapore.com.

I admire Singapore's leaders. Despite their country's size, they are able to make so many parks mixing urban and rural ways. Their appreciation of nature is very evident in the parks that that they make. Click like if you want Cebu or Philippines to have the same approach as Singapore.

Wakamatsu Yakiniku Japanese restaurant in Cebu: A Must Try

It's now time to taste some Japanese dishes for a change and I just discovered a Japanese restaurant which you may like. Welcome to Waka Matsu Yakiniku Japanese Restaurant located in Pacific square Building, F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo, Cebu City.

As you enter the restaurant, one could hear Japanese greetings from the waitresses. The ambiance is very Japanese so that you feel you are brought into the set of a Japanese movie.

So it is not just the food which is Japanese. One gets to eat the Japanese way.

We sat on the floor. Wet towels are provided to keep your hands clean.

It is eat-all-you-can in this restaurant and during dinner the cost is around P560 each as long as there are no leftovers.

As you can see from the picture above, the table has grills as the customers will do the grilling themselves of some of the food. To prevent smoke from filling the room, a vacuum and exhaust of sorts is placed above the grill. The grilling add to the unique and fun experience.

I liked all the food that we ordered.

The Ranchi Karubi Yaki (Angus beef) and the Buta Karubi Yaki (Pork short ribs) especially the latter are sliced thinly like bacon. Don't expect the ribs to have a bony part. The bones are removed and what you receive is the meat. and once you grill them then taste them, you will forget the price yu paid for the entire meal.

Angus beef still to be grilled

I am not particularly fond of Japanese food especially the California Maki but when I tasted their California Maki, I tried to get some more.

We also ordered delicious tuna which was grilled as well as scallops with butter (Hotate yaki), also cooked by grilling....

Plenty of seafood choices really with grilled prawn (Ebi yaki) and spicy shrimps. Don't worry, the spicy shrimps are not too hot and spicy.

We got to taste also a sad known as Mango Kani and as the name translates in Cebuano, there really is mango mixed with some vegetables, crab meat and dressing.

The entire meal includes one round of drinks and dessert. The dessert is not their strong point for me but who cares about dessert when you are already on a gastronomic high with the main course?

I also suggest that the establishment makes available free wifi to the customers.

I look forward to eat again in this restaurant and try their soups perhaps. I highly recommend this place in other words.

Krispy Kreme Choco Mania in this Love Month yeah!

February is the month of Hearts and as we celebrate this month, why not give him or her the latest from Krispy Kreme (KK) -- Choco Mania Doughnuts, the Ultimate Chocolate Indulgence.

Makes you wanna open the box, right?

Chocolate Custard, Chocolate Cookie Crunch, Caramel with Toasted Meringue and White Icing with Choco Curls --- Yummy! Just by looking at it, you can say it's delicious. No need to describe here in this blog.

Well, go try it for yourself. I have tried them and I have been craving for more. 

Share a dozen of these (to me, hehe) for only P385.

Happy Valentines! Don't forget my KK Choco Mania Doughnuts!

My Advanced Valentine Experience at Crimson Mactan

Remember the last time I went to Crimson? It's kinda lonely that time. But now guess who is with me this time?

My lovely wife as we took a break from a busy week to relax at Crimson Mactan Resort and Spa.

This time around I got the chance to explore this Cebu beach resort hotel and its amenities and facilities. Checking in, we were welcomed by smiling hotel personnel. It was a sunny day and yet because of the design and structure of what serves as their main lobby and reception area, the breezy and cool feeling of the environment prevailed.

The place is big, a sprawling 6 hectares so that we were brought to our room via a cute vehicle which looked like a golf cart.

The room had electronic key card access, a king-sized bed, a spacious bathroom with bathtub and separate shower. Inside the bathroom iss a 22-inch LCD TV and in the bedroom itself was a 42-inch LCD television. Both TV had cable TV shows.

We were actually in a garden deluxe accommodation and looking outside, there were greens everywhere. I love the landscape which was perfect for taking pictures pretending to be couples yet to be married taking prenup pictures.

Back inside, I asked for the Wifi password. The Wifi was awesome as the signal reaches far distances spanning almost the entire resort. Going online was also fast.

Off we go exploring the place. We went to the 3-tiered Infinity Pool and noticed a section for children and a separate one for adults which is said to be 4 feet deep,

Just within sight of the pool is the CrimZone Active Kids Center which is a playground for kids. We don't have kids but it doesn't stop us from acting like one. We had our pictures taken there.

The sports bar Score is also a nice place to relax especially if you are a Sports fan. One can play Billiards and Chess or watch basketball or tennis games in TV.

We booked a reservation at the Aum Spa for a signature massage. Meanwhile we proceeded having dinner buffet at the Saffron.

Inside was a wide selection of food including cold cuts, seafood, salads in various forms, grilled meat and pastries for dessert among many others. It was one of the best buffets I ever had because of the taste and the choice of food.

After dinner, it was time for the signature spa.

It was really relaxing with the soothing music and the very good hands of their therapists.You are assured that they can carry out the type of pressure you specified prior to starting the session.

The hotel rooms are far from any bars in the hotel so it was a good night's sleep that we got.

The morning was more fun. We had pictures taken taking advantage of the nice view. Korean visitors were playing volleyball.

There are perhaps many activities you can do in Crimson based on the background of the pics.

The breakfast buffet was great! I became confused as to what to eat.

Swimming was also fun! The water is not deep in the pool and the resort will provide you big towels.

Overall, the stay was an experience to remember. It is surprising why the resort gets most of its clients from foreign visitors. Perhaps the locals should try Crimson for a change.

Yes. Crimson has regular shuttle service trip schedules to either SM or Ayala. Since we are Cebu residents, we just took a ride on their shuttle service to Ayala Center Cebu going home.

Marc and Mattheau's House of Pastries, A Nice Sweet Alternative

During Christmas time, cakes were a common sight in the dining tables of parties and at the home. One of the cake shops that had many customers because of it's affordable but good quality cakes and food products is Marc and Mattheau's House of Pastries found in Gorordo Avenue along the route going to Lahug before reaching University of the Philippines Cebu. The cakes below range from 100plus to less than 300 pesos.

The cakes are not too sweet and I love the taste.

The moist chocolate cake has just the right texture and the chocolate flavor is rich.

Cake with Pineapple overlay

custard cake

The price is just right for the cake you are getting.

Even the hopia ube sold tastes better than the hopia ube found in the supermarkets. It does not crumble easily when you hold or eat it unlike other hopia.

Why not give Marc and Mattheau's a try?