July 2018 – Noypi lifestyle

Cebu City: The Pyramid

July 30, 2018August 14, 2018 by Pong Del Rosario, posted in Destination, Food

Part of my Cebu City day tour was visiting the gorgeously built restaurant located inside Cebu City’s I.T. Park, The Pyramid.

THE PYRAMID

This Louvre Pyramid-inspired building is a Filipino restaurant and wine bar that offers delectable set of local cuisines and tasty wines. The Pyramid opened last March 31, 2017 catering guests from breakfast to dinner.

Since the building is unusual to everyone’s eyes, most especially in the Philippine setup, the Pyramid has already been a part of a checklist to some tourists when visiting Cebu.

The place is a perfect spot for your IG posts and selfies. And just outside the building, a number of tourists and locals are taking photos. On the other hand, as to what I expected, there’s a long queue before you’ll get inside the outlet. Good thing, I went to The Pyramid a little bit earlier and got my seat without waiting in the line outside.

The trip will not be completed without tasting the food offerings of The Pyramid. We decided to order, Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings (Php 190), Hawaiian Pizza (Php 315), Grilled Baby Back Ribs (Php 265), and Oreo Milkshake (Php 145).

FOOD QUALITY

Among all the cuisines that we’ve ordered, I really love the grilled baby back ribs. The savory meat just falls off the bone and was cooked to perfection (Actually, it doesn’t need the sauce anymore, the rib itself and the seasoning was spot on). The sweet and spicy chicken wings and the Hawaiian pizza is just okay, nothing special about its seasoning and taste. The oreo milkshake on the other hand is also delicious or I just really love oreo smoothies. Since I’m no alcoholic drinker, I didn’t taste even a sip of wine. So with the food and drink that we’ve ordered, I’ll give it a 3.5/5.

SERVICE QUALITY

We received all our orders in a favorable time, we didn’t wait for 20-30 minutes just to have our food ready because I’m expecting it that way. While the kitchen team was efficient with their respective tasks, the service crew are a bit preoccupied or extremely busy, maybe because of the number of diners. We asked for our bill thrice but it was not delivered on a timely manner. It took us about 20 minutes just to wait for our bill. And to add up, they are a bit not “welcomey” from the time we enter the outlet until we finished our meals and left the restaurant. Maybe a 3/5 for the overall service.

FACILITY QUALITY

The overall structure of the building is stunning. My heart is so happy when I saw the exterior of the restaurant, the art side of mine reminds me of how should an object be made perfectly with heart on it. Though it’s a bit of a replica of some well-known tourist spots outside the Philippines, I’m still amazed of the whole look of the restaurant. Interior wise, it’s good too because it has a loft space if you want to dine in an elevated area inside the outlet. I also like the winery spot of the place which makes it more attracting to customers. Seats can cater to couples, friends, or families either inside the pyramid or out. It’s a 4/5 for the look and facilities.

PRICE QUALITY

PhP 265 for a grilled baby back ribs is good enough. The restaurant offers just fair prices for their food as I saw it from their menu. I’m expecting higher prices because it seems like the building is selling high-priced cuisines if you will base it on the looks from the exteriors to the interiors, especially when you see the wall of wines. With this, it’s a 3.5/5 then.

I was mesmerized when I first saw The Pyramid from afar. My heart got a sensation of excitement seeing an unusual building in the Philippines (if not mistaken, this is the first pyramid-inspired restaurant in the country). I went in The Pyramid not mainly because of the food, but it’s more on the experience and the feeling of getting close to this beauty of architecture and art overall. The glass walls made me feel that I’m inside the famous Louvre Pyramid in Paris.

So if you want to feel what I felt, The Pyramid is open daily from 10:00 am – 3:00 am at Cebu I.T. Park, Cebu City. The place is good for groups and even to your kids, while walk-ins are highly welcome in the restaurant. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For more info about the outlet, you can check their social media pages, facebook an instagram.

Now Open: First Hawker Chan in Manila

July 27, 2018July 30, 2018 by Pong Del Rosario, posted in Food, Happenings

Hawkers are so popular in Singapore, these are food stalls along the streets of a city that sell cheap and affordable food. This is, somehow, already a street food culture in the metropolis. In some formal terms, hawker is a trader who goes from place to place, or along the streets of a town, selling the goods which he carries with him. (The Law Dictionary)

When I went to Singapore a year ago, I had my first experience with hawker food. It was cheap for about S$2-3 per meal and it was not bad at all since we all know that Singapore has a high cost of living.

