Gotohan sa Barangay Home Style Fried Chicken, Seafood Curry, etc. in Lipa

This is the continuation of the Gotohan sa Barangay experience. As I mentioned on my first entry, Gotohan sa Barangay boasts of other choices for that ultimate gastronomic experience. Bitukang Mura This has been a staple every time we dine here. And as always, our special request is for it to be cut into smaller pieces and to be cooked well done or tostado. This is definitely a must-try. Seafood Curry Now this is something new for me. And surprisingly, the one who recommended it is someone not from Lipa but Parañaque. As I was used to just eating chicken curry, I was really reluctant to try it out. But for the sake of it, I did! And boy, it was a real treat. The kani (crabstick) served its purpose quite beautifully. Home Style Fried Chicken This is also the first time I've tasted their fried chicken. It taste a bit like Max's but with that extra homey feel. There are two dips available - catsup and sweet chili sauce. This will definitely give expensive restaurants a run for their money. Ham and Cheese Sandwich I recommend the sandwich for those who wants to have a light meal or those who's not very familiar with the rest of the choices on the menu. Since I'm a big fan of this duo, I wouldn't mind it as a side during meal. Just don't forget to share it with company. Lol. My foodventure in the Gotohan sa Barangay in Lipa City proved that though goto is their forte, they also offer a wide variety of choices for the picky eater. Price Range: P50 - P200 Verdit: Pleasant Surprise See related links: What else is on the Menu? Gotohan sa Barangay Goto Laman in Lipa City

Gotohan sa Barangay Goto Laman in Lipa City

Gotohan sa Barangay has been around for more than 30 years. For a business with less foot traffic than places in the Metro, that's really saying a lot. This was earlier attributed to their pet ariwana whose huge aquarium is easily viewable near the cashier. However, the pet is no longer there as the original one was said to have jumped out of the water and died. And so, the incident was rumored to have caused a blow on the business for a period of time. Right now, this is no longer evident as Gotohan sa Barangay has renovated since then - its cemented infrastracture, a sight to behold.

Goto has a special place in every Lipeño's heart. Mind you, this is not the same as the other version of goto that resembles the chinese congee. Instead, the goto batangas does not contain rice in it as it is cooked a lot like the beef bulalo. But you can definitely eat it with rice. The hot soup garnished with freshly squeezed calamansi really makes my day especially in the "ber" months. We used to wake up at around 6am take a quick stroll near the foot of the mountain and then fill our empty stomachs in Gotohan sa Barangay. The place would always be crowded filled with familiar faces. I have not been in this place for quite some time now. So the moment we came in, even with an array of food choices added to the menu, I just had to have my goto laman which I prefer more than the usual goto special. Since I do not use any sauce like most people do with their goto, mine tasted A bit bland than the usual. This is something that I wish they could address. I remember that before, even without the condiments, it was pretty tasty as it is. But if you are used to adding your calamansi, toyo, sibuyas, no worries then, I'm sure you'll be able to tweak the taste to what you wanted. Eating here brings so much memories that assures me I'd still go back for decades to come. Price Range: P50 - P70 Verdict: Must try Landmark: Batelec, Carmel Church

Almarius Grill and Resort in Lipa City

Almarius Grill boast of Filipino delicacies like tuna belly, pritong talong, crispy pata, lechon kawali, and many more. As the name suggests, they specializes on all things grilled. And they are right on target. As we dine, we voted tuna belly as the star or the lunch. Since we were a group of 5, we ordered a bunch of other entree. Here's the blow by blow on the rest of the foodies: Fried talong - I'm a fan of this humble veggie but did not took a bite during our meal. No, it wasn't because I was trying to make room for the rest but because I noticed them reheating the eggplant in a microwave. I try to avoid microwaved food as more often than not, the texture and taste are altered. Plus I have an internal debate whether food should be microwaved or not. Chicharon - this pork skin crackling sits irresistably on the warmer so it was an obvious pick. It was the kind of Chicharon wherein a bit of flesh is still intact with the popped skin. Honestly, it was very tasty and could have been a very rewarding experience had it not fiercely attempted to break our jaws. Lechon Kawali - now this is something that I always order in Almarius Grille. There's nothing special really to how they cook the lechon kawali so it stayed true to its wonderful self. The bonus is that I request for the crispy pata sauce rather than Mang Tomas for that added taste. Fish Fillet - this is also one of my ol' time favorites but I also did not indulge myself for the time being. First, due to the fact that I was waiting for the tuna belly. And second, I did not see any dipping sauce and when it came (which was delivered rather late), it was just catsup and mayo. One major disappointment that I had during the visit is the absence of fresh coconut water that I was looking forward to enjoy during the said meal. In exchange, we had to endure another soda drink to quench our thirst. Also, before entering the restaurant, I recommend that you check out the available seafood outside ready to be grilled. They're not an inihaw place for nothing. *grin* Price Range: P100/pax Verdict: food is okay add good company to make it better Landmark: SM Lipa, PS Bank Ayala Branch

