I got out of bed so early to capture the sunrise, but as I looked at the sky, the imminent downpour was on its way. It was an overcast morning and to my dismay, I still have no sunrise photo of Baler for our second day. But it did not dampen my excitement. Rain or shine, this day is a wonderful day to be happy with our Baler Adventure.
Aniao Islets as seen from the shore
Audit season has ended, and so for us the Finance team, this is the time to unwind, chill and relax. Time to whisk off the pressure and stress we had for the past few months. We’re not the finicky type of office people, as long as we are all together in one long table (at libre hahaha!) we will surely get in. And now, we will glut our appetites at Charaptor Charcoal Barbecue Bar, the Barbecue-All-U-Can restaurant situated at Kamagong Street corner Aranga Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City.
happy together
Our vacation in Ilocos Province was indeed refreshing. As we were on our way to Manila, the group still craves its famous delicacies. It was nearing twelve high noon and while we were along Diversion Road in San Fernando we stumbled upon this cute restaurant Nipa Resto Grill with ”Bahay Kubo” style structure. And everyone was excited to hop out from the van and eat!
Nipa Resto Grill along Diversion Road
After a two-hour nap in Mojica Residencia Hotel, everyone is ready to take a walk in the cobbled Calle Crisologo, the main attraction in Vigan. We are so excited to see the famous Spanish colonial architecture of the city and its famous tourist spots.
Our first family minor trek at Taal Crater Lake in Talisay, Batangas was one of our happy and memorable experiences. Not that we enjoyed the scenic views, our kids immensely enjoyed the exciting adventure. Tired and hungry, my hubby treats us to a wonderful lunch at Balinsasayaw Chicken Grill and Restaurant in Silang, Cavite. I got so excited because this is another unique dining experience for the whole family.
Way home now after our company’s one and a half-day kick-off meeting in a retreat house in Tagaytay City. I was in a car with Joel, Mark, Faith, and Michael. Among the five of us, Michael was the lucky employee who won an award in our annual awarding ceremony highlighted the other night. Since it has a cash prize, we sweetly coerced him for a treat in Mushroomburger Restaurant which was located in Barangay Kaybagal a few distances away from where we’ve been. Continue reading
Davao City is famous for its Durian and Marang, their signature fruits which are commonly asked for pasalubong. And there is more, the city is so clean and peaceful. Thanks to the strong leadership of the Dutertes for imposing a remarkable discipline to Davao City, thus making the people so proud of it.
Seeing Davao in person is such a fulfilling experience. I’ve learned the reason/s why this city though far is now frequented by tourists and adventurers like me.
I think I’m in love with You Davao!
Let me now begin my story in our Davao City tour.
This is the first time that I traveled by air with my kids. It was raining hard in Manila when we left by 8:00 pm, and so we experienced turbulence up in the sky. That’s part of the adventure, anyway. We were all excited setting foot at the airport and seeing my hubby waiting for us at the arrival area. He was on a two-week IT project in the city with his team. He enjoined us to spend their last weekend for an exhilarating getaway.
the excited trio
We boarded a taxi going to Lanang to where we will spend our first dinner at Penong’s Barbeque Seafoods and Grills. It is one of Davao’s famous chicken barbecue restaurants and is famed for its juicy barbecue. I was so curious to taste their food which was comparable to Mang Inasal’s delicacies. Well, let us see which is better.
the jam-packed restaurant at night
Penong’s was set in an open-air dining area, built entirely of authentic native wooden material. Thus making it so cozy and homey. Barney, Froi, and Dwight joined us in our dinner. It was now packed with people and we were lucky because we got the last table.
We ordered the delectable Fiesta Plate, a combination of chicken and pork barbecue, liempo, pork chop, and longganisa (P710) with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and a pinch of calamansi juice. We also ordered kinilaw na tuna (P113), sinigang na hipon (P121), and bottomless ice tea for our drinks. We were given complimentary bulalo soup and cold water. I left my diet in Manila and so I ate all the dishes served on the table.
the delectable Fiesta Plate
The Davao kinilaw style was so delectable. It was me and my hubby who feasted on it. Yummy! Overall, the food was really good, really good that Pao and Shen’s plate had no rice leftover. Whooh!
the Davao tuna kinilaw style
What amused me much was the clapping of hands to call the waiter’s attention. I recommend this restaurant for its affordable price and fast service.
they had a juicy barbecue that you will long to go back and eat for more
Honestly, their barbecue is much better than Mang Inasal and they have more variety of foods to choose from. Better try this if you happen to visit Davao City. They have budget meals with price ranges from P68 to P92, choices of chicken, pork barbecue, and pork chop.
Location: JP Laurel Avenue, Lanang, Davao City (in front of Toyota Motors and near SM City Lanang Premier)
Schedule – 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Happy Eating!
My comments about Davao City – I was impressed by its clean environment. But what I admired most was the strict implementation of city ordinances like the city-wide ban on smoking in public areas and the selling of alcoholic drinks which prohibits from 2 AM to 6 AM. See how effective Davao City’s governance was ruling anyway?
Next stop – Drifter’s Apartel and British Hub