I love Pares. Well, not as much as I love Sashimi but it's one of my favorte Filipino food. Best served with torched bone marrow but I wouldn't mind having it on its own. From what I recall, I first had Pares around 2014 at my ex's house. Their helper's Pares was one of the best I've tasted. I've asked my Mom to make it and apparently she doesn't know how to that's why we never had it at home. In a nutshell, I love Pares. Everytime I try out a new place, a friend or colleague would always recommend something else they'd want me to try and this how I discovered Goto Tendon. 

Goto Tendon has been making the round of most of my food groups on Facebook. They're best known for their Sizzling Tendon Pares which has taken my social media groups by storm what with all the videos of this sizzling plate with tendon pares served with rice. It made my mouth water so one morning I thought I'd give it a try. It was just right after the holidays and the streets weren't as busy so I was thinking perfect timing. 

THE PLACE

A few details about Goto Tendon before we get started. "What makes this goto special is heritage. Nena Peñaloza, John’s grandmother, passed the recipe onto Jenny in 2002. Amah, she’s called, recalls feeding young John this goto to make his knees stronger. And ever since Jenny got a hold of this recipe, she spent her time further enhancing the flavor of the goto to what it is today. Now, Goto Tendon serves not just goto but also a bunch of other Pinoy favorites like pares and silog, all cooked with only the best ingredients and lots of love." (via)

Would I come back? I don't think so. I'm very practical when it comes to spending for food and I just couldn't justify spending around P150 for a meal that doesn't even have drinks. If someone asked me to go with them I'd probably go out of courtesy, but that's about it. Have you tried Goto Tendon? How was it for you?

THE PLACE

The place is not air-conditioned but has ample parking. It is located along Blas Ople Diversion Road so it can get a little hot since the area feels like a dessert right with a gasoline station. It can comfortably seat around 5-6 medium sized groups and despite it not being air-conditioned, the place was neat and clean. The menu was also posted on the wall with matching photos just in case you weren't familiar how the dishes looked like. 

I think a part of growing older really is hating loud noises. I remember a few yrs back I would scour the bars at night jumping from one to the other looking for the best happy hour deals while dancing my heart away. But now, all I wanted was to drink in my hotel room and be cozy with my blanket, lol. Anyway I brought that up because that's how I discovered this new restaurant I'll be sharing. 

So because food was my main priority when I went to Boracay, I spent most of my time on Trip Advisor looking for new/old restaurants to try. Some of the ones listed were really pricey so I decided to go for a moderately priced place which led me to Nalka. We were checked-in at Station 2 so I didn't see it while I was going around because it's on the far end of Station 1. 

Service was also relatively fast. There was no one in sight of our dining area but for some reason whenever we're ready to order, someone would appear. The waitress would also come to us every now and then to check if we already wanted to order. During our visit, we were the only diners which was quite surprising because the food was great. That's when we were told the promo is relatively new so I'm spreading the word so you guys don't miss out!

I was in Boracay over a month ago and while I have a barrage of complaints over the "new Boracay", I don't think this is the proper avenue. Follow me on twitter instead for the tea, lol. Anyway, for this series I don't think I'll be able to share anything budget-friendly because most of the restaurants we've tried had a pretty steep price tag. So I think, this series will just be all about the best bang for your buck since you'll be spending. While there are cheaper options like Mang Inasal, Andoks, etc. I just feel that we already have enough of those here you probably won't be looking forward to them in Boracay. 

So let's get it on with our first pick--Station X! Discovered this through a friend and we also passed by it. We also kept seeing it in AirBnbs ie location is near Station X and we were wondering if it's a new station added after the rehabilitation lol. Station X is an amazing place for foodies because it is conveniently located at Hue Hotels, which by the way offers a day package so you can make use of their amenities. What caught my eye was Streetmarket because it looked like an extremely posh food court I probably wouldn't walk in if I were in Manila lol. But there weren't a lot of people so I figured I'd give it a try. 

THE PLACE

Station X's Streetmarket offers a wide variety of cuisines from Japanese to Italian to Filipino. The ordering system is also organized because you can just order at the stall of your choice and they'll have it delivered to your table hence not being limited to just one cuisine--very helpful for those who usually have picky eaters as companions. Service was also relatively fast and everything is conveniently delivered to your table. The place is also spacious if you're dining with a big group and they have really decent bathrooms. 

I have loved mukbangs ever since I first discovered there is such a thing through Kinoshita Yuka--a Japanese oogui eater. Back then I was more impressed by the amount of food she consumed being she's a competitive eater, but my fascination later led me to discovering cuisines from other culture. Aside from mukbangs, I'm also deeply immersed in ASMR and we all know a huge chunk of ASMR creators are Koreans which is why most of the food I crave on a daily basis as I watch these videos would be korean food. 

I mean, I've always loved Korean food that's why it doesn't surprise me that korean food + asmr would be my go to sleeping pill. I make my own korean dishes but there's one that I always see in mukbangs that I can't really make myself--soy-marinated raw shrimp. I've seen how it's prepared but I get scared because marinating raw food in soy sauce is something that we don't usually do here in the Philippines. So you can imagine how long I've been looking for a restaurant that can cater to my infinite craving. Unfortunately, I've scoured Manila high and low but have't found one that can. But as luck would have it, I was in Boracay a couple of weeks ago and stumbled upon a restaurant that can address my curiosity. 

