Choobi Choobi, Lingaw Lingaw Kaon!

On February 15, 2016, Monday, a day after Valentine’s, a working day, hubby fetched me at the office for a quick trip to the grocery. After which we decided to have dinner at one of the diners at Centrio Ayala Mall, an instant post Valentine’s date with hubby and the little girl.

The choice for the night is Choobi Choobi Lingaw Lingaw Kaon, a Cebu-based native restaurant that had opened its doors to Kagay-anon last year. Looking at their menu, I have realized that their specialty of the house called the “Shrimp in a Bag” has the same concept like those at Redtail. I wanted to try it, but opted not because we have a toddler with us. Instead, we chose something that the little one can eat.

According to the menu, the Lola Pepang’s Fried Chicken is a family recipe that was passed on for four generations. Hmm quite interesting huh! Checked! We added another one, something fromTanny’s Garden called the Choobi Chopsuey, because according to the menu “veggies are supposed to be delicious”. Let’s see and taste… + rice and iced tea, off to the waiter our order for the night.

A few minutes later the foods came out from the kitchen.

The Lola Pepang’s Fried Chicken was already chopped when served. You’ll probably think that the chicken was a little burnt because of the color, but it was not, just maybe because of the spices used. The taste was something a little different yet tasty, our little loved it too. But the sauce that comes with it was just beyond my taste, because it was very salty for me but just fine with husband. Since, a whole chicken is more than enough for us, we wanted to take home the leg or wing part for our little boy who loves chicken. But surprisingly, there was only one wing; I wonder where the other one was. Hmmmm Anyway, the one whole chicken for P300.00 was already a good deal, I just hope they serve it in one piece para naman may challenge to dig in, unless the customer will ask to have it chopped.  

What I love about local restaurants are the vegetable choices.  Chopsuey is our favorite veggie dish, hence, we did not hesitate to choose the “Choobi Chopsuey”. The phrase in their menu, didn’t fail us, their version of chopsuey was indeed appetizing. The baby girl also loved the sauce when mixed with the rice. It’s definitely a must try for veggie lovers for only P135.00 per serving.

Considering also the place, ambiance and service, overall, it was a good dining experience. If I am to rate from 1 – 5, with 5 the highest, I’ll rate it at 3. Though, I need to try the “Shrimps in the Bag” next time and make another review who knows the myrating will go up.

Until my next foodie adventure… Ciao!

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Ribs and Bibs, Cagayan de Oro City

Someone treated these two ladies for dinner tonight to a restaurant of our choice. Yippee!

With so much to choose from, we ended up in a resto where back ribs is the specialty of the house, the Ribs and Bibs along JR Borja St. Cagayan de Oro City.

source: Ribs and Bibs FB Page

Ribs and Bibs opened its door to the public on June 22, 2015, that means I’ve been passing along for almost 8 months already but never really checked out the place. Hah! Blame it to our busy schedules and limited budget last year (oh, I think even this year hehehe).

Anyway, now that we've found a sponsor who is willing to take us there, why hesitate? With open arms, and hungry stomach, off we went to Ribs and Bibs.

I can’t help but look around and checkout the overall ambiance of the place when we went in. With the historical facts of Cagayan de Oro displayed and the nice interior design, make the place appealing.

At 6:00PM there were only two groups in the resto, I think it’s still too early for dinner, but nevertheless, it’s better to be early as long as the circumstance permit, that means we’ll get to park properly and choose the best spot inside. We ordered, the Daddy Back Ribs, Nachos and Ice Tea (no fancy drinks tonight). By the time our orders were served, the area is also starting to fill in.

The Menu

The first to be served was the Nachos.We dug in right away while waiting for the main dish to be served. Gutom na rin pala... The tortilla chips topped with chili con carne, sour cream, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese sauce taste was really appetizing. I could not ask for more, it’s just so perfect for me. We have consumed about three-quarter when the “back ribs” came.

Nachos

The “Daddy Back Ribs” is the biggest serving of the house (I presumed), a triple share comprising of huge back ribs, buttered veggies, grilled corn on a cob, 1 side dish (we chose coleslaw), 3 plain rice + a pitcher of iced tea with an extra sauce.

Daddy Back Ribs

My first reaction was, huh? Why served in an aluminum tray? Hindi sosyalin. But when I tasted the meat, oh la la it was so good, I completely forgot about the tray. hehe The meat was so tender and juicy (hahaha parang commercial ng hotdog) and the barbeque sauce was really flavourful. I even dipped the meat into the extra sauce for more sensation.

The buttered vegetable, corn on a cob, the coleslaw that comes with the back ribs are also something to look forward to, crunchy, creamy, saucy and tasty. Everything on the aluminum tray is really worth consuming.