HAWKER CHAN IN METRO MANILA

The world’s first and cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant (hawker) is now in the Philippines, Hawker Chan.

Hawker Chan opened last July 26, 2018 at SM Mall of Asia’s entertainment mall area. The well-known food stall of Chef Chan that originally started in Chinatown Food Centre in Singapore as a humble hawker is now conquering the tastebuds of the Filipinos.

The brand is managed by Foodee Global Concepts along with other brands like Tim Ho Wan, Todd English Food Hall, Pound by Todd English, Hook by Todd English, FOO’D by David Oldani, MESA Filipino Moderne, Llaollao, and Sunnies Café.

OPENING DAY

It was a long queue when I went to Mall of Asia to try Hawker Chan. They catered the first 100 customers on the opening day with corresponding perks such as 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, and 1 month supply of their signature dish, the Soya Sauce Chicken Rice.

The queue made me wait for about 1.5 hours, but I’m really expecting an inevitable line for a first day. However, the jam-packed opening was a proof that Hawker Chan was welcomed warmly by the Philippine market.

And when I got it inside the outlet, I immediately ordered Soya Sauce Chicken Rice, Thai Style Tofu, and a glass of House Blend Iced Tea. As I see the glazing meat and skin of the chicken plus the aroma of Thai tofu, it makes me want to savor every bite of my order.

FOOD QUALITY

The Soya Sauce Chicken Rice will always be on the spotlight of Hawker Chan, maybe because the outlet started from that dish and gave more time mastering the perfect recipe. Hence, it has a good taste. On the other hand, what I loved more when I tasted their food was the Thai Style Tofu, it was indeed flavorful. The mix of sourness and sweetness of the dish makes me want to order more of it. You will never go wrong with Thai Style Tofu. And with this, I’ll give a 4/5.

SERVICE QUALITY

The waiting line to food service were really organized. Sometimes, first day openings of restaurants is open to lots of mistakes but I find it amusing when the staff gave their passion on the opening day. They have a swift bussing and I personally believe that it plays an important aspect of service that oftentimes being overlooked by restaurant owners. Order time was fast as well, I guess the management took the opening day seriously as this will leave a good impression to the customers. Since everything ran smoothly, it’s a 4/5 then.

FACILITY QUALITY

Opening day impression for the facilities and overall look of the restaurant was just fine, things were just simple from interiors to exteriors. Well, maybe they still want to stand by their brand as a hawker dining outlet, simple and open to the mass. Cleanliness was impressive though. I’ll give 3.5/5.

PRICE QUALITY

It was worth it! Food price is really affordable for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Soya Sauce Chicken Rice is only worth PhP 128 inclusive of the government taxes. Hawker Chan is making it sure that you will not run out of money after dining with them. To think this is rated by Michelin as one of the bests in the world, I’ll rate this a 4.5/5.

My experience with Hawker Chan, as expected, was great. Though it was swarmed by customers on the opening day, the long lines didn’t affect my decision to go home instead of waiting. That feeling when I first tasted and experienced hawkers in Singapore was almost the same experience I felt with Hawker Chan. And luckily, I got a 1 month supply of Soya Sauce Chicken Rice. Hurrah!

Hawker Chan is open daily from 10:00 am until 10:00 pm. at G/F Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. You may follow their social media accounts for the outlet’s happenings, Facebook and Instagram.

Beauty and Batanes (1/3)

July 22, 2018August 19, 2018 by Pong Del Rosario, posted in Destination, Travel

It was November of 2017 when we visited the wonderful province of Batanes. The whole tour was full astonishments and amazements as we discover the place. We barely have 4 days and 3 nights to wander around the province.

Batanes is one of the provinces of the Philippines located at the northernmost part of the country. It is under Cagayan Valley region (Region II) and is the smallest in population and land area.

FIRST DAY (NORTH BATAN TRIP)

When we arrived in Batanes, we didn’t waste our time just to rest. We took advantage of the beautiful weather during that time because in the Philippines, November is a rainy season.

TIP: don’t forget to pay the ecotourism fee worth Php 350 upon arrival at the airport (this will be needed during your trips in Basco)

We immediately went to the lodging house to leave our stuff before starting the trip. My colleague and I stayed at Palangud Inn (Nanay Cita’s Homestay) for Php 350 per night per person.

Tricycle is the main means of transportation in Basco. You can rent a tricycle for the North Batan trip for PhP 1,000 per tricycle that can accommodate 3-4 persons. North Batan trip can possibly be finished in half a day.

