(Mee) Krob Salad

Tita Linda Floro was the caterer last Wednesday during our KST merienda.  She made Mee Krob and I loved it minus the noodles! I asked her to share the recipe with me.  She is such a talented woman!  She is a well known food stylist and owner of Buon Giorno Restaurant in Tagaytay and Rockwell, Medical City.

Mee Krob is a Thai dish with toasted rice noodles.  Since I cannot eat noodles, I used Romaine lettuce instead.  I made my own version and called it .....

(Mee) Krob Salad

peanut oil
garlic, chopped
onion, chopped
1 t. chili pepper flakes

120 g. shrimps, chopped
120 g. chicken breast, chopped
120 g. pork chopped

salt, sugar and fish sauce for seasoning

Sauce:

1 lime, juice of
1 T. Datu Puti vinegar
1 T. Thai fish sauce
4 T. brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the sugar dissolves.

Garnishings:

4 cakes tokwa, cut into small cubes then deep fried until golden brown

2-egg omellete, cut into strips
spring onions
wansoy
togue

Heat the peanut oil in the wok.  Saute the garlic, onion and chili pepper flakes. Tip in the shrimps, chicken and pork.  Season with salt, sugar and fish sauce.

Cook until the liquid evaporates.

Pour the sauce and let it boil until it turns syrupy.

Spoon the meat mixture on top of the Romaine lettuce leaves.  Garnish with togue, fried tokwa, spring onions and wansoy leaves.

Trust me! It was very delicious.  I absolutely loved it!!!!  I always like the combination of sweet, salty, sour and spicy.   I cannot wait to let my friends try it.

I am now crazy over Vietnamese Iced Coffee!!!!

Hmmmm .... I will not indulge all the time .... just every once in a while.

1 part Alaska Condensed Milk
1 part coffee (1 T. ground coffee + 1/4 C. water = coffee maker)
crushed ice to fill the glass

I played with my new "toy" again this lunch time!

I cooked Japanese Fried Rice...... (recipe)

and

Grilled Orange Chicken and Salmon Belly

1 piece Chicken breast, cut into cubes
4 pcs. Salmon belly
2 T.Ceres Orange Juice
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 T. oil

Marinate the chicken and salmon belly in orange juice, brown sugar, salt and oil for 30 minutes.

Grill for a few minutes.

Gift from the Avancenas

I finally got my birthday gift from the Avancena Family!

Mona, Corry and Tita Cena Avancena asked me what I wanted for my birthday .... I told them, the electric table top grill I saw in Rustan's.

The first experiment was.....

Beef Misono

250 g. beef striploin, cut into shreds
2 t. Kikkoman soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. sugar

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2 T. butter
garlic, chopped
onions, sliced
red pepper, cut into strips
green pepper, cut into strips
carrot, julienned
togue
cabbage, shredded roughly
Kikkoman soy sauce
sugar
salt
pepper
sesame oil

Heat the table top grill, add 1 T. butter and cook the beef until not pink anymore.  Set aside.

Add another 1 T. butter and dump all the vegetables on the table top grill.

When half cooked, season with soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and sesame oil.

Add the beef  and toss with the rest of the ingredients.

Mona I enjoyed our dinner.  I am teaching her ways to cook healthy food without sacrificing the taste.

I love cooking meat with assorted vegetables.  The best thing about using a grill is that the liquid evaporates or drips down the drip pan.  The vegetables remain crisp tender and not too soggy.

I already have a lot of dishes lined up using my new Tefal Table Top Grill!!!

Thank you so much Mona, Corry and Tita Cena!!!

"Remarkable Improvement!"

I showed my test results to Dr. Gia Wassmer today and she said: What a remarkable improvement!

She decreased my insulin dosage! Just by a bit but at least I achieved a small victory.  Never in my 12 years as a diabetic has my medication been decreased! The doctors would always prescribe more and more medications until I have reached the maximum allowable dosage.

I really thought before becoming an advocate of the Wheat-free lifestyle that I was hopeless.  Who would have thought that in just a few weeks my condition would improve?! I would call it a miracle because I prayed for it but I would have to give myself credit also for working so hard and for resisting temptation. Well .... most of the temptations.  Evil lurks everywhere!!!  Hahahaha Especially in the supermarket aisles.

I have been to a couple of trips lately and been lax in strictly following the lifestyle.  But I am inspired now more than ever to keep wheat away from me.  I am going to be diligent in guarding against the poison that is entering my body.

