Patpat's Kansi House

“Bulalo is a light colored soup that's made rich by cooking beef shanks and beef marrow bones for hours until much of the collagen and fat has melted into the clear broth. The seasonings vary from chef to chef with some using only salt and black pepper while other variations call for patis, bay leaves or even garlic. But at its core, Bulalo, a simple cattleman's stew, best made in a large cauldron with whatever (vegetables) are growing nearby." No Recipes: Cooking is More Fun Without Them

Kansi is what Illonggos call bulalo. There are a lot of Kansi Houses in the city but we think that the best restaurant to get them is at Patpat’s Kansi House located at Luna St., La Paz.

                        
  
I first ate there a few years ago back when I was still in college. My dad brought me and it was clear what he said that I shouldn’t eat there often. But since then, I started bringing my friends and they loved the food. We would have lunch every 2 months just to get a taste of their mouth-watering Kansi.

Before they serve you with a bowl full of broth and a large (yes, it really is large) bone with that soft marrow inside (this makes me hungry just writing about it) they provide you with a barbecue stick and a thin serrated knife. The barbecue stick’s actually for getting all that tasty marrow out of the bone and the knife’s for slicing off meat from it. They both prove to be very useful and it's a bit awkward to use at first but hey, with practice comes perfection. You do want to enjoy your first bowl of Kansi, right?


At the first sip of their special broth, one will be able to forget all of their worries about heart diseases. But we do recommend not eating here every day. The food is great but it really pays if one should remain conscious about their health. The soup is what we are all after. It has everything in it - the taste of the meat, the marrow, some vegetables (if there are any) and the spices.

Patpat’s Kansi is the “sabaw-pa-lang-ulam-na” type of food. The broth, after getting your first sip, will make you think about ordering another cup of rice even though you haven’t even started eating it yet. I’ve been trying to figure out for years how to properly describe the soup. There's this certain sweetness and sourness in it. The beef is so tender that oftentimes, you’ll find yourself nibbling to the very last bit of beef strip and cartilage on the bone. I’ve tasted bulalo from other restaurants in Iloilo City as well as those around Tagaytay but I have to say that nothing beats the taste of Patpat’s Kansi. It lacks all the other vegetables present in other bulalo versions but trading it all off for the soup is all worth it after all.

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

~ gooey cinnamon rolls ^_^

Heaven in only Php 140 (4 pieces)

It's Healthy Sammich Time!

A sammich is used to describe a sandwich that is exceptionally delicious. It is the "King of all Sandwiches", a "feast on a bun" or a "sandwich filled with heavenly goodness". For instance, a thick roast beef sammich with lots of gravy oozing in between is clearly not just an ordinary sandwich.

But rather than posting up the best sammiches that are obviously going to require you hours on the treadmill, I'd like to show you how sammiches can also give you a fun time without giving you a serious case of heart burn.

One of my favorite healthy sammiches is the Vegetable Panini. Yes, yes, you're already bored at the thought of having vegetables only. But remember, this is a sammich we're talking about. So you'll have to include special fillings.

Vegetable Panini

Usually, a panini uses ciabatta. But this time, olive bread is used. Now, munching on a toasted Olive Bread is delicious. But stuffing it with grilled eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and pepper will give you something new. Spread some pesto on each bread slice and add slices of mozzarella cheese. Grill the whole thing until it looks like one yummy grilled vegetable panini. It's heavy and healthy so having one for lunch will keep you full throughout the day. If you're having this as one of your diet meals, you'll never think of diet as something that would be boring and tasteless ever again.

Another healthy sammich you can have if you're not into vegetables but would still like to keep it healthy is the Mediterranean Chicken Sammich. Again, it could be just any other sandwhich. But by adding something special, you'll have a healthy sammich that'll blow your mind.

Mediterranean Chicken Sammich

My favorite Mediterranean Chicken Sammich includes using Focaccia bread. It already has a salty taste that others would say it's like eating pizza but not really. Add in some grilled chicken, onions, lettuce and cucumber and place some thick avocado spread in it. Judging by the ingredients in this sammich, you'd say it reminds you of summer. It definitely reminds me of that a lot.