Wang Shan Lo Chinese Cuisine All You Can Eat Buffet in Cebu

It's hardly difficult to go wrong with chinese restaurants and with one that has a great view of Cebu's mountains and skyscrapers, we were bound to enjoy every inch of Wang Shan Lo Chinese Cuisine. And for only Php888 package (Crown Regency SkyWalk, Lunch buffet, and 4D movie), it was all worth it. As we entered the restaurant, the aroma of the food tingled our senses. This is definitely a feast for those who are starving - better not have breakfast before this. Harhar. There was a myriad of stainless steel warmers that saved customers from stale food and servers for specialty dishes to help out. Since there were a lot of patrons in this restaurant, seating was a bit of a dilemma. Luckily, the staff and owner (educated guess) were there to assist us. And true enough, the "0wner" advised us to get plates and food first as they scour the land for a table. I had my eye on the yang chow fried rice the moment we hit the restau and so I went for it and filled a fifth of my plate. Normally, I do not eat rice during fiestas and buffets to make room for all the other foodies. But for yang chow fried rice, I'll make an exception (westlife song: Am I supposed to leave you now when you're looking like that). After so, I filled up on fried chicken, lapu-lapu with corn sauce (looks like siarsado), mixed seafoods - i.e. "I took all the shrimps and did not bother with the rest" - sweet spare ribs, and a whole lot more. Sometimes, in buffets, I no longer bother with the names and just  trust my visual instinct. Although, I'm a soup junkie especially with chinese restaurants, sadly here, I did not bother to get myself a bowl. It wasn't because I was trying to save space because of the fried rice rather, fish lips were not really my thing. And so we were ushered to our table with seating good for 8 peepz eventhough we were only 3 in the group. And a lady customer seemed appaled that we took "her" seat. Although we were more than willing to share (eyes rolling), one of the waitresses assisted her on getting a different table. And so we dined. There were tasty food here and there but the ones that stood out in my opinion would be the spicy seafood and sweet spare ribs. One sauce from the chicken was also exceptional - with its grainy texture and sweet taste. And as always, I was not disappointed with my yang chow fried rice. However, my companion felt differently, he commented that almost everything tasted alike. I don't blame him as I felt the same way with other eat-all-you-can joints. And then there was dessert. There was an array of fruits and pastries that was literally served as eye candy. I had the other third of the trio to get huge servings so that we can share them. This was the part that I wished our seat was not right in the middle of Wang Shan Lo...L! And so he came back with a soup-ish yellow concoction, some pastries, and fruits. I went for the first one and not surprisingly, it was mango (we were Cebu for crying out loud) and it was delish. It was just light, mildly sweetened and was refreshing. We were even joking that with some ice and lil water, we can drink it as juice. And then there's the fruit and creme tarts. I enjoyed the crusty bottom topped with fruits and preserves. The last one I tasted was the eclairs. Honestly, they were quite disappointing. I've tasted way better eclairs that are significantly less expensive that those. But it did not end there. They brought out freshly cooked dumplings - siomai and siopao - and so I took a few of each. The siomai was very tasty. You can really savor the shredded-ground meat inside. And the kikoman sauce was cherry on top - a very powerful potion indeed. And then there's the siopao. Since there was no indicative dot, I opened the bun first to check if it was asado because I dot eat the bola-bola kind. Argh! Just my luck - the pale round meat met my eye I was about to dismiss the thought of putting it in my mouth when I remembered that if there are left overs, price of the plate would be doubled. What the heck, I took a bite of the white bun and yum! So I tasted the bola bola too and what a pleasant surprise. The meat was just rightly seasoned and steamed to perfection. I'll never look at bola bola the same way again. Price Range: Php888 (Adventure Package) All you can eat buffet price to be determined Verdict: Super Filling Landmark: Crown Regency Hotel Cebu Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

