Cliff(y) Goes Dining

More than 20 different cocktails on offer! Stepping into the flagship lounge of Philippine Airlines at Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport was a pleasant surprise. More than just a comfortable place to wait for my next flight, it offers a wide range of cocktails. The thought of having arroz caldo (Filipino chicken porridge) had me looking forward to a good time ahead.

Breakfast as early as 4.00am! Seeing a good deal online, I decided to book a room at Kabayan Hotel (3*) for my one day transit in Manila, the Philippines. As the hotel doesn't serve buffet breakfast, guests are to choose some items from the  a la carte  menu that's rotated on a daily basis.

Serving inexpensive 'tapa' since 1987! Pardon me for the short hiatus without prior notice as I've just come back from my December trip, where I found myself back in Manila, the Philippines. This time round, I'm going to write a review on another local fast food chain, Tapa King, which has got more than 80 branches at the point of writing.

Delectable, homely local items for breakfast~ The Mabuhay Manor stands at the heart of Baclaran, which is said to be "a local shopping haven comparable to Bangkok’s Chatuchak and Hong Kong’s Mong Kok". My BFF and I decided to stay there for a night due to the free shuttle to SM Mall of Asia and the one-way airport transfer that's included in the room rate.

A combination of yam and salted egg in a rice flour cake~ By nightfall, my BFF and I were still feeling somewhat full due to the heavy lunch at Bistro Remedios . Nevertheless, not wanting to miss the opportunity to savour more Filipino cuisine on our second and last night in the capital city, we decided to give Manam at SM Mall of Asia a try.

Getting knocked out by the 'Knockout Knuckle'? I chanced upon Bistro Remedios while doing some research on the food scene in the capital city of the Philippines. It's located at Remedios Circle, a roundabout that gives the restaurant its name, which is said to be the centre of nightlife in the city. Note: I only went to the area in the afternoon for lunch. :P

Free-flow 'ensaladang', 'longanisa' and 'dalandan' drink, anyone? Guests of Hotel H2O at Manila Ocean Park are treated to a buffet breakfast at Makan Makan Asian Food Village, which is described as a "veritable pan-Asian village where the culinary delights of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan and the Philippines [are] abound."

Reunited with 'inasal' and my favourite Filipino dessert, 'halo-halo'! Welcome back to Manila, the Philippines! After not having inasal  (Filipino roasted chicken) for five years, the last one at Bacolod Chicken Inasal , my BFF and I decided to go to the highly popular fast food chain among the locals.

Decent Eggs Benedict, as well as Filipino garlic fried rice for brunch! As my BFF and I had approximately two hours of layover in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei before catching the next flight to Manila, the Philippines, we spent a bit of time at the one and only lounge at Brunei International Airport.

Even Mr. President Benigno Aquino dropped by the Lucky Plaza outlet! I first encountered Jollibee when I went to its country of origin, the Philippines, in 2012. I can't believe it's been three years since the opening of its first outlet here at Lucky Plaza in 2013, and that's how long I waited to relive the memories of my trip to Manila and Cebu.

Authentic flavours from 12 different cities in the world! Tonight's review is a special one on the jamboree of the 2nd World Street Food Congress by Makansutra , boasting a total of 23 stalls from 12 cities, held here in Singapore from 8 to 12 April 2015. After missing the first one in 2013, I made it a point to go to Bugis just now, no matter how long the queues would be. Here are the dishes I tried in chronological order.

And just one more bowl of 'arroz caldo' before I left the country! Pikachu and Melon wish our readers a Happy Easter! Have you got yourselves some chocolate eggs? :) Unfortunately, we haven't. When I was looking through my posts in the morning, to my disbelief, I found out that this review has been saved as a draft for a long time. Anyway, I spent about an hour or so in the PAL International Mabuhay Lounge before I boarded on the plane to fly back to HK.

The biggest Chinese fast-food chain in the Philippines! Combining a Western fast-food service style and Chinese food, Chowking was founded in 1985 when burger joints were dominating the Philippine fast-food scene. I remember I dined at one of the branches in Jakarta before, but I couldn't recall what I ate.  

"A place where you can have your seafood freshly cooked according to your specifications." UPDATE (30/09/2017):  The restaurant has moved to SM Mall of Asia. Started as a humble local eatery in a wet market in Baclaran in the 1980s, Aling Tonya's Seafood Palutuan has since grown in business with a total of 8 branches. Cooking charges vary according to the weight of the seafood items ordered, as well as how would you like them done.  

Peach and mango in a crispy pie! In the Philippines, who doesn't recognise Jollibee, the friendly-looking bee wearing a red blazer and a chef's hat? The profitable fast-food restaurant chain which shares the same name with its mascot serves not only the usual burgers and fried chickens, but also dishes to suit local tastes.  

Chicken on a skewer, but not yakitori! Chicken inasal is a type of roasted chicken served on a skewer that originated in the Visayas region. Well, the best way to savour its true taste is to go to Bacolod City. However, since I didn't have the time to travel all the way there, I had to be content with what the restaurant chain, which was founded in 1993, offered.  

Deliciously tender chorizo! Located in the uptown section of Cebu City, Mango Park Hotel (3*) is within walking distance to Fuente Osmeña Circle, the focal landmark of the city, as well as One Mango Avenue Building which houses Zubuchon . Well, it's not exactly safe to wander around, I'd say, especially at night.  

Crispy, crackling chicken skin! Sunburst Fried Chicken isn't like your usual fast-food fix; in fact, it's a proper restaurant. Popular among Cebuanos, the eatery serves not only fried chickens, but also internal organs which are usually absent in most, if not all, fast food joints. Nope, I wasn't exactly in the mood to eat fried chickens the other day, but I did try something which many people have recommended: fried chicken skin!  

Anthony Bourdain: "Best pig... EVER!" The moment I saw Mr. Bourdain's comment in the Internet, I made it a point to drop by Zubuchon for dinner when I was in Cebu to try the legendary roasted pork. To be honest, I was already feeling kinda sleepy that evening because of the tiring day trip to the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. However, the moment I entered the restaurant and saw the display full of roasted pork, I was wide awake haha...  

A bowl of congee (or two) to warm your heart and soul! After visiting Resorts World Manila which is just opposite the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, I spent a few hours in the PAL Domestic Mabuhay Lounge, waiting for my early flight to Cebu.