The last sammich on the list is the Date and Walnut Sammich with Chicken, Light Cheese and Cherry Preserve. The first time I saw this one it made me go all, "Woah, I'm not eating that." Cherry preserve? With chicken? And cheese? The only sandwich I've ever tasted with cherries on it were with peanut butter or just plain butter.

Date and Walnut Sammich with Chicken, Light Cheese and Cherry Preserve

But this is why it is called a sammich. It's different. Good different. The date and walnut bread used matched the fillings of grilled chicken, light cheese and cherry preserve. It was indeed weird to try at first but refreshing in the end. The cherry preserve really made it exceptional.

A healthy sammich is one meal that can fill you up with no guilt included. Opt for these when you go out for a bite to eat or when you're thinking of what healthy meal to make at home.

The Coffee Terrace at Genting Highlands

This is one of those days where I reminisce on things I want to do the most and surprise, surprise! It’s eating.

One of the places I’m dying to go back to right now is the Coffee Terrace at Genting Highlands. Through the name “Coffee Terrace”, one might think it’s a simple coffee place located on a terrace. But what it has is a lot more than that. A whole lot more than just that.

Coffee Terrace at Genting Highlands is a buffet place that’s really worth every penny because the dishes they have doesn’t just cater to one place. They come from all over Asia.

Buffets are considered to be the best when you know there are a lot of dishes to choose from. Dishes that are not only appetizing but could also give you your money’s worth. Not trying to sound like a pig here but trust me when I say that when you’re there, you’ll most likely want to spend your whole day just eating.

Coffee Terrace includes a Japanese, Chinese, Western, Western Asia, and Nyonya* style buffet and the choices are puhhhlenty! If I just didn’t have any plans of riding rollercoasters and other amusement park rides at the theme park in Genting right after, I would’ve tasted everything. EVERYTHING!

I won’t really be going into detail on all the food found at Coffee Terrace but everything you expect it to have are there. For instance, on the Japanese station, there’s sushi, sashimi (served only during night time though), tempura and takoyaki. For Chinese: dumplings! Western: steak, salmon and buttered vegetables. Western Asia: "East meets West" dishes and for Nyonya: laksa and curry. There are more than just the ones I mentioned but I really have no idea what some of them are called. (My bias for Japanese food clearly showed here, didn’t it? XD)

Local favorites are also available as well as dessert corners that include ice cream, ice kacang, cakes, pastries, pudding, mousses and fruits.

Thinking about all of these again just makes me want to go back and taste all the things I’ve missed. And when I do come back, this time, I’ll make sure I don’t have any plans of going on amusement park rides right after.

*Nyonya – a fusion of Malaysian and Chinese cuisine

Eden Nature Park: Davao City's Version of Baguio

If you're in for an adventure of a lifetime, there's no need to travel to the other side of the world. There are so many places to choose from in our country, and one of the most worthy destinations is Eden Nature Park and Mountain Resort in Davao.

Eden is a mountain resort that was discovered in 1971. The whole 80-hectare property that used to be covered with patches of wild grass has now over 100,000 pine trees covering the whole area. The whole resort and most of the forests here were manually cultivated and structured making the whole park 95% man made!

The resort offers a plethora of amenities which include the Basketball Court, Flower Garden, Deer Park, Prayer Garden, Lola’s Garden, Seminar Village, Amphitheater, Vista Kiosk, Garden Hall, Cafeteria, Mountain Trail Playground, Campsite, Swimming Pool and my personal favorite, The Aviary! 

As for the food, where do I even begin? Eden is located 28 kilometers away from the city and 3000 meters above sea level. It takes 30 minutes to an hour to reach this place by shuttle so instead of transporting the ingredients from the city, the owners make their own patches of organic vegetables and fruit tree orchards.

Everything you eat in Vista Restaurant is freshly handpicked from their own gardens. That's organic, baby! From the vegetables in your favorite salads, to the herbs and spices used in your favorite dishes, everything’s concocted in there. If you plan on spending your vacation the healthy way, then this is the right place for you. Having dinner here at night will offer you a fantastic view of Davao City and the Davao gulf. 