TIP: Always bring water and snacks during your trip just in case you’ll get thirsty and hungry along the way

MT. CARMEL CHAPEL

Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset — Mt. Carmel Chapel

Locally known as “Tukon” Chapel or the Mt. Carmel Chapel was opened last May 2008. This chapel is inspired from the traditional stone houses of Ivatans that is made to stand against storms and typhoons as the province is open for such phenomenon.

We didn’t have the opportunity to go inside the church because during that time, the owners are doing some maintenance to enhance the chapel. Nevertheless, the beauty of the outside appearance already speaks of the charming interiors of the church.

Mt. Carmel Chapel is just a walking distance from Basco Pag-Asa Weather Station Complex or known as Tukon Radar Station. This station also served as a lighthouse way back.

FUNDACION PACITA

A mix of art and homey feel, Fundacion Pacita is a unique boutique hotel located in a hill at Brgy. Chanarian, Tukon, Basco. The hotel offers a breathtaking view of the West Philippine Sea, Pacific Ocean and an astonishing landscape of Batanes.

The place is open to the public and will give you a chance to see the artsy side of the hotel. There are number of artworks inside which vary from different types. Fundacion Pacita also have several projects that give funds to different activities of Ivatan artists and other art events in Batanes.

If you have enough budget for a stay, you can book at Fundacion Pacita to feel more of the place and its distinct style.

IDJANG FORTRESS AND DIPNAYSUPUAN JAPANESE TUNNEL

In Batanes, “Idjang” is a fortress to protect the people from war. This has served as their shield from combat ages ago. There are 4 Idjangs that can be found all throughout Batanes and the most popular is the Savidug Idjang. We saw this triangular-shaped hilltop from afar with lush green grasses and a wonderful view of the sea.

On the other hand, we also visited Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel. This has been a hideout of the Japanese soldiers during the World War II. It is an interconnected tunnel and has five entrances that will lead you to Taytay or Tukon.

TIP: Bring a flashlight if you want to go inside the tunnel

VALUGAN BOULDER BEACH

Scattered stones and pebbles will welcome you when you first step at the Valugan Boulder Beach. This is not the usual beach your are expecting, no fine and white sand as you will compare it to Boracay’s and Palawan’s. You are not allowed to swim because of the strong waves and winds, but the scenery and the sound of the rushing waves are more than enough to leave you astounded.

TIP: Wear comfortable rubber shoes to protect you from stones

VAYANG ROLLING HILLS

Just a few kilometers away from Basco’s poblacion, the Vayang Rolling Hills share one of the most beautiful views of Batanes. It is a perfect chemistry between the green hills and the blue sea horizon that will make you decide to stay in the place for quite a time.

The place has livestocks such as cows and goats that is a part of some Ivatan’s daily living. And more than the view of the place, you will really appreciate how hardworking the locals are.

BASCO LIGHTHOUSE AND NAIDI HILLS

The Basco Lighthouse in one of the 3 lighthouses of the province of Batanes. And the nearest from the main town is the Basco Lighthouse. It is located on top of Naidi Hills and will allow you to see the 360-degree view of the surroundings of the lighthouse. You will more appreciate the place during sunsets because, I must say, the view is more admirable.

And to add an exciting experience while staying in Basco, you can go on biking within the town. You can rent for only Php 25 per hour for bikes with basket and Php 50 per hour for mountain bikes.

TIP: You can rent at Cielo General Merchandise Store just located in the town

Find out more of my Batanes trip on my next blog posts.!

CHECK OUT:

Beauty and Batanes (2/3)

Beauty and Batanes (3/3)

FEATURE: Islas Pinas’ Filipino Food, Culture, and Heritage

July 18, 2018July 22, 2018 by Pong Del Rosario, posted in Food, Happenings

Currently, the Philippines has 7641 beautiful islands. These islands are rich in culture, different beliefs, and of course delectable food. The recipes may vary from the traditional ones to fusion cuisines. And in order to try all the specialties from different regions, you really need to travel all around the country.

But there is one food hall that offers authentic Filipino cuisines made available to all guests– Islas Pinas.

Islas Pinas is a food hall located at the ground floor of DoubleDragon Plaza, DD Meridian Park, Pasay City. This is a food and heritage village that showcases different cuisines from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and had a soft opening last June 8, 2018.

The outlet is divided in 5 zones, Vernacular Area, Heritage, Urban, Ocean Region, and the Mountainous Region.

