Maui: Sunset Dinner Cruise

Maui is one of the best Island in Hawaii; a perfect venue for marriages, a must-revisit place for honeymooners, and for vacationers.

I unfortunately never feel how beautiful Maui is, and never have a chance to fully appreciate Maui lifestyle. I never feel the mellow lifestyle on the island, for I am so busy with my work and school. Not until I got a chance to have dinner cruise last spring break of this year.

This beautiful island should never be taken for granted, because it has a magical healing when everyone start and experience the beauty of it. The vibrant heat of the sun radiates to the white sand that gives an uplift to the stressed spirit. The deep blue ocean flourished the thirsty and tired spirit. The mixed breeze from the mountain and the sea lifted the soul to dance.

This part of the island, The Whaler's Village, is the gathering place for dinner cruise for west Maui. All five-stars hotels are crowding the shore: Hyatt Hotel, Westin Hotel, and etc.

Ready for island cruise

At Kapalua Ritz Carlton Hotel

The couple revisited the Island to reminisce and nurture their love, they perfectly enjoy the romantic sunset with moonlight.

I think it is not just me needed a break, but this couple too and might be a lot more. I am sure they have wonderful time together and happy memories with the island.

Black Beard Seafood Restaurant

One of the main reason for my vacation is to reconnect with my family, relatives, and friends. After busy days of bonding from my family and seeing my college friends, I contacted my high school friends to meet and reconnect with each other again. I do this every time I am in the Philippines. But due to hectic schedule and short time frame, I feel so sorry for rescheduling many times my meeting with my high school friends; the jbance group, Alen, Cristy, Evelyn and me. My friends and I  planned to meet first at June 2nd, but due to our conflict and hectic schedule, we reschedule it for June 4th. But my sister requested me to have family bonding that day. That is the only day that the whole family is available. So I moved the jbance meeting to June 5th, where three of us are free.

Wednesday June 5th, I met Cristy first at National Bookstore Abreeza, and then we planned to where can we have dinner together with Allen. I told her to try at Black Beard Sea food, because one of our high school batch mate is working in this restaurant. Cristy agree  with me to have dinner @ Seafood Island.

With the Manager, our high school batchmate- Mr. V. Casas

 While waiting for Allen, one of our dear friend,  that is stranded for the heavy traffic at R. Castillo, where there is road reconstruction, Cristy and I started to order our food. Allen keep texting us that she is on her way, she just stuck on the traffic. ( It's ok Allen we start having our dinner :) ). Cristy and I are so hungry waiting for Allen, so we decided to eat without Allen. 

Mr. Casas and Miss Cristy

Magellan Boodle

We order Magellan boodle, that is good for 3 to 4 persons. It has a mountain of rice with fresh kinilaw on top and crab, shrimps, dried fish danggit, fried tilapia, 1 grilled eggplant, a piece of grilled chicken leg, and 1 squid on the side. I ate few danngit, the whole eggplant, the kinilaw, and a piece of squid. While Cristy is craving the crab, ate part of the squid, kinilaw and danggit. When Allen arrived, she is enjoyed eating the rest of the food.

Fried Icream

To finishing up, we order our desert. The manager introduce to us their specialty, the fried ice cream. The fried ice cream is the best. The pie that cover the ice cream is moist and sweet temptation. Thumbs up Sir Casas. 

Tonight, eventhough it's been raining all night and Allen's car been flooded and we are almost stranded in the middle of the road, I have another fulfilling vacation. I've met my friends and have quality time together.

Store location:

Sea Foods Island

G/F Abreeza Mall Davao City

@ NONKI Japanese Restaurant

IRASHAIMASE! KOMBANWA! a Japanese greetings of welcome and good evening, that is the first words we heard from the waitresses as the security guard opens the door. It is not new to us these words so we merely understand.

photo 1

I have plan to try Japanese food in this previous days, but tonight I never let it pass. As we enter the restaurant, it has a positive aura; calm, siren.

photo 2

The place is with dim light and expecting to be with Japanese design. I first notice the white shiny rocks on the black floor tiles on the edge next to the bamboo like fence as their focal point.

photo 3

I admire the design. We seated on the second row. It is so private, the back leaning of their seats are high enough to cover every person who is seating.

photo 4

Our waitress for tonight is so attentive, I forgot to ask her name :). Their service is good, as I said, she is so attentive to us. We order Temaki, Saki Shioyaki Bento, Ebi tempura, Yaki Gyoza, and Matcha ice cream and fresh mango for our desert. What a lovely and hearty dinner!

Temaki

Sake Shioyaki Bento

Ebi Tempura

Yaki Gyoza

Macha ice cream

Tonight is another moment to cherish with good food and good company. Another wonderful experience with stomach full.

The restaurant opens for lunch from 11:30am to 2:00pm and for dinner from 5:30pm to 10:30pm.

They also offer catering services.

Store Location:

F. Torres St., Davao City

Tel #: 082.226.3058

Above photos 1,2,3 &4 credited from https://www.facebook.com/nonkijapaneserestaurantdavao

Refreshing Afternoon@CBTL

Something smooth, something cold, something sweet, something aromatic, and something unique. I am craving all of these in a hot afternoon.

In Hawaii, I freshly brewed the whole coffee beans almost every morning, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf brand. The aroma awakened my senses. I can't wait to have a sip every time the brewed finish. One glass of coffee with half and half cream is enough to keep me going in the morning with my toasted bread.

