Tastiest Crunchiest Chicharon

By far the tastiest and crunchiest chicharon (crispy fried pork rinds) that I have tasted is the one served at Binulo Restaurant in Clark Air Base in Pampanga. This appetizer is named Pititian with Atchara. Priced at P200 (US$4.87)for a small bowl, the dish is definitely not cheap.

But you get what you pay for and this case you get a truly appetizing chicharon which should ideally be dipped in vinegar and then eaten with the atchara (pickled unripe papaya). My 90 year old mom loved this chicharon and in fact ordered one bowl which she consumed by herself in one sitting!

Ketchup Community of Restaurants

Right in front of Wright Park in Baguio City is the Ketchup Community. This is a community of five restaurants specializing in dishes ranging from Filipino exotic food, to Thai, Mediterranean, Indo Malay, and American dishes. I tried the pork ribs (P200 or US $4.87) at Canto. The best selling point of the ribs is its tender meat. The taste was just okay. Based on my experience with Canto, expect reasonably priced not so great food at the Ketchup Community.

Baguio's Star

Star Cafe one of Baguio city's oldest Chinese Pinoy restaurants along Session Road continues to be a favorite among locals and tourists. Hungry for a simple comfort food, the waiter recommended that I try their Star rice. This rice dish is actually chopsuey rice with a sunny side up egg topping.

At P110 (US$2.60), it was a great meal. It was served hot and the "chopsuey" of baguio vegetables was generous, and the special sauce that came with it flavorful! The dish was real STAR!

Baguio Bounty Salad

The pride of one of Baguio's most celebrated restaurants Cafe by the Ruins is its Baguio Bounty Salad. This is a lettuce salad with watercress, shrimps, chicken and assorted fruits which includes strawberries, bananas, and mangoes and bathed in strawberry vinaigrette dressing.

While the salad is good it falls short of expectations. Priced at P300(US$7.30), serving is generous and can be shared by four people if you are ordering other dishes. Italiani's Sicilian Chicken Salad which is also a vegetable salad with fruits and chicken taste a lot better but cost P425 (US$10.36) good for two persons.

Romulo Cafe's Crispy Pork Binagoongan

Turning out to be an all time favorite of Filipino food lovers is Romulo Cafe located in Scout Tuazon corner Dr Lazcano St near Morato in Quezon City. It also has a branch in Makati at Jupiter St.

I have eaten at the Quezon City branch a number of times and the place is still always full after 2 years of operation. This is a testament to the quality of food in their menu. Last time I ate in Romulo Cafe what stood out was the Crispy Pork Binagoongan. The pork skin was really crispy and the meat tender. The pork was sauteed with tomatoes, onions, kangkong (water spinach) and bagoong ( shrimp paste), and was served on top of a steamed eggplant. The dish is priced at a reasonable P355 (US$8.65).

Azul Spa: Great Value Body Massage in Manila

One of the truly relaxing things that I enjoy is a body massage during lazy afternoons. Fortunately there is a spa very near my place which offers a relaxing massage at a very reasonable price of P250 (US $6.00) for a 1 hour body massage between the hours of 12 noon till 5 pm. After 5pm, the price goes up to P300 (US $7.30) which is still a treat at that price. The massage is done in a private cubicle with soothing music to further enhance your relaxation. They also provide you with warm salabat tea after the massage.

The massage place that I go to is Azul Spa and their signature 1 hour body massage is a combination of shiatsu and swedish massage techniques. Azul Spa is located in Shaw Blvd Mandaluyong near Edsa and right beside the Philippine National Bank Branch. They have branches at Edsa Boni, Libertad St. in Mandalauuyong, and in Quezon and Pasig cities.

Wooden Spoon: Wonder Foods

Reyna Blanca:

Stuffed Pechay:

Current hit among food lovers is Wooden Spoon on Katipunan Avenue in Loyola Heights Quezon City. Prices are reasonable with most dishes priced below P200 although servings are not really generous. But the good thing is that their food is great! The place is owned by Sandy Daza who has a column of course about food and restaurants in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

I have tried a number of dishes in this restaurant which specializes in Filipino cuisine. Lumpiang sotanghan (P95), wansoy shrimp balls (P95), binagoongan (P195) lemon grass chicken (P185) are good. A disappointment is the new addition to their menu, crispy fish which is actually a seafood take on crispy pata but this time using tuna. The fish skin with meat came out tough instead of the crispy skin and tender meat of the really good crispy patas.

What stands out is their stuffed pechay(P155) which is smokey tinapa wrapped in pechay and swimming in really flavorful spicy sauce. You can end your meal with the delightful reyna blanca (P65) which is a milk gelatin topped with pinipig and milk cream.

There are a number of dishes which I heard are also great so another visit to this restaurant is in my To Do list.