Diamond in the Rough

Reasons to be in Love with Four in Love BBQ and Hotpot Buffet

With the influx of Samgyupsal restaurants in Manila, food entrepreneurs have surely developed several ways to make their creations differ and stand out among the rest. There’s this aggressive competition of featuring more side dishes, betting at the lowest buffet prices, or even adding more elements to the menu to be at par with the…

Amacena Restaurant at One Tagaytay Place Hotel and Suites

Filipino food, in its varying origins, tastes, colors, and textures will always be a household favorite. Needless to say, nothing compares to the comfort of home-cooked cuisines — reminding you of the familiar traditions which our Filipino culture is popularly known for. While I grew up learning to appreciate Filipino culinary delights at home through…

Our Favorite Dishes at Conti’s Uptown Parade

Conti’s is one of my go-to restaurants in Serendra. Aside from the best selling Mango Bravo that is by default a must-try in the restaurant, equally there are many gourmet dishes to rave about. I also like the laid-back ambiance that makes casual dining extra special. My family and I frequent the restaurant on both…

A Birthday Staycation at One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites

It has been a tradition in the family to celebrate birthdays either out of town or at a restaurant. Priorities have changed lately to give way to financing our dad’s medication and paying for car and house amortizations. I just wanted a simple celebration for my birthday this time. Perfect timing it is, the scheduled…

Samgyupsal Cravings Satisfied at Mr. Korea Unlimited BBQ Market!Market!

I think I will never outgrow my love for Korean food. Although I am not a die-hard K-drama or K-Pop fan, I have a distinct love for the freshness and quality of Korean BBQ and Banchan. I like how the meat selections are seasoned and conveniently prepared for grilling, and how the vegetable sides complement…

Great Santa Cruz Island: Exploring the Pink Beach of Zamboanga

Pink Beach is one of our planned itineraries in Zamboanga. Aside from city tours and food trips, beach bumming is one of our fave pastimes when traveling. The initial plan of going to Once Islas was cancelled due to budget. Our intended date for that trip didn’t have registered joiners and we’d end up paying…

8 Reasons Why We Love Marcian Garden Hotel Zamboanga

Marcian Garden Hotel was the venue of Fatma, my best friend, for her wedding ceremony and reception. Cath and I stayed here for two nights to attend the festivities and explore the other attractions in Zamboanga. Marcian is one of the luxury hotels in Zamboanga. It’s six minutes away from the airport, accessible to business…

Yakan Village: Appreciation for the art and people of Zamboanga

When we arrived in Zamboanga, we already had a horrible experience with a tricycle driver. He did not drop us directly to our hotel and overcharged us for our fare. Worse, my friend’s luggage got broken when he unloaded it from his tricycle. We don’t know if it was accidentally (or intentionally) dropped, because the…

Alavar: A Must-Try Seafood Restaurant in Zamboanga

I ultimately love seafood that I always try to include it in my food trips during my travels. Whether at the beach, a city tour or a formal restaurant, seafood will always be included on my list. When I heard about a restaurant in Zamboanga whose specialty is seafood, I hurriedly marked this as part…

Menya Kokoro Ph: Soupless Ramen in Uptown, BGC

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I am huge fan of Ramen. This happens to be one of my comfort food because it has a little of everything. Though I’ve had a fair share of trying out the best and the underrated in the Metro, it still comes a surprise to me to…

Home Brewing Workshop by Institute for Coffee Excellence

I love to drink coffee and I think I can’t stand a day without having a cup or two. It’s already vital in my system and daily routine to keep me functioning at work. While I love to sip my instant coffee without the frills and the hassles, it intrigues me how the commercial coffee…

Pholigo: Aiding the Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle

As our age gets older, our body embraces different changes. This includes metabolism, digestion, and even physical outlook. Realizing that my body isn’t the same as before, I started to switch to a healthier lifestyle by taking organic supplements. I have learned that for the longest time I’ve been taking synthetic medicines, these do not…

Institute for Coffee Excellence: Continuing Legacy for a Beautiful Coffee Future

When I was invited for the launch of The Giving Cafe two years ago, I already saw the passion of businessman Michael Harris Conlin to use the coffee industry as an instrument to improve the lives of the farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet. His platform for Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) breeds fundraising programs…

