Bangkok 2016 - Day 1

Felt so good to back at one of my favorite cities ever, Bangkok! I, together with two of my friends went on a short trip to BKK last March. It was a much needed breather from our busy lives in Manila. Four straight days of laughter, BTS rides, shopping, awesome food, and four straight days of seeing my love's face--Mario Maurer, practically everywhere around the city, Haha! What's not to love about Bangkok? ♥

I didn't take much photos on this trip--for a change--because I wanted to be in present, in the moment. Char! Here's our Day 1: 

PRE DEPARTURE AT NAIA TERMINAL 3

• Checked in, grabbed some coffee & exchanged currencies

I didn't have any US Dollars at the time and just exchanged my Philippine Peso straight to Thai Baht. I actually like this idea better. I computed and found out that I actually got more out of my Peso. 

DAY 1

We took a 6:20 am flight via Cebu Pacific so we could maximize our first day in Bangkok. :) 

• Arrival at Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Our I-had-no-sleep-but-I'm-excited morning faces :)

• Bought an AIS Traveller SIM Card at the Arrival Hall - THB 299

• Made our way to our Airbnb flat via Airport Rail Link--Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phaya Thai Station, a one way trip cost us  THB 45. So convenient! I envy Bangkok's efficient transport system. Hay.

We made it to our flat in less than an hour. The flat my friend, Nino booked was fantastic! Based on its location & the security of the building itself, I could easily tell that it's one of the better condominiums in Bangkok. In other words, it was very yayamanin. It had everything you'd need--high speed wifi, a functional modern kitchen, condiments, toiletries, etc. It was all provided for.  And to add to that, the host & her family were great too! I'll share more about my first Airbnb experience in a separate post.

After freshening up & resting for a bit, we went out for lunch.

• Lunch at Siam Paragon...McDonald's! Haha We had a food tour scheduled that evening so we decided to reserve our appetite for Thai food. ;)

Chicken Nam Tok Rice for THB 69

I think this is the Thai counterpart of our Crispy Chicken Fillet meal. I love how "fresh" it is even though it's practically fast food. It's crunchy, spicy & tangy! Everything about this dish works. Really good! I hope they’ll still have this on the menu next time I visit Thailand.

Sorry not sorry. I just had to. Haha! An obligatory photo when in Thailand

And this is how they show BFF affection. How sweet are these two?

• After lunch we took the BTS to Asok. We still had hours to spare before the food tour, so I took my friends to Terminal 21. 

Terminal 21 is a multi-level travel themed mall. Each level is a different city. It’s a great place for photo ops! The mall was so well thought of that you’d even want to enter & take photos inside every restroom. I know I did!

There's no shame in love, yes? Hahaha

We went window shopping and settled at the food court (Pier 21, San Francisco floor) to buy something to drink. Of course, I got Cha Yen/Iced Thai Milk Tea! Oh how I missed it! During the trip, I drank it maybe once or twice, by “one or twice” I mean maybe a couple of hundred times. See what I did there? Waley. Hahaha Ang sarap talaga!

After what seemed like forever, we were still too early for the food tour. But since we wanted to avoid the rush hour (We had “Manila MRT rush hour” in mind. Mahirap na. Haha), we already went to the food tour’s designated meeting place.

Figuring out how to get to Sam Yan Station

• We took the MRT to Sam Yan Station that's connected to Chamchuri Square, the meet up point.

To be honest, aside from eating, there’s literally nothing, nothing to do there. This is when good company comes in handy! Time flew with nonstop stories & laughs with Nino & Nessa.

A little before 8:00 pm, we finally met our food tour guide & fellow tour mates!

• With an open mind & an empty stomach (Sorry for the geeky foodie “Iron Chef” reference. Hehe), we were so ready to take on the Bangkok food scene! The tour we signed up for was the Midnight Food Tour by Bangkok Food Tours. The fee included our very own tuktuk for the duration of the tour & a ride back to our flat. How convenient!

Here's a photo of us from our tour guide, Phang.

Looking all tired & haggard at one of the "secret" roof top bars in Bangkok, Wat Pho all lit up as our background  

I'll post more about this tour in detail soon but just to give you an idea, within the span of 4 hours, we had about 3 dinners with drinks, dessert & street food in between. We were so full towards the end of the trip, we almost gave up...but of course, we didn't. Hahaha 

The food tour ended past midnight, our last stop being arguably the best Pad Thai place in Bangkok. Yes, we ended the tour by having carbs at midnight. The food tour was quite pricey but it was worth every Baht. I highly recommend it. :)

That sums up Day 1 of our 4-day Bangkok trip. Long, tiring, but definitely fun! Part 2 up next.

Thanks for reading! ♥

Hugs, 

Yza

Under the Tree Book Cafe 나무아래

Annyeonghaseyo 안녕하세요!

I spent the weekend enjoying the cool weather in Baguio & found one other thing to love about city...

