The Classic Bob’s

Just like Calea, I have read about this establishment everywhere I researched. I did not know there was another version or branch of this restaurant in Bacolod as well, but I’m not sure if they are the same. 

The ambiance is similar to that of Aristocrat’s. The restaurant was with a lot of people and it was indeed a laid-back, casual dining place. We went there during lunch on a Sunday so kids were all over, making the restaurant really alive. I think Bob’s offer buffet dining because I saw a row of food after we ate but as for our case, we ordered a-la-carte. Besides, we were too full from the La Paz Batchoy we had an hour before. We ordered the following:

Baked Cheesy Fries (Php 94) – for the price, it was quite a small serving. But then, this was oozing with flavour. It had bits of meat and cheeses on top. This is a good appetizer to get when you are not too hungry or if you just want to warm up your stomach. 

Sate Babe with Sate Rice (Php 98) – this is pork barbecue with peanut sauce served (and best paired up) with java rice. I found the peanut sauce overpowering that it was almost too salty. But the rice evened out the taste. Serving was quite small even for just one person. 

Steak ala Pobre whole (Php 269) – for a casual dining place, they have good steak. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked (at medium well). The gravy it came with was very tasty. It was rich and flavourful that it complemented the steak really well. You have an option for a half order (which is good for one) or full order (to share). 

Fruit punch (Php 89) – this is one of the unique drinks you can try at this place. It was sweet with a lot of texture that confused me, but nevertheless, tasty. It wasn’t refreshing but it is a drink and dessert in one.

 

The service was efficient and I was full right away. But that did not hinder us from getting dessert. We ordered their revel bar (Php 37) which was oats and chocolate in a brownie-like consistency. It was not too sweet and was indeed delicious (I’m a chocoholic, so I’m biased). 

 

 

A stop in this restaurant is definitely recommended when you find yourself in Bacolod.

Bob’s Restaurant

B.S. Aquinio Drive, Shopping, Bacolod City

(63 34) 4342409; (63 34) 7091307

http://bobsbacolod.com/

21’s La Paz Batchoy

La Paz Batchoy is one of my ultimate favourite Filipino soups. For the readers abroad, batchoy is a type of soup that has egg noodles, shrimps, vegetables, crushed pork cracklings, stripped chicken breast, beef loin, spring onions fried garlic and other pork organs in chicken stock. The numerous ingredients do not sound quite delectable, but it’s an entirely different thing when a bowl of hot soup is sitting right in front of you, releasing its appetizing aroma.

When I learned that I was heading to Bacolod, I was thrilled because I’d be tasting one of the best versions of La Paz Batchoy. While I was completely contented with Ilonggo Grill’s version, a colleague from my former job told me that it can’t stand up against the ones made in Ilo-ilo and Bacolod.

21 has quite an intimidating interior. The ambiance is similar to fine dining restaurants here in Manila. The crowd is composed of well-dressed middle-aged couples or group of friends having an enjoyable breakfast. I came in shorts. It was a good thing that they do not have a dress code, otherwise, I surely won’t be allowed to dine. 

You’ll be surprised by the prices of the food though we only ordered La Paz Batchoy for breakfast. The regular one is Php 60. Oh yes, you read that right. A more special one that comes with pork liver is available. There was also an even more special than which has bone marrow in the soup. The price differences were nothing over Php 30. Everything was under Php 100 and I couldn’t be happier. I like my La Paz Batchoy with an egg (so that was an additional of Php 15).

 

As for the taste, I loved that it was served really hot. It is how soups are supposed to be served. The taste of this La Paz Batchoy did not rely on its saltiness, which was great. There were a lot of ingredients in the soup so I loved the fact that 21 does not scrimp. Also, the bowl was huge. The meat were tender. The soup was not too oily either. I know I ordered a La Paz Batchoy but I always take out the pork cracklings (health concerns), so I wouldn’t know how that tasted like.

 

We also ordered dinuguan (pork blood stew) and brewed coffee. I don’t eat dinuguan so I can’t tell if it was good but according to feedback, it is. I’m not a coffee expert as well but the coffee was good enough for me. I’m especially glad of the muscovado sugar served.

Aside from the cozy interiors, people in Bacolod are generally friendly and service here was really good. It was fast and the staff are accommodating. We were served, we’ve eaten and we were given the bill in an hour’s time. We were in a hurry because we needed to attend the Sunday mass at noon (naks!). 

21 Restaurant
21st Lacson St. Bacolod City
(63-34) 4334096
info@21restaurant.com
http://www.21restaurant.com/

Calea Cakes are The Bomb

I have read some things about Bacolod before I left the city. I was not sure if there was something tourist-y to do in Bacolod because I thought it was all going to be grass, mountains and sea (I was wrong). While in the process of doing research, the word CALEA would always come out and it was always given very favourable comments. 