KKB Eatery Tosilog in Lipa City

Growing up, Tocino was my ultimate favorite food. The reddish meat seemed too fun to be true with its juicy texture and sweet aroma. And then... I grew up. Little by little, I came to question why it needed to be too bloody red and I associated it with being very artificial. I'm not saying that I ever stopped eating tocino as it was a difficult habit to break. I still did, here and there. It was still a safety meal that I can order whenever I'm feeling less adventurous. But KKB's tocino is different. You can still recognize the meat as pork while being mighty tasty. It's mildly sweet - just enough to be distinguished as tocino - and a bit chewy too. I complemented it with light vinegar instead of the usual catsup and it was very enjoyable. At some point, you may think of it as a sweet pork version of their tapa especially if there's little familiarity on this pinoy staple. Simply put, KKB's tocino, sinangag, and itlog is a real treat but it's not quite in the same league as KKB's Tapsilog and Grilled Spare Ribs. Price Range: Php50 Verdict: It won't kill to try Please check the Directory for more details such as location and contact information.

Da Vinci's Pizza Da Vinci's Masterpiece in Cebu

Da Vinci's Masterpiece is truly a work of art. It is a white sauce pizza with Italian sausage, beef, pepperoni, mushroom, fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. The crust is oven baked to perfection - not too thick, not too thin. Unlike other commercial pizzas available in the Philippines, Da Vinci's Masterpiece does not swim in oil and salt. The ingredients exudes freshness so you're not likely to get tired of devouring it day after day (well, only if you're not a rice person). Condiments are readily available such as catsup, hot sauce, and pepper. Although I normally shower my pizza with pepper, this time I just stuck with the piece itself. Like what they say, do not fix what's not broken. The place is a bit dimly lit and the place has a yellow aura which when combined could encourage eating - not that we needed additional empowerment. After three slices, I could definitely say that Da Vinci's well deserve its claim for pizza sauce fame. Price Range: Php128 - Php348 9" pizza = Php128 12" pizza = Php228 16" pizza = Php348 Verdict: Yumminess Landmark: There are 7 locations in Gaisano Tabunok, Paseo Arcenas Banawa, Osmena Blvd., I. T. Park Lagug, Centro Mandaue, Parkmall North Reclamation, and Marina Mall Mactan

Fae Fae Lechon Sisig in Lipa City

Fae fae Lechon Sisig is one of the best sisig I've tasted. Different from the usual sizzling sisig with egg, fae fae lechon sisig is made from roasted pork belly or liempo mixed with mayonnaise and onions - it's crunchy, chewy, and very tasty. You can also choose the spicy variant wherein chopped siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) is added to the mix. Fae Fae Lechon Sisig When I order, I always opt to hold the onions and request just a bit of chili for just the right amount of heat. This is because I'm not really fond of the native variant of onion and although I love spicy food, chewing labuyo - seeds and all - is not really my turf. But that's what's good about fae fae, since they mix the sisig right in front of the customer, you can modify your order. You can even pick your own meat from the grill rack. That way, you are somewhat in control of what you'll take home. Yep, this is only available for take out (the last time I checked). However, I'm not saying that I won't eat this concoction if it wasn't prepared to my specification. In fact, I've tried the normal "order" countless times and surely, seeing onions or a handful of chili is not a deal breaker - as long as it's free. Lol. Price Range: Php120 - Php140 Verdict: great as a rice meal, even better as pulutan Landmark: San Sebastian (Balagbag) Barangay Post Business Hours: noon until 9pm

Kublai Khan's Mongolian Eat-All-You-Can

Kublai Khan's

Mongolian Eat-All-You-Can

   

With the need of breakfast for kings, we roamed around Cebu for good eats. And we only had one rule, find a place that we do not have in Lipa. Finally, we reached an Ayala mall where we set foot to Kublai Khan's Mongolian Eat-All-You-Can.

I'm not really a big fan of eat all you can because more often than not, the food is tasteless or expensive and probably life threatening. Lol.

But here, you get 3 major choices: Eat All You Can, All You Can Fill Bowl, Check A Bowl. You also get to choose meals per bowl and desserts. And so we settled for the All You Can Fill Bowl wherein you just fill your bowl with meat, veggies, and spices from an array of choices and the cook will put it over fire.

So I carefully put together my meal with spring onions, red pepper, sweet potatoes, beef, pork, chicken, squid balls, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, teriyake sauce, barbeque sauce, rice and other random sauces and spices available. After that, I just handed it to the waitress and waited for my concoction to come together.

Upon seeing my cooked mixed rice, I felt overwhelmed and thought that I would not be able to finish it. Partly because it was filled to the rim and also because I drank 2 glasses of lemonade while waiting for it.