Under the Tree Book Cafe

Yes, my dear friends, it's the Under the Tree Book Cafe. 

Who would have thought that amidst the hustle and bustle of a bus station there'd be a gem? Well, there is. You just have to look up. Literally. The coffee shop is located up on the second floor of a Geney's Ramyeon House, that's right beside Andok's. That part of the city is really busy so I was pleasantly surprised to have found cute & cozy Korean cafe there.

The cafe's counter & one of the baristas who happens to be Korean. ^^

As the name suggests, it is a book cafe so you can expect to see a lot of books and some magazines. The books are mostly Korean, but there are some English materials too. 

Some Korean novels

I was told that the cafe owner & staff are Christians. :)

One common thing I've noticed about independent Korean cafes is their wall of sticky notes. You sure can expect that from this coffee shop too. Lots and lots of sticky notes!

Hundreds of sticky notes!

Someone with OCD would've freaked out by the sight of the differently shaped & colored notes on the wall, but I actually find it quite charming. I think it gives character to the place and makes it more inviting. It doesn't hurt that it makes a cool photo op background too. ;)

Since my siblings & I just had dinner prior to going to the cafe, we opted to just have some drinks.

Right: Iced Mocha - Php 75.00
Middle: Iced Hazelnut Latte - Php 70.00
Right: Iced Chocolate Latte - Php 70.00

My Iced Hazelnut Latte

It was a bit stuffy that evening so the three of us had cold drinks. I ordered an Iced Hazelnut Latte & tried my siblings' drinks as well. I can be a Starbucks snob sometimes, but Under the Tree Book Cafe's coffee was actually quite good! The only complain I have is that it tastes milkier than the latte I'm used to, but other than that I give it a thumbs up. I also love the fact that nothing's over a hundred pesos on their drink menu (if I'm not mistaken). :) I'm definitely adding Under the Tree to my list of fav cafes!

Under the Tree Book Cafe 나무아래 (Na-mu-a-rae)

#26 Baden Powell Inn,
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City

*It's very near SM Baguio but can be difficult to spot. Look for this sign:

Business Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Cafe Caw

Last time I was in Cebu, I was able to visit Cafe Caw's first branch in Banilad. I loved that other branch, so I got excited when I saw that their bigger & newly opened shop was right beside Dessert Factory where we were chilling. The moment I entered the cafe, I fell in love. The entire place screamed "Yza"! 

Playful chic ambiance: ✓

Random cute stuff: ✓

Korean music & overall vibe: ✓✓✓ (very updated & current pa!)

It doesn't hurt that they have great coffee too. I love Cafe Caw!

Cafe Caw's playful signage

Photo from HL Designs

Random cute stuff

"Life is special. Enjoy it one step at a time."
They still haven't removed the Valentine decorations cos it was V-day weekend when we went.

Isn't this adorable? ^^

I only ordered their Iced Hazelnut Latte to-go since I was still full from lunch & dessert. My coffee came in this cute cup. So adorable! It's originally Php 110.00, but I got it for Php 10.00. Hahaha!  I actually won one of their contests on Instagram (which I unknowingly joined) awhile back, and I finally got to claim my prize which was a Php 100.00 voucher. Not bad. :)

To sum it up, I have nothing but good words to say about Cafe Caw. The ambiance is perfect, the prices are affordable, the coffee & pastries are great too! ^^ I love Cafe Caw so much that it had me wishing I could take the entire cafe back home. Haha! I highly recommend this place. I'm definitely going back!♥

Cafe Caw

SSY Business Center, Salinas Drive,

Lahug, Cebu City

(right beside Dessert Factory)

When In Cebu--Our 12-Hour Food Trip!

I was in Cebu with my family a year ago. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with the place since it is home to two things I love: 1) lechon, 2) countless quirky (Korean) coffee shops! So from then on, I told myself that those two are a must whenever I'll be in Cebu.

Nine months later, I find myself back in Cebu together with some sisters from church, hungry from the volunteer work we did in Tacloban. Hahaha! After the church service in the morning, I already had my game face on, ready for some lechon action! Some brothers & sister from our church in Cebu were nice enough to take us food tripping before we head on back to Manila in the evening. ^^

Here's a rundown of the restaurants and cafes we went to:

1) Zubuchon
2) Dessert Factory
3) Cafe Caw
4) Casa Verde
5) Coffee Cat

Yes, all five in 12 hours! We only had a day, so please no judging. Haha!

Warning: Photo heavy post ahead. :)

Zubuchon

Escario Building

731 Escario St. cor. 

Clavano St., Cebu City

Check out their other branches here.

Anthony Bourdain, one of my culinary idols dubbed it as the "best pig ever". Is it? Though I love how Zubuchon has a wide variety of lechon dishes, I personally still prefer CnT Lechon over it. Maybe it's just me though because I prefer something saltier. But nevertheless, Zubuchon's awesome! Their spicy lechon...totally love at first sight. It was just the right amount of spicy for me. You'll surely be eating heaps of rice with this. I know I did. Sarap!