VERNACULAR ZONE

Upon entering the area, you will be welcomed by the okir carvings on the store’s wall. Okir are patterns found in many muslim arts. Accordingly, this area is inspired by the pre-colonization period of the Philippines.

The store offers food sets they call “sinag” and “alamat”. Sinag which means “ray of light” that represents the all-day Filipino breakfast just like tapsilog. And alamat, traditional folkloric stories or customs that represent regional dishes.

HERITAGE ZONE

The heritage zone is inspired by Vigan’s famous Calle Crisologo. All cuisines that are usually sold in a bilao like pansit (fried noodles), puto (rice cake) are available here. They also sell fresh bread in the panaderya (bakery) area.

URBAN ZONE

This is maybe my favorite part of the food hall, the urban zone. The area where you can find your favorite “tusok-tusok” or street food. For only PhP 20.00, you can either buy set of fish ball, squid ball, or kikiam. The usual buko juice that you can see in streets of Metro Manila is ready on the side.

OCEAN ZONE (Pampang)

As of the moment, ocean zone is still under construction and will be available in few months time. Basically, this zone will offer live seafood that is available for customized food request. You will get to enjoy eating in their “balangay” (plank boat) inspired dining area.

MOUNTAINOUS ZONE

The mountainous zone is obviously inspired from the high areas of the Philippines. This will serve as a dining space for the guests who prefer an elevated place.

FEATURES

Islas Pinas offers not just a good Filipino food but also the Philippine’s most recognized landmarks. There is the rice terraces amphitheater for cultural activities and performances, a life-sized bahay kubo and chocolate hills dining area, Vigan and Paoay church inspired food hall, a jeepney and sari-sari store in the urban zone.

The outlet has a generous space that can accommodate up to 700 guests. And what’s unique about Islas Pinas is they have a souvenir shop just inside the area that sells Filipino products. It’s more like a memorable dining for all the guests when they buy stuff inside the shop.

For the payment, Islas Pinas adopts a some sort of cashless system. If you tried dining in Thailand’s food courts, this is somewhat like the same payment scheme that is being applied in the outlet. Upon entering the hall, you need to get a card that will serve as your money when buy food from different stalls. And when you’re done, you need to surrender the card to the cashier just located in the exit and pay for the food you consumed.

FOOD

All cuisines in Islas Pinas represent the whole country from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The menu was created by chef Margarita Forés, 2016 Asia’s Best Female Chef.

Since the outlet believes that the authentic Filipino food comes from the household, they approached chefs and home cooks from different regions in the country to brainstorm for the restaurant’s menus and recipes. With this, we can say that Islas Pinas indeed showcases culture, tradition, and heritage through food and experience.

Overall, though the hall is still not complete, the outlet’s operation is fully working to give a warm welcome to the guests. Moreover, all guests are assured with the freshness and authenticity of all cuisines available at Islas Pinas.

To know more about Islas Pinas, you can follow their social media accounts for updates. Facebook | Instagram.

Disclaimer: This feature is not sponsored by Islas Pinas.

Second Time at Quest Hotel and Conference Center Cebu

July 15, 2018July 30, 2018 by Pong Del Rosario, posted in Hotel, Travel

In the heart of Cebu city, a hotel and conference center is located that offers cool, clean, and comfy accommodations.

QUEST HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER CEBU

I stayed in Quest Hotel and Conference Center for business purposes. Since the hotel is positioned in Cebu’s business district, I personally chose this for the second time around. The property is also a walking distance to shopping malls, banks, and corporate companies.

The hotel is affiliated with Aston International Hotels, managed and operated by Filarchipelago Hospitality Inc., a joint venture of Filinvest Development Corporation and Singapore-registered Archipelago International Pte, Ltd.

Quest Hotel and Conference Center is a three-star hotel that offers 427 guestrooms and suites including 5 executive suites fitted with bath tubs and 36 premier deluxe rooms with balcony. The corner deluxe rooms offer 180 degree views of the city with 2-sides of the room fitted with floor to ceiling glass windows and the most requested room category of the property. The hotel also gives new meaning to events such as conferences, meetings, and social gatherings.

THE ROOM

During the 5 days and 4 nights stay at Quest, I was allocated in room number 1716, a deluxe room with a queen-sized bed that has a great view of the peaceful city of Cebu.

TIP: You can request for a higher floor to have a view of the city

Aside from having a nice view, the queen-sized bed is perfect for my stay with comfortable pillows and duvet. The room is also spacious with 25 sqm in area that can accommodate 2 adults and 2 kids or 3 adults.