If you want to try something new, you can also try out fishing for your own food at the Fishing Village. Their ponds are abundant with tilapia (St. Peter’s Fish) and catfish. Every thing that you catch is weighed and cooked fresh. You have 4 different choices on how you want them to cook your fish: pinaputok, inihaw, fried, and paksiw. My personal favorite is the pinaputok. They wrap the fish in banana leaves and deep fry it. The banana leaves give the fish a different aroma, making it more mouth-watering to eat, especially with freshly cut onions and tomatoes, dipped in soy sauce. It's like having a full course buffet. It's unbeatable. *Definitely nom nom*

I am an adrenaline junkie and adrenaline junkies like me would never want to miss the zip line aka Skyrider. But if you are not warmed up for the ride yet, then you can try out your rope gliding skills at the Indiana Jones. Yes. Ze Indiana Jones. The only difference between Jones’ swings and yours is that there’s solid ground with fresh grass just 2 feet below you. Falling off won’t hurt that much. 

Eden is perfect for seminars, congresses for student organizations, family vacations and even weddings! You won't ever get bored in this place and, temporarily, you might be able to forget everything that’s been bothering you at the office. It's definitely a place worth visiting in Davao and is beyond doubt one of the best places to go to if you want to find peace or just bond with your friends. 

 

(Photos by: Sham Leonora)

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Eden Nature Park

For additional Information:
Eden Nature Park Tel. No:
(63)(82)299-1020
(63)(82)296-0791

Email:
info(at)edennaturepark.com.ph
 
Web Site:
Eden Nature Park

Conquering Sibalom's Dense Jungles

Sitting over the edge of a cliff.

Our hiking trip in Sibalom, Antique was something that we never really planned out. We got tired of spending too much on premeditated trips and air-conditioned hotel rooms and cottages. We thought that for once, we should try getting ourselves lost in the middle of nowhere - just us, our food, a big bag of clothes and the great outdoors!

We started our trip on a cold Friday morning. It was raining hard and that got us even more excited. After buying some dried fish and some pork from the wet market, we went to the tricycle terminal to catch the second trip for the morning and waited for 5 more passengers before leaving the town of San Jose.

We reached Inabasan in less than 20 minutes and got off at the start of the dirt road going to Barangay Inabasan. The road was inaccessible even for tricycles due to the heavy rains for the past few days. We had no choice but to walk for a 1-2 kilometers before reaching the starting point for the hike. By then the three of us were already panting even though we were just warming up.

We rested for a few minutes and after quenching our thirst, we started with the real hike.

We asked for directions whenever we saw people from the low lands but when we reached the middle part of the mountain, we were on our own. We passed by springs, thick vegetation and rice terraces. It was a muddy hike and we went through rough terrain, navigating our way through dense forests, across bamboo bridges, muddy slopes, and rejuvenating streams of fresh flowing water. It was the ultimate adventure and it was really fun.

Crossing an old bamboo bridge.

I was relieved when we reached the base of the first mountain. From there, we hiked for another 15 minutes across another set of rice terraces before reaching the campsite where Nong Edel (the caretaker) and his family lived in a small nipa hut.

We had lunch, slept for an hour and after regaining our strengths, we stocked up on water and asked Nong Edel or rather The Super Nong Edel, to guide us to the summit.

It really took us some time to reach the top because the path was relatively difficult to pass. We literally crawled up on some slopes, holding on to anything we saw for our dear lives. We went through hell! Aside from the slippery mud, we walked on terrain that had sharp cogon grass, barbed vines that scraped the skin off of your feet, dead tree trunks that easily broke off and slippery rocks.  We crawled down steep slippery slopes while Super Nong Edel was literally whistling his way through the dense jungles of Sibalom. When we were on our last 20-30 steps from the summit, we ran and squealed like little kids.

From where we stood, we saw the great mountain ranges of Antique going north, the famous Mt. Madiaas (the tallest mountain in the Island of Panay) as well as a good 360 degree view of everything surrounding the mountain. The air was cold and there was fresh grass everywhere. To the west was the sea, glistening in the afternoon sun. It was something that we only saw in National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. The view was simply breathtaking. We felt like we were on top of the world. It was paradise!

From where we are standing, one could see the town of San Jose.

This is the highest point of the mountain which can in fact be seen from San Jose's town plaza.

