Archive for September 2011

CNT Lechon Locations around Cebu

By on September 25, 2011
This entry is filed under Cebu, Food, Malls, tip and tagged , , , , . | 1 Comment

Lechón

Image by enggul via Flickr

Hello! As I have mentioned in one of the previous posts, one of the dish you really need to try when you go to the Philippines is Lechon, a whole pig, seasoned and charcoal roasted.

 

Here in Cebu is where you could find the best Lechon in the Philippines because here in Cebu, the Lechon is tastier because of the special seasonings that they use to marinate the whole pig before roasting. The best tasting Lechon here in Cebu is CNT Lechon. It is the most famous name in Lechon and whenever my brother asks me to bring home a Lechon, he asks for CNT. So now, I would like to give you some information about where you could find CNT lechon around Cebu. As of now, there are 4 locations I can tell you where you can find CNT.

 

1. Ayala Mall – CNT Lechon is located at the 4th Floor food court of this mall,  very close to the movie theater. It is located in between Quickly and Smokin rice. Since it is located in a foodcourt, you can order your Lechon and have it Dine in or take out.

 

2. SM City Mall –  CNT Lechon is located just in front of the grocery supermarket of SM. Here you can have your Lechon either Dine in or Take out.

 

3. Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City – Another branch of CNT Lechon is located at Archbishop Reyes Ave., near Grand Convention Center, beside Redtag. Here you can only order your Lechon for Take out. If it is meant as Pasalubong(present), you might even be able to ask them to pack it for you in a box, with additional charge, of course.

 

4. V. Rama st., Guadalupe. – This is probably the main branch of CNT as this is the biggest branch that I have seen so far, well aside from the one I saw in front of SM before but now it is not there anymore. If you are coming from Capitol, it is on the left side of the road going to Guadalupe Church. Here you can order your lechon either dine in or take out with other dishes.

 

Hope this helps. I will update this blog later if I find more CNT branches around Cebu.

Filipino Foods Part 2 – Sinigang, Sisig, Kare-kare…

By on September 22, 2011
This entry is filed under Food and tagged , , , , , , .

Oxtail kare-kare with tripe

Kare-Kare. Image via Wikipedia

Here are more choices of food you should try to eat when you come to the Philippines.

 

6. Sisig – Sisig is a good partner for beer. This dish was actually meant to be taken as a “Pulutan” ( food that is usually taken with alcohol) or as an appetizer but now it has become a main dish when Filipinos go out to dine, taken with rice. Sisig is basically pig’s ears seasoned and grilled, then chopped and mixed with liver, pork and sometimes Chicharon to give it the crunchy feel, sauteed in onions and garlic and seasoned with hot sauce or chili and calamondin (calamansi) and soysauce.

 

7. Pakbet- This food is made up of vegetables such as sitaw(string beans), squash, ampalaya(bitter gourd), okra(ladies fingers) and kangkong(swamp cabbage or water spinach) sauteed and seasoned with bagoong(shrimp paste). It is a very tasty combination of vegetables and for those who loves healthy, vitamin filled vegetables, this is a must try.

 

8. Sinigang- Sinigang is a soup based dish flavored with tamarind to give it a sour taste. It can either be beef, pork, fish, or shrimp, depending on your preference. This dish also has a lot of vegetables in it, such as, sitaw(string beans), okra(ladies fingers), labanos(white radish) and kangkong(water spinach or swamp cabbage) and is also seasoned with sili(green pepper).

 

9. Kare Kare – The main ingredient of this dish is either Ox tail, pig’s leg, beef, cow stomach or a mixture of them, or the main ingredient could be mixed seafoods. The main seasoning of this dish is Peanut butter or ground peanut, so the sauce is thick and the taste is a bit sweet. This dish has plenty of vegetables in it like, sitaw(string beans), eggplant, pechay tagalog(Pak Choi) and puso ng saging(banana bud). It is usually paired up with shrimp paste as the shrimp paste would give it more flavor. Some restaurants mix the shrimp paste together with the Kare Kare so for those who have seafood allergies, you should ask the waiter if they do that just to be on the safe side.

 

10. Bulalo – Bulalo is stewed beef shank and marrow bones mixed with vegetables. This is one dish you should really try. Due to the main ingredient being bones and marrow, the soup is very tasty. It usually is mixed with vegetables like Napa cabbage, cabbage,  potatoes and corn, seasoned with onion and onion leaves and peppercorn.

 

Hope this list helps. Enjoy Eating….

 

See Filipino Foods Part 1

How to Make Leche Flan?

By on September 20, 2011
This entry is filed under cooking, Food, inside stories and tagged , , , , , . | 3 Comments

Condensed milk flan with caramel

Image via Wikipedia

For those who do not know, Leche Flan is a Filipino dessert made from milk and eggs. It is somewhat similar to Creme Brulee, only that the sugar topping is not crunchy. Instead it is caramelized sugar syrup. Someone requested for me to make this so I am writing this. This is the recipe I follow and you can make revisions to it as you see fit. You would need a steamer, a strainer and elongated baking pans (llanera). Make sure that you baking pan would fit inside your steamer.

