Yap-Sandiego House

In my last trip to Cebu (which I only had 2days) I visited a lot of historical landmarks such as Fort San Pedro, Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino and Magellan's cross .

One of my favorite spots is this old house near the Cebu Heritage Monument which is known as the Yap-Sandiego House. We all know that Cebu has now progressed to a very modern city but the owner of this house maintained this home just how it was built in 17th century.

I’m sure you’ve seen old houses in history books or in movies but not the furniture and interiors in full detail. I was amazed to see how they were able to maintain the old structures and that they still have century old pieces.

Just like in our own home, they also have this open lanai in the middle of the house.

Since Christianity was introduced in Cebu, religious statues and altars became an important part of every home.

You will notice in their furniture how carved wood was a prevalent design. Also, back in the days when there were no faucets or water outlets, they kept big jars and bottles to store their water which I think conserved more energy.

They have huge chairs by the window and they even have a harp.They have huge windows to get more light and air.

 

They kept the old design of the "Tisa" clay roof and Balayong wood. Since it was raining that time, I think I didn't see any leaks so I think the one who restored it did a great job.

They have "sungka" which is a known game back in the days (and which I'm terrible at). Their lamps and lightings were all huge and fragile.

This is their beautiful garden on one rainy Saturday morning.

My ghostly image in their old mirror with the sun's reflection.Good thing I'm not wearing white=P

Their vintage dining set is still in place.

I was surprised that most of their religious statues were also in the bedroom. Since it was quite dark inside the room, this creeped me out a little bit. =P

I had a few moments to reminisce, relax and breathe while waiting for the rain to subside.

This ancestral house is located at 155-Lopez Jaena corner Mabini Street, Parian District in Cebu, Phil.

Watch out since I'll be posting my favorite Cebu food stops soon =)

The Brutally Honest Personality Test

I tried the Brutally Honest Personality Test the other day since my friend Chin and I were talking about personality tests and how accurate it is. This is the result: -- I'm a Pushover. =P

Photo credit: http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/the-13-breeds-of-freelancer-and-how-to-up-your-game/

"Hah. Nice one. How does it feel to know that you're barely unique? Of all the personality types you could have had, you ended up with the most common in all of America. In a group of 100 Americans, 12.8 of them will be just like you.

I bet you feel sorry for that one person missing 20% of his body. I bet you want to help him out, don't you? Cause that's what you like to do, isn't it? Help people. You don't want to save the world. You just want to help people out.

Sound pretty good so far? Sorry, but you're just plain pathetic. You let people walk all over you all the time, because everyone knows that you just can't say "no." When you get time, email me your contact details. It's always good to know where I can find another helping hand.

What the hell is your problem? GET A LIFE! Stop cleaning other people's houses and go out and have a bit of fun every now and then. Sure, you feel responsible for doing what needs to be done, but sometimes it's just not you who needs to do it.

You're dependable, predictable and practicaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

Whoops, that was me falling asleep on the keyboard. You're just not the most fun person. I wouldn't worry too much about it. You can go hang out with your other 12.8 mates, helping out at the soup kitchen together. Woohoo!"

Hmm, it really sounded harsh and quite true actually. I already prepped myself for insulting words and mean confirmations on how boring I am so I wasn't really affected. By the way, the 'pushover' is just their brutal term for the ISFJ (Introverted-Sensing-Feeling-Judging) personality. It felt like talking to a really frank friend on what they think about me. If you know you're too sensitive for mean words, don't take this. =P 

Would you try this test? Tell me what it says about you and if you find it quite true =P Happy Weekend!

Burger Bar

Move over Chili’s I think I may have found a new favorite Burger joint – Burger Bar =P 

I’ve been hearing a lot of good reviews about this place so a friend and I decided to try it. 

I love the hip and cozy interiors. 

As I was deciding which burger to get, I started with their Warm Artichoke and Spinach Dip (P285).
Ok, I have to admit I liked the quality of Chili's tortilla chips more than this but the dip was just too good that I would rate it 4.5/5. 

I had a hard time deciding what to get and I was getting hungry so I got my first choice - The 4-Cheese Chuck Single Patty - parmesan-crusted beef patty blend of chuck and short rib with yellow cheddar, aged gruyere, mozzarella, arugula in a sesame bun (P245) and upsized it to Go Lunch Box Rated GP (with fries and drink) (P330). You could never go wrong with cheese and it sure didn't disappoint me. The bun was also soft and it didn't have 'unnecessary' condiments which sometimes disrupts the taste. It was simple yet it was soo good. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish everything so I saved the other half of my burger =P 

Take a peek inside my cheesy burger.

