Lasang Chocolate Farm in Bohol - Cacao Walking Tour, Fruit Picking and Tree Planting Activity!

I want to take you next on our favorite adventure in Bohol - finding a cacao farm! I wanted to add another farm to my list and decided on visiting the Lasang Chocolate Farm in Maribojoc! I came to Bohol after all in search of different forms of chocolates from the Chocolate Hills to the Chocolate Chamber and now the actual thing from the source ;) We are so glad we booked this private tour, which included a mini cacao introduction walking tour, cacao picking and tree planting. I will share the chocolate making in the next post so that I can post more pictures.

DIY Bohol Countryside Tour Day Trip in Tagbilaran and Panglao Part 2 - Osang's Broas, Tarsier Sanctuary, Gerarda's, Mangrove Forest and Chocolate Hills!

We rented a car to drive for 2 days in Bohol and this is Part 2 of our DIY Countryside Tour focusing on the Tagbilaran side, which is connected to Panglao via bridge. Let me show you where we went and our route - from buying the best broas I've had so far up to the famous Chocolate Hills.

DIY Bohol Countryside Tour Day Trip in Tagbilaran and Panglao Part 1 - Kamaya Breakfast, Hinagdanan Cave, Star Peanuts and Pasalubong!

We rented a car delivered to our hotel in Panglao for 2 days so that we can do our own DIY Bohol countryside tour. At P1500 per day and comfortable for up to 4 pax, I was glad that we had this option for a free and easy road trip to Panglao and Tagbilaran, which is around 1 hour away. I have broken this post down into 2 parts - this first one for our morning Panglao spots including a breakfast spot that we went to twice for this trip! Part 2 is for the Tagbilaran day trip.

Our Thoughts on Alona Beach in Panglao Bohol, Booking Island Tours and Thai Lang Restaurant!

After our Pamilacan Island tour with dolphins and turtles, it was time to check out Alona Beach - named after an actress who did a movie and ran naked here in the 1970s. Walking by the beach at sunset is one of my favorite things to do in Boracay and I couldn't help but compare. I remembered hearing from our previous (childhood) trip that they imported Boracay white sand to Bohol once upon a time but I'm not sure if it was just rumors. I still prefer Boracay's powdery sand although if you have a day or two to spare or if you're looking for an area with lots of food and beach then this could be the central location for you in Panglao, Bohol.

The Chocolate Chamber at the Moadto Strip Mall in Panglao, Bohol!

So the reason for our Bohol trip was The Chocolate Chamber at the Moadto Strip Mall! I first tasted this around 2 years ago and have been craving for it since ;) In my opinion, it's the best local Filipino-made chocolate bar and also in nugget style that I've had so far. This is my Royce and Callebaut local equivalent of chocolate with a smooth and refined flavor. The Chocolate Chamber offerings here in Panglao are not available in Manila and Luzon except for their tablea/hot chocolate which you can get at the Manila Hotel. 

 

Our Best Meal in Bohol - Mangaon Ta Restaurant at the Modala Beach Resort Hotel!

It has been a while since we did a domestic trip from Manila and my first target turned out to be Bohol haha. My obsession took me to this side of Panglao Island - a quiet side away from the craziness of Alona Beach. I was initially looking at Modala Beach Resort as an accommodation option so we dropped by just in case we wanted to return in the future. We had a late lunch at their resort restaurant Mangaon Ta and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Let me tell you about what I found out haha. 

Arashiyama Kyoto Tour in Japan - Lion's Roar Garden, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kijirou and Sagano Chikuji-an!

We went to Arashiyama twice for this trip and I found that I can still go back here again when I go back to Kyoto. It's a popular tourist destination and I think there's plenty of sites here for everyone aside from the infamous bamboo grove. This is around a 5-hour slow walk with lots of photo stops for us. I believe we started out on the right foot for this one so I wasn't overwhelmed with all the crowds! 

Songdowon Korean BBQ Restaurant 송도원 Quezon City Branch in Manila!

The hunt for Korean restaurants in Manila is ongoing before my big trip to Korea this month! This time, we tried Songdowon Premium Korean BBQ in Quezon City. I was intrigued by this restaurant due to the extensive menu and beef options. I was so excited that I forgot to take our picture while eating haha. We had lunch here on a Wednesday and everyone thought it was worth going back to again and the service we received was excellent. Their main branch is in Pasay and we were told that the one cooking there is a Korean.

Holiday Classics Kitchen Sessions Experience by Innobake Philippines in Pasig!

One of the recent experiences that J and I enjoyed was participating in the first Holiday Classics Kitchen Session of Innobake Philippines in Pasig! It was a free demo cooking class hosted by Innobake's resident Chef John. He showcased the different product lines sold by this company, now being made available to home cooks and bakers (before mostly only for commissaries, restaurants and big bulk clients). I am sharing below the recipe for Spanish Sardines that they gave us. If you want the other recipes for the other holiday bestsellers below, please feel free to send me a message via Facebook and I can send it to you.