I will stop eating out more often because I cannot control what they put in the food.  Jing said, I am starting to cross over to the "dark side".  I do not want that to happen.  I am on the right track, I do not want to be derailed.

This diet/lifestyle is the most sustainable one for me because I can eat most of my favorite food.

Lechon!Shrimps! Crabs with fat! Pork and beef with fat! Chicken with skin! Food with coconut milk!  And really so much more!

I have been trying to convince Mona to try it.  She is so depressed because her cholesterol is over the roof and her doctor told her she has to change her diet/lifestyle.  She also loves all the food I mentioned.  If she follows the low-fat, healthy grain diet then she will not be able to enjoy all the good stuff. BUT.... if she becomes wheat-free..... the possibilities are endless!

I was on Lipitor for several years and my cholesterol never improved.  But being wheat-free for several weeks.... my cholesterol even went down lower than normal with NO drugs!  And so did my fatty liver.

I have a goal.... for the first time in my life ... I actually have a goal!!!

It is not to go to the beach every couple of months.... but to prove to myself that I can reverse diabetes.

Dear family and friends, wish me luck and help me by not creating a tempting environment.

A Culinary Journey with Chef Philip Golding

Chef Philip Golding was our guest for this afternoon's Culinary Journey activity, a joint project of the Women of Bel-Air, Bel-Air Village Association and Barangay Bel- Air.

He brought his award winning team of culinary students from AHA - American Hospitality Academy and demonstrated several dishes using local ingredients.

The first dish was Prawn and Crab Ravioli with Seafood Bisque Sauce.

The culinary student won a Silver medal for this dish in an international cooking competition.

The second dish they prepared was Beet Root and Spinach Tagliatelle with Spinach Puree and Mushroom/Beet Root Sauce.

The last dish was Pan-fried Stuffed Chicken (longganiza, salted egg), Ginger-Pandan Rice Pilaf, Spaghetti Vegetables with White Wine Sauce.

Another student won a Silver Medal for this dish also.

The good thing about attending cooking demonstrations is you get to learn what is not in the cook book.  Sure, it is so easy to follow the recipe but sometimes it would lack something because it was not explained in the book.

The student chef told us that it is very important to season the water with salt, lots of salt, when you cook the pasta.

I also learned from Chef Golding how to store fresh noodles.  Just air dry them and keep in the cupboard for a week.  Not in the refrigerator because the fresh noodles will become moist and stick to each other.

And the most important thing I learned from Chef Golding is ..... Cooking Rice is so difficult!!!!  

I feel so inept as someone who loves to cook because I do not know how to cook rice!!!

Then, he said, it is something that is so hard to perfect.

Ahhhhhh !!! Thank you, God! I'm normal!!!!

After the demo, we all got to taste the food prepared by Chef Golding and his team.

We even got loot bags from Knorr!

But I gave mine to Yaya Hermie because I am not allowed to use artificial seasonings and mixes anymore.

The participants were treated to free coffee  by one of the sponsors, Nestle Dulce Gusto.

The other sponsors for the activity were Breville and Alveo Land.

I am going to invite my friends to join the next cooking demo on October 16 here in Bel-Air.  I am so excited to learn more from the Culinary Journey of the Master Chefs!

Chicken and Pork Pochero

Today is Yaya Hermie's Birthday!!!  I prepared a special dinner for her.  The helpers of my neighbor, Kuya, surprised her with a cake and pancit!!!  They are so sweet.  I told Hermie a lot of people love her.

Chicken and Pork Pochero

1/2 K. Pork Liempo, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 K. Chicken
chorizo de Bilbao
2 t. salt
4 C. water
cooking oil
garlic, chopped
onion, sliced
2 T. tomato paste
4 pcs. saba banana
3 pcs. camote, cut into big chunks
1 t. sugar
fish sauce, to taste
cabbage, sliced
You may add pechay, beans and garbanzos

Boil the chicken and pork in water with salt and chorizo for 1 hour.  Drain the meat and reserve the broth.

Slice the chorizo.

Saute garlic, onion and pork pieces.  Add the sliced chorizo and tomato paste.  Pour the broth then add the chicken pieces.  Season with fish sauce and sugar.

When it boils, drop the camote and saba.  When the camote and saba are cooked,  add the other vegetables.

Serve with kalamansi and patis.

Best eaten with eggplant salad.

I missed cooking this dish!!! Mona loved it and so did PD.  What's not to love???  I gave PD the fattiest pieces of pork!

