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

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.