Korean BBQ Saemaeul Sikdang Philippines in Glorietta Makati!

I've only seen this done on Korean TV - rolling seaweed into rice balls and a grandma feeding it to her grandchildren! So when I saw this on Saemaeul's menu, I just had to order it for the experience haha. J and I dropped by this year's Korea Travel Fiesta in Makati and I wanted another Korean experience for lunch. We found Saemaeul restaurant being constructed at the Top of the Glo many months back and I told him we should go because of Chef Paik Jong Won!

Never Gets Old.. Lunch at Promenade Foodcourt and Eye Check!

We haven’t been to the Greenhills Promenade foodcourt in a long time. Today, we got a taste of the newly opened Hackensack 1950s Burger - selling burgers and wings. The menu seemed familiar though and I asked if it was with the Slammers Group that I’ve been patronizing for many years. And I was right! Haha.

Trying Out Breakfast Wrap Hack - How to Fold a Burrito or Wrap!

On a work day, I usually allot just around 30 minutes for breakfast. On rare occasions, I get up earlier and cook! I found this popular hack that was trending in Tiktok (I forgot which food subscription site where I saw it and who said it...) and wanted to try it out hahaha. We had a wrap in the fridge and I always find it hard to “wrap” so that the things don’t fall off and get messy while eating. So this is what happened..

Date Night at Alishan and Dean & Deluca Scout Rallos!

Some weekdays are for office days then date night right after! We just went to Alishan and Dean & Deluca Scout Rallos in Quezon City! I was actually on official business to claim my first 2021 prize hehe. Alishan Philippines had a giveaway on Instagram and I won! Alishan Taiwan is part of the Dean & Deluca group - this I learned when they were supposed to open beside each other in Greenhills.

Sundays are for Chinese Food!

I woke up with an urge to go out someplace far with J. We used to travel to somewhere we haven’t been to impromptu for our meals. Sadly, the place that I wanted to go to was fully booked until March 2021 after I called to ask if they needed bookings. 😧 I ended up just staying at home and spending quality time with my sis (plus finished my house work)! For dinner though, I thought I’d catch up on my Chinese food cravings hihi.

Short BK GK Getaway Deals - Popeyes Chicken Philippines and Landers Pasig!

Short walks with J got me through the week. Today, we drove to Arcovia City in Pasig and ended up in Louisiana chain Popeyes for lunch. It’s just a short walk from Landers Pasig. The ambiance was light, spacious and diner-like, which reminds me of our honeymoon trip to the US.

2021

2021 has been a tough year so far and it hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. I can feel myself slipping away physically and emotionally, even crying nonstop for hours. So far, listening to meditation music helped calm me down last night and letting everything go. I thought about writing again now and I believe it’s helping. In front of me is a huge Chili’s unli chips and salsa and my Shirley temple. I long for simple days like this, just partying by myself with chill house music and not thinking about anything or anybody else. 

What I’ve Learned in 2020

2020 has been good to me so far. Time slowed down and it forced me to think more about my life, my goals, my activities, my health, my priorities and my relationships. How’s life been so far? At first it was scary and seemed so uncertain that I found myself paralysed and if not, panicking on the many things I still have to do with work. The first brave thing I did and the turning point was to cut my hair! I felt like me again after so long!

A Week in My Life: Surgery Recovery Food for Wisdom Tooth Removal!

As much as I would want to go on a diet due to my borderline high triglycerides, I believe the notion of a reward prevailed these past few days when it came to my food intake after wisdom tooth removal surgery. Maybe in another week? Here’s my food diary so far for my recovery - a mix of food I would recommend, my cravings, Jeff’s creations and things we whipped up together! I am feeling 100% recently after I stopped counting the days haha.

Sa Chun Sung Korean Chinese Restaurant in Pearl Drive Ortigas!

I've searched again and again for Korean jajangmyun (black noodles) in Manila and failed each time for years. This time, thanks to my sister and Ryan Bang (haha), I finally found somewhere good and just in Ortigas, Pasig that can satisfy my craving! You can only find this dish in Chinese restaurants in Korea and they eat it during Singles Day. Koreans also order jajangmyun via delivery when they move to a new place then the dishes get picked up afterwards (according to the Korean series on Netflix Let's Eat that I just watched). Originally adapted from the jajiangmien in China, it was brought to Korea and the once salty dish became sweeter and lighter, which I like very much. Sa Chun Sung is open Wednesdays to Mondays from noon onwards ;) 

Guimaras Mango Festival Harvest and Manggahan Eat-All-You-Can Experience!

I've been thinking about going to the Guimaras Manggahan Festival for years. Finally, my long-time dream to go with Jeff has come true! My grandma used to feed the sweetest mangoes during our weekly visits to her and we usually couldn't reach it freely since she would ripen it on top of the warm part of the fridge. Haha. I brought these memories with me and prepared for the Mango Eat-All-You-Can activity (by not eating mangoes for a few weeks)! Luckily, I found about the Mango Harvest and Pay Experience as well, which was the best part for me. The festival happens from May 11 to May 22 every year.