SLICE at Bonifacio High Street Central

Just before Senator Pia Cayetano's birthday and a week before their soft opening, she invited me to try out the food they will be serving over at her newest baby, a restaurant cafe called SLICE at the Bonifacio High Street Central. I was a willing guinea pig, so I went and gave my opinion on almost all the food on her menu I tried that night.

The menu for that night is a choice of an appetizer, soup, salad, sandwich, pasta and main course. So these are what I chose to try:

Bruschetta (Half Moon) - Slice chicken and beef ball with cheese over pesto puttanesca sauce. I am not sure if it is still called Half Moon Bruschetta until now but what you see in the picture isn't its look anymore. The topping is more defined, but with the same amount of cheese love.

Lagen Island Resort of El Nido Resorts Palawan

From Apulit Island of El Nido Resorts in Taytay, Palawan, we rode an outrigger boat across Taytay Bay to the town proper, rode 2 hours in a van to El Nido Town, then we finally transferred to a boat which brought us to another haven of tranquility, Lagen Island of El Nido Resorts (as well). It is located in El Nido, in the northwestern part of Palawan, a breath-taking location known for its high biodiversity, lush forested limestone cliffs, and lagoons.



Like Apulit Island, Lagen Island is accessible by a daily 75-minute direct flight on a 19-seater Dornier aircraft from the Island Transvoyager Inc. (ITI) to the El Nido Airport in El Nido, Palawan, then a 40-minute boat ride to the island paradise itself. But for us, we came from Taytay, thus the route stated above.

Apulit Island Resort of El Nido Resorts

Apulit Island Resort, formerly known as Club Noah Isabelle, is the newest property of El Nido Resorts group of eco-island resorts in Taytay, northeastern part of Palawan, an unspoiled location that shows a wealth of wildlife and scenic landscapes. It is nestled within a pristine cove and a backdrop of limestone cliffs.



To go to Apulit Island, it only takes a 75-minute direct flight from Manila via the Island Transvoyager Inc. (ITI) 19-seater Dornier aircraft, which flies daily to Cesar Lim Rodriguez (CLR) Airport in Taytay, Palawan. After reaching the airport you have to take a boat ride from Tamisan Jetty, 10 minute or less ride away from the airport, to Apulit, which takes around an hour or less. Once you arrive at the resort, there will be a welcoming committee who will greet you with a familiar tune, if you’ve been to the other El Nido Resorts properties, the Palawan march and a Cuyonin medley, a lei and refreshments.

Travelling to Paradise in the Philippines this Summer

As we say in the Department of Tourism, "It's More Fun in the Philippines!" And this is so true, I believe, because of the unparalleled beauty the Philippines offers to both local and foreign tourists - destinations with picturesque coastlines, scenic natural landscapes, clear blue waters, and warm hospitable people. In fact, there are a lot of beaches, 7,107 islands, to choose from.

And since it is summer time once again, I am sure you're wondering where's the next beach destination you should go to. In my travels around the Philippines, I have been to a lot of beaches and destinations, but one has stood out for me - Palawan.

The Cake Club at Bonifacio High Street Central

It was back in 2008 when I first wrote about The Cake Club (Rockwell). Now, with a cozy and sophisticated interiors paired with Diamond Hotel's signature food and bestsellers, The Cake Club brings you to a new level of dining experience at the Bonifacio High Street Central (2nd Floor) at The Fort.



The Cake Club offers Diamond Hotel's bestselling cakes, pastries and an a la carte menu selection. The Ube Ensaymada, Supermoist Chocolate Cake, Le Royale and the famous Baked Cheesecake need no further introduction. New additions to the growing yummy desserts of The Cake Club include Cecilia, a coconut mousse pie; Vanessa, made from pistachio macaroons and fresh strawberries; and Danielle, a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, which is sugarless -- all made by Diamond Hotel's Pastry Chef Daniel Back, who has raised the level of Diamond Hotel's already remarkable line up of dessert offerings.

The Platform Show Manila 2012

ART x FASHION x LIFESTYLE x MUSIC x PASSION x CREATIVITY x DESIGN = Platform Show Manila 2012. It is Manila's first Youth Culture Convention where more than 80 of the country's kick-ass independent verge culture retail industry players converged and conquered at The Playground, Ronac Art Center in San Juan, Manila.



It was so perfect and inspiring seeing young entrepreneurs and artists, who love what they're doing, committed to develop their crafts (clothing lines, art and culture products, independent accessories and lifestyle items). They all came together with "an opportunity to not only sell to the public, but proudly display the fruits of their hard work."

SMART's Anti-Bill Shock in Data Plans

Have you experienced or heard of billing nightmares, exorbitant and out of this world fees, from mobile surfing? Honestly, the first thought that comes to mind regarding this topic is the case of blogger Noemi Dado and her experience of her iPhone billing. After reading the blog post, and hearing same stories from friends, I never imagined bills can reach as crazy as 20,000 pesos!? Now that's shocking!

WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?! O_O Even the tarsier was shocked with that kind of a bill...
For travel bloggers, like myself, who are always on the go, going from one destination to the other, mobile surfing (to be able to post photos, check and update Facebook, Twitter, and reply to E-mails) is an important function we utilize the most. This is why it is important that we make sure our data plans suit our needs. It is also important that, at the back of our heads, we know we can post and update our readers and followers of the latest and fun places we go to and discover, without the hassle of worrying about data charges.

Good thing SMART Communications has this thing called the SMART Anti-Bill Shock on iPhone, Data Lite and Broadband plans. It is a shock proof feature built-in to the plan which basically puts a cap to the amount you will be asked to pay if you use data. It's already incorporated, unlike in other providers who require their subscribers to register before they can avail of the unlimited offers.