But the taste was just right for me. It was not too salty as most restaurant prepared food and it was because I made it that way. I bet anyone can be a kitchen superstar when eating here. Ha ha. But, on the other hand, things can go very wrong when this get to the control of someone who has not even a basic inkling of how flavors work. Oh well, I see only 0.0001% of this happening. And besides, the worst thing that could happen is them tasting something they could not fully enjoy or consume to the last grain.

So there you go. I would definitely recommend the place for those who are not in a much hurry. The place is affordable and fun to be in - you'd be entertained with all the aphorisms that Kublai Khan has.

Price Range: Php110 - Php250

Verdict: Choose your own FoodVenture

Landmark: Ayala Cebu

Matias Foodhauz Chicken Inasal, Pork BBQ, Chorizo in Cebu

Lights, camera, eatment! That was the first thought I had upon reaching Matias in Mandaue City. The smell of the grille is just mesmerizing. Chicken Inasal dominates the atmosphere and hot "puso" rice lay on the table waiting to be devoured by 3 starving batanguenos. Our local friends asked if we wanted utensils but nope, we wanted the whole experience and so we're in our fighting form ready to eat by hand. The wait is killing me.

Finally, when the food arrived, the inevitable happened - galit galit muna. We ate our heart out. I had a bit of everything and even learned a new way to cook rice - boiling grains of it while wrapped in banana leaves. The highlight of the meal is the grilled chorizo which really is sweet longganisa and not the chinese or spanish chorizo that others are familiar with. In addition, we had chicken inasal, a staple here, and pork barbeque.





Just imagine that Matias Foodhauz used to be a little eatery beside the owners home but because of its success, the house itself was converted to a huge homey restaurant catering to the business's expansion.

Shabu Shabu

Now here is something different from the ones I've been posting initially. And quite frankly, this is the first time that I've set foot or even heard of this place in our humble city. My first thought was that I prefer to go elsewhere as I have long been protesting paying good money to cook my own food. On the other hand, I was excited to try something out of my usual foodventures. I have had no bad experience from previous shabu shabus that I've been to in the past so why not, right? Well, why indeed.

First, which I think was very obvious - this is not a good place to bring children to. And since more than half of our pack were toddlers to grade schoolers, the thought of boiling water in a very accessible place was not something to look forward to. And then there's the time constraint. I kept thinking that it will take longer than a regular meal and I'll end up tardy for the very first time on my new post. But turns out, it was quite the opposite. No major disaster took place and instead of being an hour late (as promised to my manager), I was an hour early *moment clap*. So I was proven wrong at these two paradigm. Then there was the food, raw food. Something that I really don't like seeing since I have difficulty eating things that I witnessed being cooked. Especially if it's something whose life needs to be taken right in front of me. Nope, I'm not vegan (you wished). So there's that. But I do enjoy watching things on fire or in this case, boil.

My older brother was on constant reminder of what to "cook" first. I was not really paying much attention but pretended that I was in appreciation of his every word. So, sort of following orders, I placed the prawn first on the boiling soup (I may have skipped a few things like the unshelled egg, "gabi", and 5 other ingredients that I should have thought of first. Oh well. After seeing the immediate redding of the sea being, I took it out and pretended that it was all part of the process. So, carefully looking at the experts, my niece and nephew right across me, I placed the other ingredients in the hot pot.

Since I was now famished and I know that what I created was definitely not yet ready. I started scavenging the table for something to fill my stomach up with. And to my delight, there were thinly sliced bacon and beef right in front of me. Since they were relatively easier to cook, I dipped some in the soup and as soon as it got brown enough, I took it out and began studying it. Hmm, needs more flavor. Tons more. So I let it swim on the soy sauce provided and it was surprisingly tasty. This was what I consumed until I almost forgot the other thing I was cooking. So, I got the corn from the hot spot together with the shrimp which was really the highlight of my dinner and savored its flavor. Not bad, not bad. I could definitely do this all night. And then I the though of the cooking process again made me think twice. So I went back to the seafood and vegetable well and fished for the next best thing, kani and squid balls. They were okay but not really worth noting. And so I went ahead and enjoyed the rice noodle and vegetable which I soon left unfinished. What a meal! This may definitely be rewarding to frustrated cooks who feel a sense of accomplishment when they prepared something edible. Even though you can't really go wrong with throwing precooked food and spiced up soup. For me, I don't regret being there. It was my mom's birthday and I definitely had to be there. The food was good, true. But I'll only go back if the one paying is someone other than yours truly. Bow.