Hermie also enjoyed her Pochero!  I inherited her from my Mom. She has been with us since January of 1997.

Happy Birthday, Hermie! Thank you  for putting up with my craziness!

Mona's Birthday Lunch

We celebrated Mona's Birthday lunch in my house today because their home in Alabang Hills is under renovation.

 I just asked Hermie to set the table for her and Mona brought all the food.

Everybody's favorite Lengua with Mushroom Sauce

Ceasar Salad

Pasta Putanesca

Pork Embutido

Mocha Cake from Costa Brava

Assorted Kakanin from Rizal

And .... Mona asked me to cook Butter Garlic Orange Shrimp for her.

This Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe is even better than my previous recipes!  I better write it down here so I do not forget.

Butter Garlic Orange Shrimps

We all enjoyed the lunch!

Happy Birthday, Mona!

My Most Awaited HbA1c Test Result

FBS: 65

"HbA1c is a lab test that shows the average level of blood sugar (glucose) over the previous 3 months.  It shows how well you are controlling your diabetes."

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003640.htm

I had my blood test this morning and I got the results already!!!!!

The normal range is from  4.27 ~ 6.07.

Today, my HbA1c result is 7.20.  It is still higher than normal but I am almost near my goal which is 6.07.

Jing said, I should not feel disappointed because from a high of 11.70 last January, I was able to bring it down to 7.20 this September.  To think, it has never went down  11 or 12 for the past 5 years!  So it is a victory already.

Sometimes, when I go on a vacation I lose track of my goal but at least, I can pull back myself  immediately from spiraling out of control.

The rest of my test results are wonderful.  Everything normal.  Even when I ate a lot of  lechon, crab fat, pork fat, bulalo in the last 3 months, my cholesterol is still within the normal range (3.88 ~ 6.20) at 4. 91.  Hehehehehe Sorry, Mona!  I can eat all the fatty food but you cannot!  You can have all the desserts!

I was able to raise my HDL cholesterol too!!!  An HDL of > 1.15 lessens the risk of coronary plaque formation.  Food high in Omega Fatty acids "sweeps" the plaque from our arteries.

So, I am very happy my hard work paid off.  I have not eaten bread nor pasta since June 18!!! I cannot say I have been totally wheat free since then because I have indulged occasionally in dim sum and used soy sauce.  My one and only pastry transgression, the Sylvanas from Cebu, but I paid for that sin.

I still plan to go wheat-free as best as I could.  On my next test, I WILL have a result within the normal range!

Breakfast at Salcedo Market:

Chicken Inasal
1/2 C. rice

Lunch:

Steamed Lapu-Lapu, Chinese Style

1/2 C. rice

Snack:

Green Mango Popsicle

Dinner:

Salad greens with Citrus Dressing

Bratwurst, cheese, grapes and olives

I did it!

FBS: 93

Yes! I did it!!!  My FBS this morning was only 93!!!  I hope tomorrow morning it will still be low.  I will just have salad tonight.


Hermie cooked Ginataang Langka last night and she added the fatty crabs that Jona gave me.  I reheated the leftovers for breakfast.

Mona and I ate it with Tuyo, Fried Egg and rice.

She taught me to eat it with kalamansi and boy did it make a big difference!!!

We cook our ginataang Langka the same way we cook the Bicol Express but Hermie used pure pork fat!

No wonder it tasted so sinful and deadly!

But Mona's breakfast was deadlier than mine.

At least I removed the pork fat from my ginataan, she ate the fat of the crab!!!

Hello?!?!?! Miss over the limit cholesterol?!!!  Hahahaha! We are two peas in a pod.  She knows her cholesterol is over the roof and yet she would still indulge in chicharon, chicken skin, pork chop fat and crab fat.  I am diabetic and I would "OCCASIONALLY" eat panocha and merengue.


I had lunch again at my favorite dim sum place, Golden Bay.

I am a creature of habit and had the usual suspects:

Hakaw, Siomai, Chicken Feet, Crispy Prawn Dumpling and Taro Puff.

Good thing I was done eating all the steamed dim sum, I was on my last piece of Taro Puff when I saw a black hair in the dumpling!!!!   EEEKKKK! I closed my eyes and called the floor manager and told her that there was a strand of hair! I know I should have taken a picture but I did not want to look at it or else I would have lost my lunch.  I am very queasy when it comes to hair in my food.