THE PLACE

KD Pocha is Korean-Filipino Fusion Pub. It's hidden just below Island Nook, so it may prove difficult to find. But one you get to Island Nook, you're good to go. The place, as the name suggests, looks more like a pub rather than a family-friendly restaurant with all the Soju bottles displayed on top of the counter. They offer authentic korean dishes such as the one I was extremely excited to try. The owner is also Korean and assures that they only offer the best and freshest seafood.

Would I come back? Definitely. Even if I wasn't amused with the new Boracay with all the surge of expensive Chinese restaurants driving prices to insane levels, I'm still glad there are hole in the wall finds like KD Pocha--not insanely overpriced but still gives you a chance into exploring the flavors of their culture. Korean cuisine is something I'll always be fascinated with and KD Pocha has been added to my go-to's should I crave again for another time. I just hope tickets to Caticaln were that cheap, but eitherway if you guys are ever in the area make sure to drop by!

As I'm typing this, it's raining cats and dogs which just makes this post more apt! It's no secret I love Samgyupsal but I don't think I've mentioned how I'm also in love with hotpot and shabu-shabu! We all know the weather hasn't been that kind to us lately giving us a lot of gloomy mornings and rainy evenings, and while it makes it even more difficult for most to get up and go on with the dailies, I personally enjoy it because then I get to have soup hah! I mean, I know it's a small thing but enjoying soup in a tropical country can really be quite tedious because who would want soup in the sweltering heat, right? Definitely not me. But anyway, I talked about loving the rain extensively because my next discovery was a product of that. 

One rainy day in Malolos, Bulacan of course my typical self was craving for samgyupsal. A quick google search led me to 1970 Korean Grill and Shabu-Shabu and shabu-shabu + samgyup sign me up! Initially I was a bit confused about the difference between hotpot and shabu-shabu and this is what I came up with : Hot pot is cooked in shallow iron pots with sake, mirin, soy, and sugar. The one-dish meal frequently features ingredients dipped in beaten raw eggs prior to cooking. Shabu-shabu features a different cooking style, which is the main difference between the two cuisines. All thinly-sliced ingredients are swished around the pot — the phrase ”shabu-shabu” actually translates to “swish-swish.” (via)

Studying in UP opened my eyes to the different ethno-lingustic sub-groups we have here in the Philippines. Not only was I made aware of the sun-culture but I was also introduced into the wonderful world of regional food. Having had most of my education in Baguio, I embraced the amazing diversity with Cordilleran food and along side it the fascination for Northern food came along. One dish in particular that has caught my eye through the years is Pancit Batil Patung--which I always see on one of my friends from Tuguegarao. It seems tedious to eat with all the additional ingredients but at the same time looks amazingly sumptuous too.

Pancit Batil Patung is an unusual noodle dish with a sauce based on soy and "cara-beef" beef broth. It is served with two piquant side dishes: a cup of egg-drop soup made with the same cara-beef broth; and a dish of chopped onions, vinegar or calamansi, chili peppers and soy sauce. The noodles are usually wheat-based and are topped with ground cara-beef, pork liver, mung bean sprouts, and poached egg from whence the name batil patong, literally "scrambled and placed on top" is thought to be derived. Sometimes, other vegetables, crushed pork-rind cracklings or chorizo are also added on top. Soup was served separately.(via wiki)

THE PLACE

Well technically I didn't visit the actual restaurant since I ordered via Zomato, and yes, Zomato now delivers! Anyway as mentioned. I have been craving for this even if I haven't tasted it yet so I took advantage of Zomato's delivery. No minimum order and no delivery fees, I think that's a steal. I was supposed to order via FoodPanda but for some odd reason they didn'thave this available on their selection just like Grab food but Zomato did. 

Pancit Center is the name of the place I ordered from. They have a huge variety of pancit from different regions. From Pancit Cabagan to Pancit Pusit, name it and they probably have it. I asked my friends from Instagram for recos and this place came highly recommended hence it being my first choice. 

THE FOOD

Okay so I've never tasted this dish before but I researched how it should be eaten thoroughly. I watched several videos and also asked some of my friends. I came prepared with my beef broth and calamansi, soy sauce and onions on the side. I had my first bite and--it felt underwhelming. I received such high praises for this dish which is why I question, it can't be this underwhelming? It was salty even when I added the dip with soy and calamansi. I tried eating a lot of onions to balance the taste but it just wasn't making the cut. And while I still believe that Pancit batil patung is an extemely sumptuous dish, I don't think Pancit Center is the best plaee to have it. 

Would I be back? Probably to try their other regional pancit offerings but not for their pancit batil patung. Something was just missing. Either I try it in Tuguegarao or one of these carinderias that my friends from the north actually swear by. Have you tried Pancit Batil Patung? How is it really supposed to taste??