Spicy Lechon

Kamias Shake

We were told that these two, the lechon and the Kamias shake go well together. Let's just say it tasted better than expected, but I wouldn't think of ordering it again. Anyhow, I say anything paired with Cebu lechon is awesome!

Dessert Factory

SSY Business Center, Salinas Drive,

Lahug, Cebu City

I was told that Dessert Factory is known for their ice cream cakes. Being the ice cream monster that I am, I wanted everything to try out everything, but eventually settled for a local's (Hi, Ate Gina!) recommendation, the "PistaShew".

PistaShew Ice Cream Cake

PistaShew Ice Cream Cake

Ever since my love affair with Pistachio gelato began, I have become a "Pistachio snob". Haha!  The best Pistachio gelato I've had in Manila would have to be the ones from Cara Mia and Gelatissimo. As for Dessert Factory's PistaShew, I love that it doesn't taste like artificial, medicine-tasting Pistachio flavoring unlike most Pistachio ice cream that's locally available. I would have enjoyed it more if it had more of that natural Pistachio flavor, but overall, I give this baby a thumbs up. Oh, and this only costs Php 75.00 per slice, so make that a two thumbs up!

Dessert Factory's Ice Cream Cake Menu

More ice cream goodness...

Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

Banana Split - not in cake form Haha!

I wish I took a photo of their display chiller to show you guys how everything looked sinfully good! Dessert Factory is definitely one of the reasons why I'm looking forward to visiting Cebu again! (They also serve hot meals.)

Cafe Caw

SSY Business Center, Salinas Drive,

Lahug, Cebu City

(It's right beside Dessert Factory. Hitting two birds with one stone. Yay!)

Check out their other branch here.

Cafe Caw was my favorite stop during my recent Cebu trip, so I decided to give it a post of its own. Haha! Click here to read & see more of the quirky and adorable cafe.♥

Cafe Caw's playful signage

Casa Verde

The Walk, A104, Asiatown IT Park,

Cebu City

See their other branches here.

The first time I've ever tried Casa Verde, I ate Brian's Ribs two nights in a row. It's that good, and it's so affordable too!

Casa Verde's Famous Brian's Ribs

This full plate that's enough to serve two people or one very hungry person is only Php 208.00! It's insane! In other restaurants here in Manila, an order like this would cost more than double or even triple. Taste-wise, it's delicious, but I've eaten better ribs. But for the price, I ain't complaining. I recommend ordering this with a side a mashed potatoes instead of rice, and don't forget to ask for Tabasco for a totally winner meal!   

David Dean's Tenderloin

Medium rare steak on top of a mound of mashed potatoes, topped with cheese, fried onions, almonds and gravy! If that doesn't sound good to you, there's definitely something wrong with you (well, unless you're vegetarian). Haha! I'm a girl who loves meat, so I couldn't pass up on this dish. The potatoes were good as always and steak was tender & was cooked just how I liked it. The onions were crispy, the sauce was seasoned well & I loved the texture that the almond slivers added to the dish. The only complain I have is that the steak's quite small. But overall, I highly recommend this dish! I would definitely order this again. ^^

CoffeeCat

JP Morgan & Chase Co. 

IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City

By the time we reached our last stop, my friends Hannah & Leng were already sooo stuffed. I, on the other hand, had a teeny tiny bit room for more. I'm a glutton like that.

Before heading to the airport, our dear friends from Cebu took us to CoffeeCat.  

I love their clean & minimalist logo!

At first glance, it has that foreign coffee shop chain appeal. I actually thought it was a Japanese coffee shop chain, but then I researched on it a bit and found out that CoffeeCat originated in Davao. If so, big props to the owners! ^^ But then again, I'm not 100% sure so please correct me if I'm wrong. 

CoffeeCat has wide array of coffee & tea drinks. From the usual coffee & tea blended drinks, to ones that are more Asian (ex. Black Sesame Latte), to frozen yogurt, CoffeeCat has it all. Since we were about to fly back to Manila in a few hours though, I didn't want to upset my stomach with anything that has dairy. I opted for Chamomile tea that night. :)

Yogi Calming Chamomile Tea

Super chic to-go cup

My drink came in this chic black & white to-go cup. Simple yet very sossy looking! I love! I really like how their minimalist chic concept was carried throughout the store from the interior down to the cups.

They had a lot of interesting drinks I wish I tried. Next time I come to CoffeeCat, I'll make sure to come with a not-so-full stomach. :)

After about an hour, that cup of tea & some laughs, we said our goodbyes & rode the cab to the airport.

So that wraps up our 12-hour food trip in Cebu. It may be short, but the food surely didn't disappoint. Thank you, Cebu! I'll be back soon!♥