The extra factor was, our sponsor only paid P725.00 (Daddy Back Ribs) + P195.00 (Nachos) = P920.00, quite cheaper for a 3 person meal.

Oh, before I forgot, the service was also good. I have no bad comments for that. Just Smile and Thumbs up!

Ribs and Bibs is really worth recommending. If asked, If I am going to visit the place again? Definitely Yes! By that time, I’ll be going with my husband. J Ciao! 

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The Boy Zugba, Kusina Bisaya Experience

One fine evening, we decided to have dinner. Instead of going to the usual spot, we opted to try something new, a resto that we’ve never been to. That’s when I suggested Boy Zugba, a resto bar along Corrales Avenue.

At 7PM, we’re lucky to get a spot in the small parking space in front of the establishment, considering there were a lot of diners inside.

We were greeted by a smiling waiter, and directed us to a table set for 3 persons near the counter.

What do you expect from Boy Zugba, Kusina Bisaya? With the name alone, it implies that their specialties of the house are grilled (sugba) dishes. But when you check out their menu, they really have a lot to offer, dishes with entertaining and funny names in native dialect Bisaya. Makalingaw (nakakatuwa, nakakaaliw)!

Flipping from one page to another, we decided to order the following; (huh! No grilled food for us tonight!)

Bandihadong Krispy if translated in English is “a bowl of crispy” comprising of prito manok (fried chicken), kalamares (flour coated sliced squid) and lumpiang kagubkob (very crispy spring rolls). There’s nothing special about this dish except for the presentation. The divided ceramic serving dish is a good choice for this type of food combo, with the condiments (sweet chili sauce, mayonnaise and ketchup) neatly filled the 3 square compartments. The word “Krispy” didn’t let us down because everything on the plate we’re very crispy and tasty.

Sakay na sa Bisaya Express is the Bisaya version of Bicol Express. Instead of the long chillies, they substituted it with string beans (it definitely taste and looks like string beans). Now I think about it, the “haling gyud” or very hot and spicy is probably using the long chillies and since we ordered the “medyo halang”, thus, the substitution. (Correct me if I’m wrong please). With the food we have ordered, this dish definitely surpassed my expectation. I loved spicy foods, every drop of the soup, every piece of the vegetables and meat, was delectable.

Ginumis Cooler is the store-made drink. A mixture of gulaman, sago, cereals and something we do not know. The result is a bland, tasteless drink. Hah! the P65.00 for a mason jar full of Ginumis is definitely not worthy.

And last but not least, every Filipino favorite food the Rice, nicely served in an individual ceramic bowl with cover. Liked!

This is how our table for three looks like with the food on it, pre-arranged for pictorial purposes by us. J

Thanks to one of the service crews for the photographs. He was obediently taking our photos from every corner possible.

Alex, Ann’s friend from Iligan was very entertaining. I really enjoyed talking to him, to both of them. Thanks for the time Alex aka Sharapova and Mare Ann.

Overall our first dine out at Boy Zugba was a very funny and enjoyable one. If asked to visit again Boy Zugba?

My answer is definitely yes, because the following week, I was asked for by our newly appointed regular employees for suggestions were to lunch out for a change. I suggested Boy Zugba, and they all agreed!

A long table at the main hall good for 20 persons was reserved to us, our orders were readily served when we arrived, the power of advance order.

On the table were the following Boy Zugba dishes, Sinuglaw de Cagayan, Tsuper Sisig, Sakay na Bisaya Express, Tuna Belly, Lechon Kawali and Pork Liempo. There were soup that I forgot the name, soft drinks and of course rice.  

So cheers for the delicious foods served and the happy group pictorial! J Congratulations also to the new five (5) young Electrical Engineers for your regular appointment. 

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A Trip to Saging Repablik, Davao City

I have mentioned in my previous post about our food tripping in the land of the bananas, the Saging Repablik in Davao City.

Instead of taking a cab from Casa Leticia, Sir Jay (our colleague in Davao City) offered to take us to our next adventure, to the land of the bananas, a unique diner featuring saging (bananas) in their menu.

Located at Tionko Ave. corner V. Mapa St., Saging Repablik is very easy to find considering the black greasy unique looking building and the big signage in color green, just like those found in highways.

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First Trip to Land of the Vikings

The highlight of our 3-day travel in Davao City aside from the work related meeting we attended was the trip to the land of the Vikings, the Luxury Buffet Restaurant.

It all started, when the head of the group asked us where the best place to have our dinner when we arrive in Davao City. Of course, our response was VIKINGS! I have always wished to visit the place, but I don’t have a P799 to spend on one dinner yet. Kuripot pa eh, kulang pa nang push…Then the opportunity came, our Chief will be treating us for dinner. Yippee!