When it was already dusk, we decided to hike back up to the campsite and call it a day. We washed ourselves and prepared for dinner. We stayed in a small hut a few meters from Nong Edel’s house.

While waiting for our food, we noticed a firefly fly past the door of our cottage. I went out and tried to catch it, but I was astounded when I saw hundreds of them hovering around a nearby tree. The view was magical. It was like Christmas. I saw 2 or 3 fireflies flying around the area before but never in swarms.

We had KBL for dinner, a classic recipe because of its main ingredients: kadyos (pigeon peas), baboy (pork), and langka (jackfruit). It was mouth-watering and was perfect for the weather and the place. The fire cooked rice was also delicious and complemented the taste of the fried fish tocino and home-made, salted eggs.

We slept at around 1 in the morning because it was raining real hard and water was dripping all over the place. We heard different animal noises around the cottage, including that of the goat living under our hut. What made it worse were the mosquitoes that were still persistent enough to find holes on our mosquito nets. The bites were tolerable and we dozed off when it got really cold.

We had native chicken adobo for breakfast.

The small hut where we slept. It was especially cold during the night.

The next morning, we woke up with freshly brewed coffee on our door step. Nothing beats the taste of kapeng barako on a cold morning. We had breakfast and after waiting for the heavy rain to stop, we had our traditional photograph taken with our host family. After a few shots, we expressed our gratitude to Nong Edel’s wife and his kids, said our goodbyes and went on our way with Nong Edel guiding us down the mountain.

It was a very memorable adventure and I sure wish that the next time we go back to the mountains, there will be more of us coming. The scratches, insect bites, mosquito bites and muscle pains are all worth it.

Walking over slipper rocks

Washing the mud off at one of the small waterfalls.

The team with Nong Edel's family

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Brgy. Inabasan, Sibalom, Antique

Ice Kacang - Malaysian Shaved Ice

And here I thought that Halo-Halo was the best shaved ice treat that I ever had. Well, it still is. But Malaysia's Ice Kacang has managed to shove Halo-Halo off the top of my list for now.

Visiting Kuala Lumpur's Central Market on a late hot Sunday afternoon and getting yourself some Ice Kacang is truly a great way to treat yourself this summer. If I just lived in Malaysia, I would probably spend most of my weekend afternoons just lazily eating away at my bowl of Ice Kacang.

Ice Kacang is a dessert that is very common in Malaysia. You can find it almost anywhere whether you're at the mall or just walking around the city. The sweet syrup that covers the shaved ice, sweet corn on top, grass jelly, nata de coco, red beans and nuts at the bottom can make u tilt your head upwards and thank mother nature for producing all these heavenly ingredients.

Modern Ice Kacang's have ice cream on top and I had mine with a chocolate flavored one. Though with or without the ice cream, it still is a very delicious cold dessert.

Look around for Ice Kacang's when you're in Malaysia. It will really help comfort your taste buds with that sweet cool treat.

*I had my Ice Kacang at Kopitiam, located at the food court on the second level of Kuala Lumpur's Central Market

Malaysia's Tangkak Beef Noodles

When you are in Asia, it's always a must to give their noodle soup a try. Almost a lot of people will agree with me when I say that Asia has the best noodles and noodle soup and Malaysia's Tangkak Beef Noodles are definitely no exception.

Tangkak beef noodles are not the usual ones wherein you get a slice of beef and just regular noodles on a small bowl of soup. This has absolutely everything. Tripe, tendons, beef balls (like fish balls only made out of beef) and several raw beef cuts that will be cooked when placed into that hot savory beef soup.

If you are uncomfortable with the stuff inside the beef noodle soup, you can have it sort of "customized". You can just have the beef cuts without the tendons and tripe but that would take the fun out of those Tangkak beef noodles.

You can also choose what kind of noodles you want. Flat rice noodles, thin rice noodles or the egg noodles. Many would choose the rice noodles over the egg noodles but either one will still make you enjoy those Tangkak beef noodles.

The size of the bowl is huge enough that in my opinion, can be shared by two people. You can also choose what size you want if you're planning to eat alone. But if you're really that hungry, which you will be upon seeing it, one large bowl is enough.