 
 

I visited the branch in Robinson’s Bacolod. It was after lunch and we were craving for some dessert. When I entered Calea, tons of choices sprung upon us and I had to sit down for a moment because I was overwhelmed by the choices. Aside from the different kinds of cakes, they also have cookies and other pastries to offer. I, being the first timer, had to try the best seller of the house. Truth be told, no cake shop in the metro can beat the quality of the cakes in Calea.

Imported Moist Chocolate Cake – for starters, I was a bit shocked by how thick the chocolate on top of the cake was. But true to its name, this was the best moist cake there is. The cake was not sugar sweet which is always a good thing. The bitter sweet chocolate on top complements perfectly the texture and the taste of the cake. It was as if having a little piece of heaven for every bite. 

White Mocha Cheesecake – I’m now sure how a cheesecake’s consistency should be but I loved this one. It was not sweet, it did not have a crust (graham stuff, I’m guessing), and even if I love cheese, I sometimes get enough of eating less than a slice. But this one was pure heaven. Its smooth consistency plus the right amount of sweetness blended well with the berries it was served with. I did not get where the white mocha was but I’m not complaining. 

Ice Cream Marble Cake – you have to get your hands on this right away because it is sure to melt. It was creamy and sweet, but then again, just about the right amount of sweetness. I’m just not quite fond of marshmallows so I did not eat much. 

Coffee is best partnered with these food. I had mine with just cream, no sugar. I loved it. I love the fact that their default sugar is themascovado kind which is said to be healthy and organic. Might I add? Flavourful too. But because of all the sweets that we had consumed, it was better to balance it with a good cup of coffee. 

Nothing was over Php 70 for as slice of cake and the cappuccino I ordered was only Php 75. Just in case you care to bring a whole cake (or two, like I did) back to Manila (Php 650 – Php 800, if I’m not mistaken), Calea can package it in a hard carton at Php 30 and your cake will be ready to go! 

 

 

Calea Pastries and Coffee
Lourdes C Bldg. Lacson St. Bacolod City
63-34-4338664

Bacolod: Discovering the City of Smiles

When I stepped out of the airplane, the province of Negros Occidental already impressed me. The airport, which is located in Silay City (30 minutes away outside of Bacolod), has a tube that connects the plane to it. It is relatively small compared to the Manila’s airport Terminals 2 and 3, but it is of international standard.

Truth be told, I was expecting a grassier, forest-covered, less progressive type of place. Surprisingly, the it is indeed a city. Mc Donald’s, Starbucks, Chowking, Jollibee and would you believe it, too many Mang Inasal branches? I can’t imagine how the chain survives because the food in Bacolod, aside from being unbelievably delicious, are really cheap too. I’ll get into that in a bit.

Getting There

I’m not sure if there is a bus that you can ride from Manila to go to Bacolod City but I strongly recommend to just take the plane. If you are as thrifty as I am, just wait for seat sale to come by and I’m sure you will get a pretty sweet deal that will provide you comfort of traveling to the city for just an hour away from Manila. I rode Philippine Airlines which cost me Php 1,500 for a roundtrip ticket. I believe it is as cheap as you can get for riding a new plane with good enough leg room and great service. Going to the city seemed like going on a trip to Tagaytay, that short. You may opt to wait for Cebu Pacific Sale to get the cheapest deals. Zest Air and PAL Express also fly to Bacolod.

From the airport, there are a lot of locals on stand-by to get you to the city proper. I’m not sure how much it costs but it should not burn a hole in your pocket.

Accommodations

We were supposed to stay at L’Fisher’s more affordable accommodation called Chalet. We were quoted to spend only Php 1,000 per night per room, good for two. Not such a bad deal considering the location is smacked right at Lacson Street (Bacolod’s main road). It is also a stone’s throw away from Calea (which I will create a separate post soon), the famous cake shop in the city. Obviously, the rate of the Chalet was very economical, it was fully booked.

So we decided to go for another hotel named Planta Hotel which was pretty much in the centre as well. It has a nice huge facade to the point that I was intrigued how it looked like inside. We were quoted at Php 1,500 / night. Still not bad, right? But then we decided to stay in a house that is barely used by S’ uncle because he is in and out of the Philippines. From what I gathered, Business Inn and O Hotel are also very good hotels to stay in.

Things to Do

There’s absolutely nothing better for someone to do but EAT! I am not kidding. Unless it is the season for the annual Masskara Festival, eating is the best thing to do. All the good tasting food is concentrated in Bacolod (though some are actually in Silay City). I will have several posts about the numerous food places I have tried but this I tell you… the possibility of you gaining weight during a trip to Bacolod is very high. It is the home to the chicken inasal, la paz batchoy, cakes, desserts, coffee and anything sweet. Everything was amazing! The best thing? The food are mostly half the price compared to the Manila's prices.