Ingredients:

1/4 k                          refined white sugar

1 can(big)                condensed milk

1 can(big)                evaporated milk

7 pcs                          egg yolk

1 pc                             whole egg

 

Directions:

1. Put sugar on the baking pan and caramelize sugar over low heat. Do not burn the sugar too much as it would become bitter. Let it cool  so it would harden.

2. Take 7 pcs. of eggs and separate the egg yolk from the egg white. You will use only the egg yolks.

3. Add the whole egg to the egg yolks.

4. Add the Condensed milk and the Evaporated milk to the egg yolks. Mix carefully. Do not over mix as it would make the mixture too bubbly and could ruin the texture of the Flan.

5. Boil some water on the steamer. Once the water is already boiling, pour one cup of the mixture into the baking pan with the hardened caramelized sugar and put it in the steamer. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium fire.

6. Once it is cooked, let it cool down and turn it over to your serving plate and refrigerate. It is best served cold.

This recipe could make 4 pcs of leche flan. Hope this recipe helps.

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Suzhou, China was often regarded as the “Venice of the Orient” because of its many waters in its canals that serves as a means of transport.  This week’s featured photo is the 7-Mile Shantang Water Alley in Suzhou, one of the famous tourist spot in the area.

Seven-Mile Shantang Water Alley in Suzhou China

The Seven-Mile Shantang Water Alley in Suzhou China

Tips for Making a Travel Checklist

By on September 18, 2011
This entry is filed under opinion, tip, travel and tagged , , .

Checklist for CHU rename.

Image via Wikipedia

Part of planning a travel is making checklist. As I have mentioned in the previous article, having  a checklist is very important. It is especially important for people who are a bit forgetful and scatterbrained.

 

To make a To-Bring Checklist, you have to consider how long your trip will be, where you will be going and what you will be doing in that place. That way, you will be sure to bring your necessities with you on your travel.

 

Example of a To-Bring Checklist for a 3-day trip to Boracay.

  •       Tooth brush and Toothpaste
  •       Soap
  •       Shampoo and conditioner
  •       Lotion
  •       Sunblock (SPF 45 or higher)
  •       2 pairs of swimsuit
  •       6 pairs underwear(maybe more?)
  •       2 -3 pairs of shorts
  •       4-5 pcs shirt
  •       1 pair flipflop
  •       goggles or snorkel
  •       Camera
To make a To-Do checklist, proper planning is needed. You should make a research of the place you are planning to visit and find out what activities are worth doing in that area. That way, you could plan your vacation based on what you want to do while visiting the place you are planning to go to. Here is an example of a planned Itinerary.
Sample To- Do Checklist ( Itinerary) for 3 days in Boracay
Accomodation – Crown  Regency Boracay

First Day

8:30 AM – arrival at Boracay. Go straight to accomodation, rest, breakfast

10:00 AM – walk around boracay, look for good restaurants, stores to buy  pasalubong, negotiate with boater for tomorrow’s Island Hopping

12:00 NN – Lunchtime and rest

2:00 PM – swimming on the beach or the pool, snacks

5:00 PM – rest, get ready for dinner

6:00PM – dinner

7:00 PM – Bar Hopping; watch the fire dancers

2nd day

5:00 AM – wake up; get ready for Island Hopping

5:30 AM to 1:00 PM – Whale or Dolphin watching, Island hopping and                                                                 snorkelling

1:30 PM – rest, maybe swimming again and picture taking; go around to explore more places in the island

5:00 PM – rest, get ready for dinner

6:00PM – dinner

7:00 PM – massage; Bar hopping

3rd day

7:00 AM – wake up; breakfast;

8:00 AM – go swimming; enjoy the last day

10:00 AM – shopping for pasalubong

12:00 NN –  Lunch

1:00 PM – picture taking; packing; get ready for departure

3:00 PM – departure time

Those are just samples of checklists. Checklist can help make your trip become more enjoyable. IT being well planned and all…

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Filipino Foods Part 1: Lechon, Chicharon, Adobo and More

By on September 14, 2011
This entry is filed under Cebu, Food and tagged , , , , . | 3 Comments

LECHON

Lechon. Image by whologwhy via Flickr

I was going to tell you about where you could find the best lechon in Cebu. But before I do that, let me list a few Filipino foods that you should never fail to try when you are here in the Philippines.

 

1. Lechon

 Lechon is a whole pig seasoned and charcoal roasted. The skin is the best portion of Lechon. It is crunchy and very tasty. Another best part of the lechon is the “belly” part. It is the tastiest part, specially the meat clinging to the bones, skin aside of course. Here in Cebu is where you could find the best tasting Lechon. CNT lechon is one of the most famous lechon vendor. On the next post I will tell you about where you could find CNT lechon here in Cebu.