How they cooked the patty was just perfect! Since there were already 4 different types of cheese in my burger, I couldn’t ask for more.  My drink was a little bit unusual but at the same time refreshing. Imagine a ‘toothpaste drink’ (minty) with the taste of tea at the end.  It's something new and it's not too bad either but it's not one of my favorite drinks =P

I think the prices are quite reasonable considering the quality of their beef and the taste. You can also have your burgers fit to your own perfection as they offer customized burgers. You can choose your own bun, your preferred toppings and the type of beef. You can be your own burger boss =P

Unfortunately I didn’t have room for dessert so I made a vow to come back and try their famous pudding and their other bestsellers. 

A perfect place to hang-out and give-in to your burger cravings. I give this place a thumbs up! =)

Burger Bar is located at G/F of Greenbelt 2.

Conversation Hearts

Spent Valentine's day with my loved ones. A close friend gave me this cute and sweet treat last Vday.

 

Palmer Conversation Hearts Milk Chocolate Flavored

You can also rearrange them for a short and sweet message =P

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day. XOXO

Chinese New Year 2013 at Binondo, Manila

It all started last year when a few friends decided to go to Binondo to celebrate Chinese New Year. Then I think it became a tradition. =) We came not just for the festivities but also to indulge in good food. 

1.) First stop is to buy my favorite hopia from Ho-land Bakery. You can also buy there other Chinese delicacies.

Address: 551 Yuchengco St. cor. Carvajal Binondo Manila

2.) We planned to eat lunch at Sincerity Cafe & Restaurant but unfortunately they were open for take-out only so we brought it home instead. Sincerity is known for their fried chicken and it was indeed full of flavor that you no longer need sauce.

Address: 497 Yuchengco St. Binondo Manila

While walking we saw lots of finger food, tikoy and lucky charms.

3.) Another place you shouldn't miss is Po-heng's Lumpia House. For P50.00 you can have a big healthy snack. It's quite hard to locate this place probably because it's hidden. They make the best lumpia with fresh ingredients. They also serve Maki Soup (P55) which is perfect for merienda. I'll try this in my next visit.

Address: Uy Su Bin Bldg.531 Quintin Paredes St., BinondoManila

4.) We had lunch at Awi's Cafe and Restaurant which was featured in one of the episodes of Cityscape (a travel and lifestyle show). We ordered their famous Lomi which was perfect (P130) and coffee spareribs (230) - both good for sharing. Their lechong kawali and chicken with lemon sauce were also great.

Address:  520 E.T. Yuchengco Street, Binondo, City of Manila 

5.) Cafe Mezzanine would be the most famous restaurant in Binondo because it is never empty and because all of the revenues are donated to Binondo Paco Fire Search and Rescue Brigade. It's a good business with a good cause. We had some light snacks -- french fries (P55) and siomai (P60) because we were still full with all the food that we ate from Awi's. We also watched the dragon dance from the second floor window. 

Address: 650 Ongpin corner E.T. Yuchengco Sts., Binondo Manila

6.) I kind of missed some of the goodies from my HK trip last year good thing Binondo has the Mandarin Supermarket where I could buy my favorite juice, canned coffee, biscuits and other favorite Chinese goods. Could you spot the giant lollipop? I'm sure you wouldn't miss it. 

Address: G/F Mandarin Square Bldg. 777 Ongpin St. Binondo Manila

7. My brother who used to work at Binondo told me about Crepe de Chine. He asked me to buy Taco Mexicano (P170) which was so huge and filling. My friends ordered desserts and I tried their Pizza Crepe (P140) which was so cheesy that's why I loved it. Their fresh mango shake was a great fix to end my merienda. The place was quite far from the busy streets of Binondo. It was a perfect place to hang-out and chill and enjoy their cozy swings.

Address: World Trade Exchange Bldg. 215 Juan Luna cor Dasmarinas St. Binondo Manila

I'm not superstitious but there's no harm in buying charms that could bring you luck right? Just in case it would work, I bought a charm bracelet for the year of the Ox for P80. =)

8. Aling Carina, our Chinese friend, used to bring us this famous Shanghai Fried Siopao. Everytime I go to Binondo I always buy this for baon and pasalubong. 

Address: corner of Ongpin St. and Bahama St.

The highlight of the festivities -- Dragondance.

We even saw Ivan Dy with his tour group. 

9-10. This pic was taken last year. I just wanted to share this since we're talking about the great food finds in Binondo. I loved the Kuchay dumplings from Tasty Dumplings and Waiying's hakaw.

Address: Tasty Dumplings - 620 Ongpin St. Binondo Manila

Address: Waiying - 810 Benavidez St. Binondo Manila 

It was again a fun experience with my friends. Every meal was delicious! Can't wait for 2014, probably by that time I would have tried every restaurant in Binondo (I wish!) 

I hope everyone would have a prosperous year ahead! =)