Chili sauce is served separately with those Tangkak Beef Noodles so you can have the option whether you like your soup spicy. But I recommend that you should really try dipping just your beef tendons in it if you want a taste of how spicy it is.

Let your taste buds explore a little. Get a taste of Malaysia's noodles by eating Tangkak Beef Noodles when you're there. No matter what climate it is, having a bowl of hot Tangkak Beef Noodles will really keep your stomach satisfied.

The Sulfur-rich Waters of Siraan Hot Springs

The Sira-an hot springs, which is located at the south point of Anini-y, Antique, is probably the only place in the whole island of Panay where you can find the perfect bath with warm water that reeks of sulfur. Yes, it doesn’t smell good but the bathtubs are filled with sulfuric hot spring water which is believed to cure aching muscles and bones as well as skin diseases – a perfect way to spend time after a long road trip!

Although going there is one dusty ride especially during summer, we recommend that you take an open vehicle. A jeepney or a pickup truck will do. You have to know that they don’t call Antique “the land where the mountains meet the sea” for no good reason.

While heading south for Sira-an, you will pass by beautiful mangroves and bonsais on rock formations by the blue crystalline shorelines. At your right will be the lush green mountains of Hamtic and Dao. It’s almost like traveling between two separate but totally magical worlds! This is something that you can never capture with your camera from inside a car or a van.

Upon entering the resort, you will notice that the smell of the air is quite different. The odor is actually the sulfur coming out of the rocks. If you try to go near one of the smaller pools, you’ll find a deep tank which acts as the source of all the sulfur in the resort. It’s pretty cool. It’s like staring in to a geyser expecting it to spray hot water up in the air.

We prepared lunch in one of the cottages and dozed off after eating because it was still too hot to go to the pool area. We checked in to one of the rooms and we were amazed at how big the space was. What’s good is that they’re also air conditioned and even if they say that it’s only good for four people, you can still fit 11 of your gang inside. Just pay extra for the beddings and you’ll have yourselves an instant slumber party in the middle of nowhere.

We slept and waited until it was sunset. You don’t want to miss the sunset in this place. It’s one of those rare moments where you get to see the sun set behind the beautiful Nogas Island while watching its lighthouse gleaming against an orange background. It’s almost like a scene from one of those romantic Korean movies. *sighs*

Oh and hey! Sira-an has its own diving spot! But I’m telling you it’s not for the faint-hearted. I have a thing for blue waters but definitely not dark blue ones. From the view above the rocks, one could see that it’s pretty deep and some have claimed to have seen sea snakes (locally known as Walo-walo) lurking beneath the sharp rock formations.

Our favorite tubs are the smallest ones where about 5 adults can fit. It’s excellent if you guys just want to chill out while gazing at the clear night sky above. We prefer these over the larger swimming pool because here, the water is continuously replaced. You even have the option to drain the whole tank. Just look for the plug hidden somewhere in one of the corners and you can pull it right off. Just wait for a few minutes (3-5 minutes) and the whole tank is refurnished with the good old sulfur-rich water.

Our dinner was pretty much like what we had during lunch. But what made it extra special (Australian Master Chef Accent) was Louie’s grilled tanigue (spanish mackerel) marinated in lemon juice and salt and topped with red hot chili. To complete our buffet, we had a few bottles of soft drinks (classic), some grilled pork and a bowl of soy sauce with sliced fresh onions. It was a great way to celebrate our night and a great way to fill our stomachs after a long hot day at the Sira-an hot springs.

Some reminders when going to this place:

1.       Bring a digital camera.

2.       Bring your sunscreen.

3.       Bring your own food and water.

4.       Bring more friends!

And one more thing, I do suggest you bring cash. There are no ATM’s in the vicinity. We had ourselves a little bit of a problem when we found out that we only brought cash enough to rent a room. Everybody else brought ATM cards. *face palm*

Side trips you can take:

Try visiting Nogas Island. From Sira-an, it will only cost you a few hundred bucks to rent a boat going to the island. Don’t forget to bring enough water for the trip.

Try to visit the old church of Anini-y. It’s a very historic place and going there is like going back in time. Totally nostalgic. 

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Sira-an Hot Springs