When I got home, I told my Kuya I am never going back there again! He said, "Why? It is only a strand of hair???"  "May shampoo ba???!?!?!"  Hahahahahahahahahahaha  

I have never written anything negative in my blog about any establishment.  I would criticize my own cooking but would never say anything bad about the food I ate in a restaurant, in terms of taste.  Well, this story is just to relate my experience today.  Would I go back?  I really do not know.  I would just put the incident behind me.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
1/2 C. rice
3 pcs. tuyo
1 fried egg
Ginataang Langka

Lunch:

Dim Sum

Dinner:

Salad with orange and shrimps

Bandi

FBS: 165

Grrrrr!!!  I should have had the blood test before my Puerto Princesa trip.  Mona did hers prior to the trip.  I asked her.... why did you not remind me?!   Hahahaha She replied, I thought you were smart!!!  Hehehehe Clearly I am not.  I hope I do not pay for my transgressions.

Bandi is my guilty pleasure of the week. 



I got it from Ramtan's Commercial in Puerto Princesa.  I have a problem, I could not stop eating it!!!   To the point that I have a tooth ache now! It is so addicting!  I really cannot help myself! I already put the rest in the fridge and will let my friends try it on Sunday, for Mona's Birthday celebration here in my house.  Their home in Alabang Hills is under renovation.

I am over-medicating myself so my FBS will be lower on Saturday for my blood test. I am also drinking liters and liters of water to flush out the toxins.  No wonder, doctors do not rely on FBS testing because it is so easy to manipulate the results unlike the HBa1c which is the 3-month blood glucose average.

Another reason for the sudden spike in sugar was the merengue I ate yesterday at the KST after session meeting/merienda.  I ate about 8 jumbo merengue from Mom and Tina's!!!  I know that was such a dumb idea.

I hope I do not get tempted tomorrow! I have one day to undo all the damage that I have done to myself.

Wish me luck!!!!

Tummy Hopping in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Mona and I just got back from our Puerto Princesa trip.



A lot of friends wanted to go with us but I warned them beforehand, "We do not plan to go to the Underground River.  I already saw the pictures online."  Actually, I am claustrophobic.  My greatest fear is that while I am doing the tour, the water would rise up and I will not be able to go out of the cave.  True enough, the tour has been cancelled for 3 days.  Why?!?!?! The water from the sea met with the water from the river!  You will not be able to exit the cave via boat, only if you want to swim out of it.

I also told friends that we will not do the island hopping thing.  Mona is afraid of the banca ride and I am afraid of the gazillion number of fish that will swim with me!!!  But then, they convinced us that the Honda Bay island hopping is such a great experience.  So ... OK.... we prepared for it.. We borrowed 2 snorkel gears from Dra. Cristina.  I brought 3 kinds of sunblock, for the hair, face and body, my aqua shoes, hat, waterproof bag and camera case.  My only condition was that if it rains, we will not push through with the activity.

Upon landing at Puerto Princesa Airport, it started to rain!!!  Almost all the passengers were a bit disappointed but Mona and I had this secret evil smile which said, "Yay! It means we do not have to go island hopping!!!" Hahahaha We were practically jumping for joy.

We went Tummy Hopping instead!!!!

We stayed at Hibiscus Garden Inn.  I chose the place for the reason that it was voted by Tripadvisor as the number 1 lodging establishment in the Puerto Princesa City.

















It is a clean no frills place but they have a beautifully landscaped garden.

Our city tour did not include the famous Baker's Hill, Crocodile Farm, Mitra's Ranch, Iwahig Penal Colony, etc.  My own tour included the Public Market on Malvar St.

I could not believe how fresh the different kinds of Lapu-Lapu, Tuna, Tanigue etc.!















































And the best part.... the price was only 160 per kilo!!!  I was disappointed I did not have a kitchen in Palawan where I could cook all the fresh seafood.  Pinky said, "What?!?!? You are already on vacation and you still want to cook?!?!"

Another option was to wake up VERY early, buy in the market and they will pack it for you ready for travel.  A little problem though, even before I left for Palawan, my suitcase was already full and I had not even put my clothes in yet!!!  I am not a light traveler.

We also went to one of their oldest malls, NCCC and checked out the snacks section.

Look what we found!!!!

We love buying those cheap snacks.  I checked the ingredients and they were made from corn grits and not flour!!!  Yay!!!  I also looked at the pack and it said, BFAD approved.  We got the snacks we do not normally see here in Manila.