Food Trip in Taiwan

One of the definite reasons why people go to Taiwan is to experience its immense range of food offerings — a diverse array of amazing dishes and beverages combined to satiate global tastes and preferences. We’ve had a considerable experience of what is it like to do food-tripping in Taiwan from the night markets, local…

Taiwan: The Travel that Heals (and other realizations)

This trip almost got cancelled. A few weeks before the date of our departure, my dad got diagnosed with liver cancer. I thought of saving my money for his medication and deemed it inappropriate to push through with the trip while the whole family is hurting and carrying the burden. I remember the sleepless nights…

Convenient and Accessible Airbnb in Ximending, Taipei

Choosing the accommodation was the initial step in planning our travel to Taiwan. Before we went to the nitty-gritty details of our itinerary, we first looked for a place to stay in Taipei. We based it from our main point of reference, Ximending — a hip, lively place for where retail, shopping, night markets, and…

Namba Food Station: Newest Instagrammable Japanese Restaurant in Venice Mall

As one of the corporate people working near Venice Grand Canal in McKinley Hill, we are keen to newly-opened restaurants in the mall. It’s a simple delight to have additional food choices apart from the ones we usually go to, because dining out is always a breather from the office routines. The latest on our…

I Received My First Box of Goodies from Thalera #FREEvoritemoment

When I heard about the free goodies of Thalera being sent to its consumers, I got curious and tried to register. I didn’t expect that was legit because I was thinking only the selected registrants will be chosen to be the recipients or worse, they’d only solicit personal info from online users to be used…

Ahoy, Anchor Point! A Nautical- Themed Diner in Mandaluyong City

Mandaluyong never fails to surprise me. Random visits led me to discovering a number of themed restaurants and cafes which are notably interesting. Impressive out-of-the-box concepts will leave you marveling, but behind it is always the story of food and customer experience that make you come back for more. I was able to see both…

Celebration at Racks: Why is it a Family Thing up to the Present

Racks is one of the favorite restaurants of my family. Frequent visits during my childhood years were among those happy memories that I surely recall up to this day. Reliving the good times, we often dine here regardless if there is a special occasion to celebrate or we just wanted to indulge in the goodness…

Reasons Why I love Cooking (And How Can you Learn it Too)

Cooking is my passion. I started to learn some basic recipes when I was around 10 years old, mostly by helping my parents in the kitchen. I was given little tasks such as peeling the veggies, slicing the ingredients and sometimes washing the dishes. I also enjoyed watching cooking shows on local TV, such as…

Diamond in the Rough Blog Has Been Nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award!

Two years ago, I started a blog to document my food and travel adventures. It’s not only a platform to restore the memories in my adventures and look back at it later, it is an outlet for expressing myself through my passions. When I wanted to purge myself from the demands of the city life,…

Bench Cafe Highstreet: When Bench is More Than Just A Retail Store

A day before Lorraine left for Australia, we met again in BGC. Indeed, time will never be enough for good friends who haven’t seen each other in a while. She is the type of friend that doesn’t need any grand attention nor superfluous celebration, that things easily fall into place even in the simplest gestures….

A Review on Yayoi Japanese Teishoku BGC + Reunion with Kasintre

Last Christmas season, I avoided parties. Not really being an anti-social, but I wanted to reserve my time and energy for doing personal things, spending the holidays with the family and avoiding the stress of traffic and overspending. Keeping things simple made me happy that way. There were only selected occasions that I confirmed my…

Best of Twenty Eighteen

I’ve seen this caption every year in Instagram: Best of (insert year). I didn’t join the bandwagon and posted my entry in social media, but I had a short glimpse of it and it was mostly food and travel posts as usual. It may not be the best year for me, but there’s still something…

All4U Unlimited Grill and Shabu Shabu in Venice Grand Canal Mall McKinley Hill

Samgyupsal, undeniably, is among the hottest food trends today. We all love the idea of unlimited Korean food, shabu shabu, and grilled meat combined in one dining experience. However, the popularity of this food craze is often tied with one dilemma: enduring the long lines. Thankfully, there is a newly-opened Samgyupsal restaurant in Venice Grand Canal…

Fish and Co. Venice: Fish and Chips on to the Next Level

Even if Fish and Co. is relatively an old restaurant, it was only recently that I had the chance to try it. I always pass by the branch in Greenbelt but stepped back often because of the intimidating prices and the notion that it has limited choices. Good thing, I found the perfect occasions to…