I went around the area and saw the city hall which I think was grand and very Malacanang-like (Philippine president’s palace). I also went to the Lagoon which is Bacolod’s park that had a ton of tilapia in its huge pond. I was supposed to check out one of the museums but then it was a holiday so it was closed. 

Aside from going around Bacolod, we also went to Silay in a failed attempt to visit several ancestral homes. Balay Negrense was not able to operate. We were informed that the manager was drunk from the festivities the night before and so it was closed. So was Jalandoni which was too bad. But I thought, it was alright because we ended up eating again, haha.

For around a half an hour drive from the center of Bacolod, in Talisay City, you can visit The Ruins. It used to be this really huge mansion built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson for his wife, Maria Braga. The family intentionally burned down the mansion for it not to be used by the Japanese as base. 

Today, it is a site visited by tourists and a function place where different parties such as weddings and birthdays take place. When we were there, a wedding was about to happen but I would have loved for the grounds to be pretty empty because it is a nice structure to take a photo of (I seriously need an UWA lens). The facade was supposed to turn into a gold shade by sunset but the clouds blocked off the sun’s rays when I was there. It was still beautiful nonetheless.

We went through the road that was enough to make a person agonize a short, 25 minute ride, just because it was not paved. As The Ruins is visited by a lot of people, I do hope they do something about this.

Around Negros, there are also some beaches. I heard of Antulang in Dumaguete (which is Negros Oriental) which is around three hours away. We, on the other hand, went to Punta Bulata which is still in Negros Occidental. It was still 3 hours by land because of the counter flow roads. Should these get fixed soon, I think it will be cut off to just 2 hours. The resort is 156 km away from the city. I should tell you more about this on a separate post.

I have heard of Mambukal, but I haven’t been. I am not sure how far away it is from the city but I do hope to visit this the next time I visit. Drop by once in a while for more Bacolod posts especially about food. Just thinking about it is making me hungry.

L’ Fisher Hotel

14th Lacson St., Bacolod City
Negros Occidental, Philippines 6100
(63 34) 4333731 to 39
lfisherhotel@yahoo.com / lfisher@globelines.com.ph

Missing Madrid and the Nat Geo Shirt

Ever since I went to Madrid, I knew I found a place to stay and live in on the other side of the world. Living in Madrid has always been a dream. It is vibrant, people are both laid back and busy. I love the food, the late night dinners, the music, the art. Also, it is so much like Manila, warm (during the summer days) and understated, Barcelona is always favoured by the tourists, but Madrid, my friends, is never boring.

But then the past few days, I don’t know why, I seem to be thinking that there is something great in store for me. Certainly not because the universe owes me. I’m not that demanding. But I just do.

So today I’m decided, I am determined not to make Madrid just a dream. I know that I will have to live there. You know why? Because if I make it stay and be just a dream, it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

 

Don’t ask me how because I haven’t gotten to that part yet. Ideally, getting a job there would make me sustain my move. And then maybe I can ask Mom to apply for Spanish citizenship because it is easy for her to do so (my late great grandfather was a pure Spanish from Madrid so she can just get some papers for proof and that is already a ground for her to apply for a citizenship). She can petition me after that. Studying my masters in University of Navarra (hello IESE) is something I’ve been aspiring but securing EU60,000 for the tuition is something I have to figure out first (also I know this may not be in Madrid, but that’s fine, they have a school there anyway).

Nothing is concrete, or well researched. I just know that I have to do this. Not to worry though. I have no intentions of staying there for good. Maybe a year or two would do me some good. Of course, I’ll be able to learn how to speak Español which I’ve been wanting to do all my life.

Weirdly enough, I thought of all these because of a shirt. National Geographic’s Live Curious shirts (in partnership with Regatta) are really cool. I got one for myself and it is so me “ASKAHOLIC”. It’s gray and what I’m wearing is their smallest size. Customer service in Greenbelt 3 was awesome by the way, they got my shirt from Trinoma but have it delivered to GB3 as originally, it was no longer available in there.

Maybe it was not the shirt. Maybe it was the thought of working for National Geographic that made me decide to actualize a dream. How awesome would it be to be to be working in Nat Geo, right? I figured, if other people get that much adventure in life, mine doesn’t have to be just this.

Sorry, just a bit of quarter life crisis kicking in. But I stand by my dream…

…AND IT WILL HAPPEN. ¡Hasta luego Madrid! :)

P.S. Yes, I know, I should make entries about my Euro adventures already. I’ll get to that before the year ends, promise. :)

P.P.S. Pardon the Madrid photos. I took them back in the days when digital cameras just started to exist, and yes, I may have not developed an eye for taking photos then. :P