Never pay more than P1200 on top of your monthly plan. Once you have exceeded your plan’s free data allocation, you will be charged P10/30 minutes. Charges are continuous until the amount of P1200 (cap) has been reached -- it's like placing a cap when your data charges reach that amount. You can still continue to surf on your phone but you will only need to pay a maximum of P1,200 for data charges for that month. Of course, you will still have to pay for your regular monthly phone bill and other carrier expenses incurred (Calls, SMS, Roaming, MMS, etc.).

On the other hand, for Smart Bro (broadband) SIM Plan 495 subscribers, there’s the anti bill shock cap of P999 on your allowable 50 hours of data use per month. Anything in excess of that 50 hours will be charged P10/30 minutes. Once the subscriber consumes P999 or approximately 80 hours, he will enjoy unlimited internet with only a max bill of P999. How cool is that?

Definitely, It's More Fun to travel the Philippines knowing that SMART has this shockproof feature which makes blogging while traveling a whole lot easier and fun. :)

Follow @SMARTCares or @SMARTPromos or check out SMART's website to know more about SMART's Anti-Bill Shock in Data Plans.

Marco Polo Cebu's Malicious Cookies

When in Cebu, you have got to pass by Marco Polo Plaza Cebu's Cafe Marco to try out and take home some of their really delicious and indulgent chocolate chip cookies called the "Malicious Cookies." It's starting to become famous, most probably because of raves from a lot of people who have tasted this treat! :)



For 44 pesos (for two pieces), this is a must try, and surely it is one good contender for the best chocolate chip cookies in town. :) I crave!



Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu is located at Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines Phone: +63 (32) 253 1111 Facsimile: +63 (32) 234 8170 or email them at info@marcopoloplazacebu.com

MINI Cooper Car Club Philippines Fun Run

It was indeed a FUN weekend being 38 MINI Coopers trooping to Tanay, Rizal for the first ever Sierra Madre Fun Run of the MINI Car Club Philippines (MCCP), an exclusive and only MINI Cooper Car Club in the Philippines. I was lucky to be part of the experience, and to be able to join them that day. :)



We all assembled at Shell Libis (Northbound) at around 5:00 AM, with MINI Coopers arriving almost every minute or so. It was a nice sight, all those MINIs gathered in one location. We drove straight to Sierra Madre at Tanay, Rizal for more or less 40 minutes, with speeds unimaginable at full load in a MINI Countryman S (Turbo).

Tabléa Chocolate Café of Cebu City

While being toured at the new Robinsons Cybergate Mall, a multistory mixed used building with two floors of restaurants and shops, we discovered an interesting chocolate cafe called Tablea owned by the Garcias. The Tabléa Chocolate Café concept is really brilliant, offering a variety of hot chocolate drinks, iced chocolate drinks, coffee and tea, and of course, some pastries to go along with the cafe experience.



Tabléa Chocolate Café was inspired by its principal ingredient, the Tabléas (or tableyas), which are pure cacao beans that are dried, roasted, ground and then formed into blocks. Now, would you like to try some hot cocoa chocolate? :)

New World Hotel Makati's Authentic Lebanese Cuisine

Chef Malek El Safadi is probably one of the best new additions to the New World Hotel in Makati City. Having been the general head chef and nutrition consultant of no less than the The Royal Family, The King Of Saudi Arabia, for 5 years back in 1989-1994, then executive chef of different hotels after, Chef Malek has brought his knowledge and expertise to create a successful authentic Lebanese or Middle Eastern Mediterranean cuisine to New World Hotel's M2M Cafe buffet and ala carte menus.



I was able to try out New World Hotel's Halal Certified Middle Eastern Mediterranean Menu last week. Chef Malek specially cooked up a menu for us that night complete from soup, salads, cold appetizers, hot appetizers, main course, and dessert. It was a relatively new eating experience for me because I was not very familiar with Lebanese Cuisine, but nonetheless, it was a great foodgasmic experience.

Cebu's Jesuit House of 1730

Cebu's old Jesuit House of 1730 stands at Zulueta and the narrow street of Binakayan in downtown Parian, the old Chinese district of Cebu. It was once the residence of a Jesuit superior in Cebu. "To coordinate work in their Visayan missions, the first Jesuit mission superior, Antonio Sedeño, opened a residence in Cebu in 1595. The site of the 16th century residence is uncertain." This residence which is still standing, however, is believed to have been built in 1730.


The entrance of the Jesuit House through the warehouse/ storage area of the Sys, the new owner of the old house.

Cebu City's Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House

Besides staying at Summit Circle Cebu Hotel, we were able to see some of Cebu's history and culture, through the quick tour we did during our free time. I was excited to get to see in person the recently installed quick response or QR Codes the Department of Tourism, Smart Communications and MyCebu.ph placed in the major tourist-heritage areas of Cebu.



The Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, located at downtown Cebu City in Parian, which was then the place where wealthy and influential Filipino-Chinese lived during the Spanish times, dates back to 1675 to 1700, as its current owner Val Sandiego, famous choreographer and antique collector, estimates. It is across the Heritage of Cebu Monument.

Inside Summit Circle Cebu Hotel

I really had a fun weekend at Summit Circle Cebu Hotel. One hotel you might want to check out when you're in Cebu is Summit Circle Hotel. It is located at the heart of downtown Cebu City, along the Fuente Osmeña circle, where the hotel rooms look out to, and where it is a very convenient point to the various landmarks and tourist spots of Cebu. :)



Summit Circle Cebu Hotel has 210 spacious and newly refurbished guest rooms that are equipped with modern amenities to ensure that you will have a comfortable stay. Their beds come with 100% cotton sheet, duvet covers and chiropractic pillows, which promises a good night's sleep.