 

2. Crispy Pata

Crispy Pata is a pig’s leg tenderized and deep fried to make it crispy. The best part of it is the skin and the knuckles and it is best dipped in a sauce which is a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and calamansi with hot chili peppers and onions.

3. Lechon Kawali

Lechon Kawali is somewhat similar to the Crispy pata in the sense that it is also tenderized and fried crispy. However, Lechon Kawali is the belly part of the pig, called spare ribs or Liempo. As with Crispy Pata, it is also best dipped in a sauce which is a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and calamansi with hot chili peppers and onions.

 

4. Chicharon

 Chicharon is pork rind(skin) seasoned and tenderized, then fried until it becomes crispy. Sometimes chicharon is all skin, but special ones include the fat and meat of the pork. It is best taken as an appetizer or as a “Pulutan” (food taken with alcohol beverage), dipped in vinegar and garlic.

5. Chicken Pork Adobo (CPA)

CPA is chicken and pork  cooked in soy sauce, garlic and other seasonings. It is the most native food of the Philippines and there is more than one way of preparing this dish. Some put coconut milk to make it creamy and some put sugar to make it sweeter. Cooking it depends on the taste buds of the cook, basically.

 

This is just five dishes you should try. Next post I will add more to the list.

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Once an old defective building in Cebu reclamation area, it was renovated to be one of the five-star hotels in Metro Cebu. This week’s featured photo is the Radisson Blu hotel in Cebu City. In my future blog post, I will tell my experience eating in their buffet restaurant.

Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu

Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu at night

Travel Tip: Make a Checklist!

By on September 5, 2011
This entry is filed under opinion, tip, travel, Uncategorized and tagged , , , . | 1 Comment

Tip-of-the-day-bulb2

Image via Wikipedia

Let’s face it, a lot of people love to travel. And as I have mentioned in the last post, due to the promo fares handed out by many of the carriers here in the Philippines, more and more people are travelling. For the newbies in the travelling world, and for those who deem to see fit to heed this advice, here is a tip: When travelling, make a checklist.

Checklist of what you might ask? Well, for both business and leisure travelers alike, there are two checklists you should have when you travel. First is the To-Bring checklist and second, the To-Do checklist.

The To-Bring checklist should consist of the necessities when travelling, such as toiletries, enough clothes for the number of days of your travel, underwear, skin care, gadgets, etc.,  and the things you need for whatever you would like to do when you travel. For example, if you are travelling for business, you should include things like the files or documents or the gadgets you need to bring for your presentation or training. This is important so that you would be sure to bring all the things you need and you would not need to spend more money buying new things just because you forgot to bring them.

The To-Do checklist, on the other hand should be your itinerary for your trip, including your accommodation. This is especially important for business trips so that you could keep up with your schedule and maintain your professionalism. This would also ensure that you would not forget a scheduled meeting specially if you have plenty of things on your list of things you need to do on your trip. This is also beneficial for  leisure travelers as it would ensure that you would be able to enjoy a relaxing vacation on your trip and you would be able to do things that you are supposed to do to make your travel worth your while.

On the next topic, I will give you tips on what you should include in your checklists and how to prepare a To-Do checklist so that you could enjoy your vacation. Who knows, I might include a sample checklist….

How Promo Fares Changed Philippine Travel?

By on September 1, 2011
This entry is filed under inside stories, Money, opinion, travel and tagged , , , , , , , . | 1 Comment

Air Phillipines Boeing 737

Image via Wikipedia

A few years ago, Cebu Pacific changed the traveler’s world when it introduced promo fares, specifically, o (zero)-fare. Now, they rarely or maybe do not have the zero fare anymore but they do have the 1 peso(piso) fare and other cheap promos that they do from time to time. Since then, more and more airlines, such as Airphil Express and Zest Air have followed the trend that Cebu Pacific has started and promoted their airlines by having promo fares.

 

A few years ago, whenever I need to go back home to Manila, my round-trip airfare would cost around 5000 to 6000 pesos, so I do not go home as often as I want. But now, because of the promo fares of many different airlines, I go to Manila at least 3 times a year and I am able to go to other places too like Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

 

Airfares are not only cheap during promo periods, but also, to be able to compete  against promo fares, most airlines offer cheaper year round tickets to travelers. And promo fares and cheaper airfares do not only apply to domestic flights. Mmost of the time, they also apply to International flights. So, it is not only the Filipinos who benefit from the promos, the foreigners too.

Because of cheaper fares, there are more and more people, Filipinos and foreigners alike, who travel to lots of different destinations, around the Philippines and around the world, thus the boom in the tourism of the Philippines. Why? Because the fares are cheaper, and the travel  becomes shorter and more convenient.

 

To check the latest promo offers from different Philippine airline companies, check out this blog:

www.promophilippines.com