Quest’s deluxe room is well lighted and has complete amenities such as work desk, mini bar, safety deposit box, LED TV, telephone, iron and ironing board (upon request), cabinet, hair blower, electric kettle, and more.

The comfort room has the right amount of space and has bathroom essentials, cold and hot shower, toothbrush and toothpaste, and bidet. It’s totally clean and is perfect for individuals who are very particular with comfort rooms, just like me.

FACILITIES

A three-star hotel will not be completed without proper facilities. The hotel offers a gym for guests to stay in shape while on vacation located at the 6th floor that is open from 6:00 am – 9:00 pm. They also have a swimming pool and a pool bar perfect for leisure and relaxation and it’s open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm in the 7th floor. And if one needs business transactions with IDD/NDD calls, computer or printer use, the hotels’ business center is open from 8:00 am – 1:00 am.

There are transportation options from airport transfers to car rentals that are available through concierge. Metered taxis are also readily available outside the hotel. Public transport terminal is in Ayala, right across the hotel and plies most common destinations in Cebu and nearby cities.

DINING

With the package that I booked, it includes a daily buffet breakfast at Pusô Bistro & Bar. The restaurant offers a wide variety of food to satisfy their guests every morning.

There are different choices to choose from. If you are a vegetarian, they have a vegetarian and salad corner. If you love Filipino food, there is kakanin, champorado, arroz caldo and more. If you just love a breakfast without eating heavy rice, there’s cereals, breads, waffles, and cold cuts. And if you have your kids, the restaurant has a kiddie corner too. From local to international flavors, they have it in the outlet.

Pusô Bistro & Bar is open from 6:00 am – 1:00 am. They offer ala carte orders and room service if you prefer eating inside your room. If you lack time and want to grab something to eat, Bread Library that is located in the lobby provides sandwiches, coffee, and goodies to still make your mornings great.

For my hotel review, I will base my feedback to the servqual model dimensions: Interaction Quality, Facilities Quality, and Outcome Quality.

INTERACTION QUALITY

During the check-in process, the front desk agent who catered me is doing the operations a bit slow though I’m the only one checking in. Not the usual check-in process I experienced when I first stayed in the hotel. In addition, during the check-out time, they didn’t give me my official receipt for the advance pre-payment I made last month. One FO agent told me that they will deliver the official receipt instead in my office in Manila. That’s a poor one.

Concierge team on the other hand were swift in assisting me with my luggage and it didn’t take them time to deliver my belongings in my room after checking in.

Housekeeping team is really the heart of this hotel, they give all the requests I made as much and as fast as they can. My room is well maintained when it comes to neatness and cleanliness. Even if I had a room service, they still managed to make my room having a pleasant smell.

With the service I experienced, and if not for HK and concierge team, I might give this a low rating. So it’s a 4/5.

FACILITIES QUALITY

Quest’s hotel lobby is spacious and possesses good interiors. Given the queue is long in selected seasons, guests can use the comfortable sofas and chairs while waiting. The hotel’s swimming pool is also nice because it has a pool bar on the side and if people do want to enjoy while relaxing in the pool, they can avail of food and drinks immediately. While the gym, though I didn’t use it, can still accommodate guests who are health conscious.

Inside room facilities are good too, the bed and comfort room is just right for me. The queen-sized bed is so cozy while the pillows are not too soft (which I really like). Comfort room is unblemished and everything inside functions well. But what really caught my attention is the cleanliness and smell of the room.

Buffet is not that appealing to my taste. For me, the choices are not appetizing and some food tasted really bland. Not really interested with the food they offer during breakfast. I may say it’s a 3.5/5.

OUTOME QUALITY

If I will be asked if I want to go back in Quest Hotel when I’m in Cebu, I may say a “yes”. Mainly because I had a good sleep, the room is clean, the location of the hotel is just in the business district, and above all the service of the housekeeping team and concierge are excellent. I can even recommend it to my colleagues and family.

But food wise, the hotel can still improve on their food and beverage strategies and offerings. I know there are still lots of things they can improve on.

Overall with the outcome and the experience I gained, it’s 4/5.

QUEST HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER CEBU is located at Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City. You can contact them through a telephone call at +63 32 4025999 , +63 32 2305888, +63 917 3129794 or email at cebuinfo@quest-hotel.com. You can also visit their social media accounts facebook , instagram and website.