The JUMBO Chiz Curls was from the new Robinsons Mall.



The first leg of our Tummy Hopping was in Badjao Seafront Restaurant.

















We hired a tricycle to take us there and to wait for us.

It is a restaurant on stilts on top of the mangroves and

















overlooking the sea.

















We had an all-shrimp lunch.

Shrimp Sinigang



Banana Heart with Shrimps.



This is my most favorite vegetable dish and I do not know how to cook it really well but I enjoyed the one we ordered.

Butter Garlic Shrimps



We went back to the Inn after lunch to rest.  We had to wake up at 3:30 because our flight was rescheduled at 6:55 am instead of 7:30 am.

It was Merienda time!!!  The next leg of the food journey was at Rene's Saigon on Rizal Avenue.





When you exit the airport, turn left and after a few minutes, you will see his restaurant on the left side.  I read about the place from different blogs.  His specialty is Vietnamese Food.

I was so surprised because Vietnamese food is the least kind of cuisine that I like and yet .... I enjoyed the Chao Long!



It is Beef Stew with Rice noodles.  I am allowed rice noodles but not egg noodles because that is made from wheat.

I hope I could do justice in describing the taste of the soup.  It was salty, sweet and spicy.  At the same time, "herby" because you will add all the vegetables and herbs from the garden at the back of the restaurant.



I even added more fresh chili sauce and the bottled kind.



I wish they have this in Manila but it is actually an adaptation of the Vietnamese Pho but the Filipinos added sweetness to it.  That is why I loved it!!!!!  They only serve it this way in Palawan.

We also ordered the fresh spring rolls



with Peanut Sauce ...



but I would have to say, my version is better only because theirs have lots of rice noodles in their spring roll.

Dinner was at Ka Lui ...



another famous tourist destination and it is better to make reservations ahead of time.  Because of all the hype they have been getting they are always full.  They are also closed on Sundays.

We ordered the set meal for 2.

Halaan Soup



Lato (Seaweeds)



Grilled Fish



Fried Eggplant with Sauce



Prawns with Fresh Tomato Sauce



Tanigue in Coco Cream



Fresh Fruits with Muscovado Sugar



Mona tried their Green Mango Shake.



I am not a fan of Filipino Fusion so I cannot comment on the food but the ambiance was interesting enough. Hehehehe I believe in the saying: If you do not have anything good to say, do not say anything at all









Happy Birthday, Mona!!!



A very eager early greeter called her up while we were having breakfast at Haim Chicken Inato House beside our Inn.

















We did not have complimentary breakfast but it was ok because I loved the grilled chicken next door!!!!

I want to eat Chicken Inato everyday!!!!



It is like the inasal but not too sweet and not brushed with the orange oil.  It was perfectly grilled!!!!  And the dipping sauce  was kalamansi, sili, vinegar and soy sauce!!!!!

The birthday girl whose cholesterol level is over the roof ordered Crispy Chicken Skin Chicharon!!!



It was so good because it was not coated with breading.  I just tried a little because I do not like fried food.  I do not even like chicharon but Mona said she could have finished the whole platter if she was not afraid of getting sick.

We went back to our inn.  I was just waiting for the 2 hour rest and Mona and I were off again to our next destination.

Chef Tan's Kitchen... I read about it in some blogs.

Seafood Beancurd Soup



Shrimp Sio Mai



Chicken Feet



Those were just our appetizers..... the main lunch was at Balinsasayaw!!!



We had crabs!



Mona ate all the white meat, well .. except for one half which I tried and I ate all the claws.

The crabs were so fresh because the meat did not stick to the shell! And the meat was so firm and plump.  I asked for patis, vinegar and garlic.  I wiped the sauce from the crabs and dipped it in my own sauce.  THAT was even better!!!!

We also tried the Mango-Buko-Ube Shake!!!



Mango and buko blended together then poured in a glass with milk and topped with a scoop of Ube ice cream!!!!  I thought it would taste weird but surprisingly.... I wanted to have another one!!!

Mona had to give up on the next food destination.... she said she was so full already.  I waited again for the 2 hour mark and off I went by myself again to Rene's Saigon!

I thought to myself ... why would I wait to go back to Puerto Princesa to eat the Chao long?

I got another order of Chao Long (Beef Stew with rice noodles).



The noodles were really chewy!!!



Pork BBQ - it was as tender as the Pork BBQ I used to sell. I occasionally accept orders every once in a while.