After we checked-in at the Park Inn Hotel located at the back of SM Lanang, we proceeded to Vikings, 10 minutes too early before they opened.

The first to be entertained are those guests who have reservations, while the walk-ins were given priority number and were asked to wait for our turn for the registration.

A few minutes later, our number was called and was assisted to our assigned table, but before that we had a pictorial at the huge signage for remembrance after all it was our first time in Vikings.

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I Heart OC (Orange Claw)

It was already noon time when I finished my regular appointment with the dentist in Iligan City, three weeks ago. Hubby and I were already hungry and still trying to figure out which of the so many food venues to try, thank goodness he bought something at Poprock while waiting for me.

I remembered, our Ninang posted a new restaurant to try in the city. The concept was the same as the Red Tail here in Cagayan de Oro City. Seafoods were served in plastic transparent bags and you eat with your hands with disposable gloves.

Hubby and I decided to try and went to search the place, thanks to my officemate for the impromptu SMS for the direction/location. 

The place is pretty much noticeable because of the “I Heart OC” in front (OC stands for Orange Claw). We can see from the outside that there were only a few diners inside. Thank goodness! Because I heard that they were jam-packed on their soft opening.

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My 24-Hour Visit in Davao City

My boss was invited to a meeting in Davao City on July 29, 2015, and since the agenda was something about our section’s tasks, he let me tag along.

On July 29, 2015 we flew to Davao City from Laguindingan Airport on an early morning flight, since the meeting is scheduled at 10AM we still have ample time to get there on time. It was a beautiful morning,  clear sky, the great weather. I can actually see what’s below, considering ATR-72-500 turboprop plane on flies at a maximum altitude of 7200m considerably lower than an airbus. 

We arrived, according to schedule, went directly to Seda Hotel, our booked hotel for this trip. Had a 30 minutes rest,then proceeded to the meeting venue at Café Tavera located along Pardo de Tavera corner Avancena Street.

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Dinner at Rosario’s Seafood Restaurant and Chinese Cuisine in Butuan City

One of the usual things we do when traveling with the boss on business trips is checking out and dining in one of the known local restaurants in the city. Last week, together with my boss and 3 other colleagues went to Butuan City to attend the quarterly coordination meeting with our partners in the power industry. The meeting went smoothly as we finished all the tasks and discussions ahead of time, and had more time to relax since our trip back home was still on the following day. 

On the rainy evening of January 7, 2015 five of us on board our service vehicle, went to restaurant hunting until realizing that I have internet connection with me. I googled for the nearest and best seafood restaurant in town and found two listed on the net the “Island Seafood Restaurant” and “Rosario’s Seafood Restaurant” none of us have tried to dine in either of the two. So we decided, whichever is the nearest from our location based on the GPS and landed at the Rosario’s Seafood Restaurant.

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Coffee + Cakes at Margie's Kitchen, Butuan + First Time Meet Up

While in Butuan, I got a chance to meet a fellow blogger, an online friend in person. She is the lady behind the blog The Unstressed. She fetched me at the hotel and off we went to Margies Bakeshop one of the best in the city, when in terms of sweet indulgence. 

The first thing I ordered when we arrived there was a cup of hot cappuccino. It was a rainy afternoon and something hot, especially coffee will boost me up. 

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A Dinner Date at Roadhouse Cafe

I declared myself on holiday from work last Friday, December 19, 2014. 

I applied for a vacation leave to attend my son’s Christmas party together with hubby, our little girl and their caregivers. Later in the afternoon, the kids were left at home with the caregivers while hubby and I went to meet our Godparents to deliver the two bracelets that Ninang Malou ordered. Stayed with them for 1 hour chit chatting and later went to Centrio Mall. 

It was already past 6PM that we realized that we are hungry and decided to have an instant dinner date just the two of us. Yep! The last time we dine out was like forever, we seldom go out, and it we do the kids will tag along. 

I was craving for a steak, in fact we also have a scheduled dinner date before Christmas with friends and on my menu is a steak. Hubby and I chose Roadside Cafe at Centrio Mall. To satisfy my craving I ordered rib eye steak, while hubby ordered a sizzling pork steak. Unfortunately, the rib eye steak  was not available, they offered the available porterhouse steak instead, which I gladly agreed without asking the price (feeling rich lang!).

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4 Things I Did in General Santos City

One of the perks of being a corporate employee is getting to go places for free. Though the main purpose is work related, like attending meetings, seminars, or field work, etc. at the end of the day, even an hour or two there will always be free time to explore places. Like last week, together with my boss and some colleagues, we attended a meeting at the General Santos City.

Skipping the work related activities because the issues and concerns discussed there were highly confidential, here are the other things that I did in General Santos City;

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