Angelina Pizza and Pasta

There's a delightful little Italian restaurant called Angelina Pizza and Pasta along Banilad Road. If I'm on my way to Talamban, it's on the right side just before University of Cebu. The place is intimate, cozy and well... techie. I can have free wi-fi access to go with my ravioli and red wine. The service is great, the staff is quick but courteous and most of all my experience with their pepperoni pizza and seafood risotto was pure bliss.

Seafood Risotto: So good, it beckons to me even in my sleep

One of the best pizza in Cebu

The Road Less Traveled: Carenderia Dining

The Carenderia with No Name

Cebu will never leave me hungry. In almost every nook and cranny is a Carenderia where the food is genuinely homemade. So whenever I don't want to spend money on the finer side of dining, all I have to do is find a small, road-side eatery where the food is as familiar as home at a cost that sometimes makes me feel I'm only handing the tip.

One such place is a nameless eatery or Carenderia, located along the main road of Barangay Guadalupe. The boyfriend and I were in the mood for cheap, homemade food without having to cook it ourselves, so we drove to this place. And it was worth it. It wasn't fancy or anything, but it sure was satisfying. And we only paid Php159.00 for everything, including a liter of Coke.

Balbacua and Adobong Pusit

The Huge Aquarium

Off-key at Tequila Joe

One great thing about Cebu is that a lot of people here can really sing. That's why Karaoke is really popular throughout the island. Everywhere I go, from high scale resto-bars to a minuscule roadside store, there's always a Karaoke machine with some serious singing showdown going on. Even the local bands’ vocalists have exceptionally great voices. I could round them up and herd them off to American Idol auditions and I personally think that every one of them would get a yellow pass to Hollywood. And come some bar's acoustic night, the audience participation is a highly coveted part of the show.

So when I sing, either in Karaoke bars or when I take over the spotlight of a band’s vocalist, people pay attention. Not because I can belt out a tune like Amy Winehouse, but because I’m one of the few in the Cebuano population who royally suck at singing. And what I love about this place is that most people appreciate me. Most people who are my friends, at least. =D


Last night, I assaulted the senses of the Tequila Joe crowd when I took center stage and sang my horrible version of Like a Virgin. After the band’s vocally-impressive performance, I think I came out like a drum roll and a bull horn in the middle of somebody’s dreamless sleep. I sang at the top of my lungs and gradually shrank off along with the microphone stand because I didn’t know how the damn lock works. But I didn’t miss a beat as I gracefully swayed down along with it. And what did I get for my efforts? A call for an encore! There’s really no place like home.

(Tequila Joe is located at the Ayala Entertainment Center, Cebu Business Park)

Only in Cebu: Sinulog 2006!

One of the things I love most about Cebu is the annual Sinulog festival. As far back as I can recall I’ve always spent the day on the streets, watching the spectacle and having a generally good time. Good food and cold drinks abound and festive spirits pulsate all over the city. In the evening after the street dancing, I look forward to the concerts, especially those sponsored by San Miguel (they tend to be bigger and crazier) excited to groove to the music with my own uniquely chaotic dance moves.

Sinulog 2006

The Giants
Street Dancers
Henna Tattoo Session
I wish I could wear that!

I wish Taz is permanent!
Cool costume!
The multitude
Float
Fireworks: I don't go home without it
Party!

Moalboal: Gray, Stormy and still Beautiful

Moalboal... another town in the Southwest of Cebu famous for its alluring beaches. I've been to Basdako beach 3 times already and while the first two were warm, sunny days, the third one had a typhoon brewing. And yet, the place was still beautiful, in a distantly chaotic way, stripped bare of its warm, welcoming nature.


I loved the strength of the wind and how it made the waves crash into the shore, the same way the beer crashed into my system. I felt that I was one with the storm and the waves and I merged with them until finally, I realized that I am human and that rolling around the waves fully-clothed can ruin the straps of my beloved Havaianas flip-flops.

I like the 3-hour drive from Cebu City to Moalboal. The Southern road offers a scenic view and once I get to the destination, food, drinks and accommodations are really affordable.

AA Grill - The Road to Gluttony

It's first branch opened in Salinas Drive, Lahug almost a decade ago and AA Grill became an instant hit. Not only just because of the mouth-watering grilled Bangus and pork belly, but the really, really affordable prices. AA Grill is one of the reasons why I never tire of Native Filipino dishes.

My favorites:
1. Then grilled Bangus wrapped stuffed with onions, tomatoes and herbs and wrapped in aluminum foil.
2. Grilled white marlin
3. Calamari
4. Grilled Pork Belly
5. Chicken barbecue
6. Kinilaw na Tangigue

Branches:
1. Salinas Drive, Lahug
2. AS Fortuna, Mandaue
3. Near Plaza Independencia

Malapascua - A Piece of Paradise

A piece of heaven had fallen and landed into the sea off the coast of the Northern tip of Cebu. It became known to the rest of the world as Malapascua. Every year, I return to this place to enjoy the unique mix of fun and tranquility the island has to offer and more...

• scrumptious fare from almost all the restaurants
• Happy Hour
• the glorious night sky
• the powdery white sand beaches
• the spectacular sunsets
• idyllic Island living
• snorkeling

Getting there:
3 to 4-hour drive from Cebu City to Maya, Daan Bantayan. From there, you take a 25-minute boat ride to the island.

The Unforgettable Sumilon Island

Four years ago, I fell in love with this tiny but breathtaking island off the coast of Southern Cebu. It was a 3-hour drive to the town of Oslob and a 5-minute boat ride from there to the glorious Sumilon Island. The white sand, the clear waters, the lush greenery --- it was the perfect getaway.

Since we found the overnight package too expensive, we took advantage of Sumilon Blue Water's day-package offer. Back then, it only cost us Php500 per person inclusive of the resort's sports, snorkeling and kayaking equipment, the boat ride to and from the island, plus a lunch buffet. Today, a similar package is said to cost Php1000/person, but for such a beautiful island as Sumilon, it would be more than worth it.

Cream and Bake Restaurant

One of my favorite restaurants in town, Cream and Bake is located along A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad, Mandaue City. Aside from their wide array of desserts (as the name suggests), they also serve one of the most delicious and inexpensive native Filipino cuisines in Cebu City.

In the photo: (Hey, I’m not a pro. I don’t like to set up things; I just like to take pictures)

Spicy Crabs
Filipino-style Fried Chicken
Calamari
Tuna Belly
Kinilaw na Tuna

All these, including rice and homemade ice cream for dessert, cost around Php600.

Other must-tries:

Spicy Shrimp
Sizzling Sisig
Sizzling Gambas
Kinilaw na Mahi-mahi
Lechon Kawali

You can opt to dine inside or al fresco. They also serve beer and sandwiches.

Store hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10AM to 10PM
Friday to Saturday: 10 AM to 12 AM