Price range: no idea
Verdict: yummy when free
Landmark: PKI

*Thumbs up if you thought pictures look crappy. That was because we were too hungry to take pictures prior to the meal :)

Uncle Cheffy Cheese, Cheese, and Cheese Panizza in Lipa

Uncle Cheffy Cheese, Cheese, and Cheese Panizza

I love it! Though this may be biased as cheese has a special space in my heart. The dough was just right
 for its purpose and the cheese concoction was fab. Mozzarella + bleu cheese + parmesan + cheddar + gruyere + other herbs = yummy yummy.

It's also best eaten with lettuce, tomato salsa, and alfalfa sprouts wrapped in a slice of panizza. The best part? The price. It's definitely something to rave about as one order is good for sharing. So if you have had enough of the manager's choice and super supreme of the world, then head straight to Uncle Cheffy's.

Price Range: P220 for Medium
Verdict: Delish
Land Mark: Lipa City Hall, Max's, Hap Chan

KKB Eatery Tapsilog in Lipa

KKB Eatery Tapsilog (Tapa + Sinangag + Itlog)

I have been eating this tapsilog ever since I can remember. If I'm not mistaken, this may have been the very first tapsilog that I tasted in my life, Before, we eat at KKB whenever someone gets admitted since it's just across the hospital where I was born (nope, this is not what they put in my formula bottle, LMAO).

Going back, I have so many fond memories at this place and the food as well. Although they have transferred for the third time (in my count), my feet always take me back to this bucolic yet tasteful place. This is the only local eatery in its caliber with notable paintings on its wall.

I've been talking about the place and not enough about the food. All I can say is that Tapa King may come and go - but I'll still go back to KKB Tapsilog as long as it's dutch. Get it? LOL.

Price Range: P50 - P70
Verdict: Delish
Land Mark: Lipa City Colleges, N.L. Villa Memorial Hospital, San Sebastian Cathedral (Lipa Cathedral)

The Shop Around The Corner Baked Ziti in Lipa

The thought of baked ziti served near where I live was very promising. It brought me back to the time when I was addicted to Sbarro's baked ziti with tomato sauce - something that I just had to have almost every single day. Although this was not what I ordered as I was enticed by the three cheese ravioli at the time, I still had to have a taste of it.

So that was what my sister ordered and of course it resulted to us just sharing the two delectable dishes. I must say, I liked it better than what I ordered. It was light to the taste with chunks of lean chicken meat inside. The dish was baked and the cheese on top was a bit burnt but it did not really bother me much. That said, the next time I go to The Shop Around The Corner, I would definitely order this again - no promises though since I have my eye on the Alfredo.

Price Range: P100 - P120

Verdict: need to re-eat

Land Mark: C.M. Recto Statue, Lipa Health Center

KKB Eatery Grilled Spare Ribs in Lipa

KKB Eatery Grilled Spare Ribs

I've been to KKB about 3 to 4 times for the last 2 weeks and found myself ordering the same thing - Grilled Spare Ribs. The meat is served on a hot plate with their infamous garlic fried rice. You can also opt to order sunny side up eggs for that extra energy - not that we needed one. LOL.
The ribs are cooked well done with a special barbeque sauce. It's somewhat sweet and spiced lightly enough that it is not overempowering. For me, I like it a bit on the hot side and red pepper sauce is readily available on their condiments table. I remember eating this when I was younger with Knorr seasoning mixed with the hot sauce. However, the last time I went there, they no longer offer this condiment which is not really a big deal to me. Hey, we gotta cut the sodium anyway.
I recommend this meal when you're super hungry or looking for comfort food. Or better yet, share it.
Price Range: P95 - 110
Verdict: Delish
Land Mark: Lipa City Colleges, N.L. Villa Memorial Hospital, San Sebastian Cathedral (Lipa Cathedral)

The Shop Around The Corner Three Cheese Ravioli in Lipa

The Shop Around The Corner: Three Cheese Ravioli

The Three Cheese Ravioli was my first choice among the list. When served, it was quite disappointing because of the portion size but was acceptable since it wasn't that pricey. The bread sticks was tough to bite on but was crispy and tasty nonetheless. I dipped the bread stick to the creamy tomato sauce and I could have had that as a meal on itself.
The pasta on the other hand was less than satisfactory. The noodle was under-cooked and starchy (much like wanton noodles). Too bad as the cheese concoction inside was amazing. I hope that this was an isolated case and i would definitely give it a second try some time and pray for inconsistency. LOL.

Price Range: P100 - P120
Verdict: Bleh
Land Mark: C.M. Recto Statue, Lipa Health Center