Authentic, Affordable Ramen and Japanese Dishes at Ukkokei Japan by Menzo

You’ve read the signals right: I’m a big Ramen lover. My Ramen adventures spanning from the budget, mid-range, to the high-end ones familiarized me with its different variations and interestingly, the bustling Ramen scene in the Metro is quite a good subject to study. From time to time, we’d be surprised with the new Ramen…

Sugarhouse Rolls out Christmas Catalogue for Sweeter Celebrations

Christmas is a cherished occasion to celebrate the festivities of all sorts. In the spirit of lively gatherings and parties, food plays an integral role to represent the abundance of blessings this holiday season. And speaking of food, we couldn’t get away with the presence of desserts. Not only does it complement the cheerful season,…

Food Trip at Kanto Freestyle Breakfast Makati: A Quick Review

I’m sure you’ve heard about Kanto Freestyle Breakfast. Reading a review before heading to any of its branches may no longer be necessary. It’s a hit restaurant known for its Pinoy comfort food served ala gourmet style but at reasonable prices. If you are looking for a recovery food after party, a midnight snack in…

Tomochan Ramen Express: Your Affordable Ramen in LKG Makati

Ramen is one of the all-time favorite comfort food in the local food scene. This famous Japanese dish has conquered the palates of Filipinos that it has diversified into different versions in several Ramen restaurants. The best components are there — tender chashu, soft tamago, spring-like noodles and savory broth, that many are willing to…

Things You Should Know about the Ivatans (People of Batanes)

What makes a place beautiful? Is it the bounteous wonders of nature, the culture and history? Is it the prominent landmarks and tourist attractions? For me it’s more than that — it’s the people. Every time I travel, it’s those random encounters and conversations with the locals that leave a lasting impact to me. The…

Feel at Home in Marfel’s Lodge, Batanes

In Batanes, homestays are popular because they are cheap, practical, and convenient. A big house is typically subdivided into small rooms but you share the common amenities such as the kitchen, toilet, and living room with the other guests. When tourism in Batanes started to boom, Marfel’s Lodge was among the first to open its…

Birthday Staycation at The Linden Suites

My birthday falls on the middle of the peak season at work. So instead of simply celebrating it with my family over lunch or dinner, I thought of either bringing them out of town or staying at a hotel so that it would also serve as a quick getaway and a stress-buster at the same…

Chateaubriand Ph: Indulge in Churrasco + Buffet in a Luxurious Setting

Buffets are very common in our family celebrations that I could say I’ve tried several buffet spreads to distinguish one from the other. Sadly, there’s not so much difference except for the pricey buffets I’ve had in some 5-star hotels. That being said, my experience at Chateaubriand was one for the books — as it…

Ram N’ Go: Japinoy Street Ramen on the Go!

Street ramen is now a trend in the metro food scene. Because we Filipinos love Ramen a lot, there have been several Japanese food businesses emerging left and right in the market. This newest Ramen kiosk in Mandaluyong city is never left behind, featuring Ramen and other Japanese favorites at very affordable prices — Ram…

Cobalabamba: The Newest Fil-Mex Cantina in Venice

Without a doubt, Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines. It’s festively colorful and rich in distinct flavors and spices. If it is one of the dining options, it would always be among my prominent choices. It’s been a long time since my last Tex-Mex food trip and I admit to miss it big…

Celebration of Food and Friendship at Nanbantei of Tokyo BGC

My friend Kit and I thought of celebrating my post birthday in the newly opened branch of Mendokoro Ramenba in BGC last week. However, I suggested that we consider dining in another Jap restaurant because I just ate at Yushoken Ramen with my family last last weekend. When she agreed, Nanbantei popped up to my…

Healthy Food Options Made Affordable at Salad Bar Ph

When you are in the corporate world, achieving a healthy lifestyle seems nearly impossible. Unless you prepare your own meals, your food choices are limited to fast food, junk food and processed food. I am not exempted from that so I take time to prepare my own meals at work just to maintain a balanced…

A Birthday to Remember

For the past two years, I reported to work even if it was my birthday. This year, I decided to take a two-day leave at the office to solely concentrate on spending quality time with my family and not be interrupted with anything associated with work. My first plan was to spend an overnight with…