Their vinegar dipping sauce complemented the bbq.



I also tried their Iced Vietnamese Coffee.  I am not a coffee drinker but this one was really delish!!!!



I waited until the coffee dripped from the small percolator, then added the crushed ice to the coffee.  I really loved it!



I have to find out where I can drink Vietnamese coffee here in Manila.

When I got back to the Inn .... I thought I was going to give birth! I felt like I was 12 months pregnant!!!!  I was so full because I asked for a pitcher of iced water at Rene's then  I added a lot of fresh chili sauce to my soup.  I had to take a drink of water for every spoonful of soup.... so you can just imagine how full my tummy was!  I asked Mona to flick my stomach because it was like a watermelon!!!

We heard mass at the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral.





Dinner was at La Taverna.  The cousin of Mona owns it ... who also owns Island Chicken Inasal in Boracay. She ordered Kansi - a cross between Nilagang Baka and Sinigang but Batwan was used as a souring agent instead of fresh tamarind.

`

I only tried a little because I was still full.



Nite out at Kinabuchs' Grill and Bar!!!




I tried their Iced Tea Slush.



Mona had a beer and I did not want to miss the opportunity to try their food.  I had Halabos na Hipon.



When it arrived at our table, I did not expect it to have sauce.  I thought it will just be steamed salted shrimps but the sauce tasted fairly good.

Hahahahaha I forgot ... I also told people that if they wanted to join us for the trip ... we fold up at 9 pm.  True enough, we were back at the inn by 9.

Breakfast was at Haim Chicken Inato again!!!!



Yes! Again!!!  Mona and I even wanted to buy for take out to bring home to Manila.  It was that good.  Well .... it was,  in my opinion.  Delicious  for me might not be delicious for others.

We went to Ramtan Commercial on Rizal Avenue across Mendoza Park to buy our pasalubong.



Roasted Cashew which was more expensive than the ones from Manila but they said, worth it because it tastes better and Bandi.  Lots and lots and lots and lots of Bandi!!!!

















We bought it last Saturday and Mona and I could not stop eating!  I was not even thinking of my sugar! I worked very hard for 3 months to lower my FBS but at the time I was eating the Bandi ... I said, even if my sugar went up to 500, it was soooo worth it.  So, we bought another batch to bring home for our family.

Bandi is like eating Cashew marzipan encased in panocha!  It melts in the mouth! And it was not even hard to bite at all! Even the denture-challenged can enjoy this sinful snack!!!  I wanted to buy more for all my friends but I did not have enough baggage allowance.

Halo-Halo at Noki Nocs



I liked it because it was not too sweet.  Similar to Razon's because the ice was shaved so finely but it had more ingredients.



Last food destination was Bilao at Palayok.







Their water carafe



Mona did not eat lunch anymore because she was still full from breakfast.  Nice thing about it ... MORE for me! But she ordered Strawberry Lychee Iced Tea.



I ordered Butter Garlic Crab .....



Surprise!!!!



Then I figured I might get hungry!  I also ordered Pork BBQ with rice!



A lot of people were asking me how is Puerto Princesa compared to Boracay.... I cannot answer that question, it will not be fair  because Boracay is on a different league of its own in my heart.

I did not tour the city, Underground River nor do the Honda Bay Island Hopping but I had an equally satisfying adventure in Puerto Princesa.

Would I go back to Puerto Princesa???? Yes! Why not?!?!?!

Here are the reasons why:

My favorite Tummy Hopping establishments:

1. Rene's Saigon, Vietnamese Specialties
    Rizal Avenue, Bancao-Bancao
    048-4335255

    Beef Stew with Rice Noodles
    Pork BBQ
    Iced Vietnamese Coffee

2. Haim Chicken Inato
    248  Manalo St.

    Grilled Chicken
    Grilled Spicy Chicken

3. Noki Noks
    Corner of Rizal Avenue or Robinsons Mall Food Court

    Halo-Halo

4. Ramtan Commecial
    Rizal Avenue across Mendoza Park
    048-4332562
    6:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday - Saturday
     Sunday - half day

    Bandi - roasted cashew nuts in panocha

5. Public Market
    Malvar St.

    Fresh Seafood to bring home to Manila.  They can pack it with ice for you and put in a box or styrofoam.

6. Bilao at Palayok
    Rizal Avenue

7. Balinsasayaw
    Rizal Avenue or Manalo St.

8. Kinabuchs
    Rizal Avenue