Stacks of 3 bags of CBTL French Rost

Since I arrived here in Davao, I neither have a coffee maker nor a grinder, so I really missed my morning brewed coffee.

Today, after I paid my monthly payment for my social security bill, I decided to go to SM Premier at Lanang to cool me off from a very humid afternoon, and after strolling and shopping, I spotted the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf that I've been searching for awhile here in the City, for I love this kind of coffee since I tried the whole coffee bean from this brand. I am not looking for a hot coffee this time, I want cold and something unique.

Since I tried already their coffee product, I ordered their un-whipped regular size Matcha green tea iced blend for a try and experience their unique blend. It is smooth, aromatic, sweet, and cold drinks.  :). It is perfect for a hot sunny day and for my craving today, because I never tried this yet. Fortunately, they offered 50% every monday for double chocolate iced blend, so I ordered it too.

Matcha green tea

Double chocolate and Matcha green tea iced blend

I want to try another drinks next time. Today, my craving is completed and I feel satisfied. I have just a little joy, reward and spoiling myself.

As far as my taste can judge, I testify that Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is the best coffee I've ever tried. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is started in Southern California since 1963.  They carefully choose and purchased specialty grade Arabica coffee beans from high altitude of Latin America, East Africa, and the Pacific that is as high as 6000ft. The product is stringently monitored to achieved the best quality of coffee.

I called Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf as an art, because they hand crafted it and carefully chose from geographic to climatic condition to ensure they get the best beans. From choosing geographically to agriculture to processing, they carefully crafted the beans. That is why their coffee is simply the best.

Next to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is the Kona coffee of Hawaii.

Related Facts:
Coffee is an antioxidant and a laxative.

Store location:
Abreeza Mall, Davao
SM Lanang Premier
The Peak, Gaisano mall

http://www.coffeebean.com/
http://www.coffeebean.com.ph/location.html

Dinner @ Hukad

After two weeks of my arrival, I contacted my college friend Shebe to meet her. I've met her at SM Premier Lanang, one of the newest mall in Davao City, to talk about our incoming little gathering for the Chemical Engineering batch'99. We first stroll inside the mall until we feel hungry. I have no idea where to dine, all I know is that  I am craving for Filipino food. We end up at HUKAD Restaurant at second floor of SM Lanang. 

As Shebe and I are going inside the restaurant, the hosts greet us with a smile. As we are coming inside, I laready like the place; it is small, clean, neat and intimate restaurant, that is my first impression.Shebe and I choose the table to seat in and then the waiter handed us the menu. 

We order fried shrimp to start with, then we order our main course of Bicol express, kinilaw, kalamaris, and liempo. 

While waiting for our food to be serve, we have a chance to take photographs for remembrance. We never hesitate to approached the waiter to take pictures for Shebe and I together.

While waiting for our food

I do not expect that the food is super delicious. It goes beyond my expectation. Though some of their serving size is small, but the taste is great. Their fried shrimpies is so heavenly tasty and crunchy fresh. Their chicken halang-halang ( spicy chicken) and kinilaw are superb. It is my first Filipino super meal since I arrived here in the Philippines, it satisfied my cravings.

I enjoy my time with my friend Shebe, and I am happy with the food.
Shebe and I hadn't eat all the food, so we take out our extra and allow her to bring it. The food prices are expensive, but the food and service are excellent.

A Night in Vista View

Joei de vivre as they called it in France. The joy of living can be anything to anybody. But for me, the joy of living can be heartfelt when life is celebrated with the people you love.

Tonight is another celebration of good life and the joy of living. As my sister is going back to Japan after a week of vacation with her 4 years old Japanese son, Taiki, we plan to celebrate their last night with us before going back to Japan tomorrow, because we often times see each other personally. Our last meeting was four years ago when she and her family visited here in Davao. So, we decided to have dinner together at the Vista View Resto, an overlooking view of Davao City, in Hilltop Davao that is located in Barangay Langub 30 minutes away from downtown area with fare of 166Php taxi rate.

I called the restaurant this morning for reservation of 22 parties. We need a long table for my family and relatives. It is another night of fun and enjoyment. We love each other's presence especially when we do bonding together. We enjoy the food in this place. Some of my family member can't resist to eat more and forget for awhile about their diet. Vista View offers unlimited rice and that is perfect for the  love of eating voraciously. :)

I ordered 4 whole buttered chicken, where the skin is so crunchy and meat is so tender and delicious; 3 orders of Shrimp soup; 3 plates of Kinilaw; 3 orders of Pinakbet, a saute of mixed vegetables; and 3 orders of Pancit guisado with four petcher of iced tea.

As the order is served, I smell the smoke of cooked rice and the shrimp soup. Smells of the food rushing into my nose, racing each other to the finishing line; my nose. The spoons and forks are like piano, I heard my nephews and nieces talking to each other. They are all busy picking up the dishes. I picked first the kinilaw and the shrimp soup. The shrimp soup is so satisfying especially in a cold night.

 It is another night to remember, to cherish and to look forward for next future gatherings. I am sure everyone is stomach full that they can hardly walk down the stairs :). For me, I am still poise after all the food I ate.

Vista View has an excellent ambiance with excellent food, price, and service. I have nice experience with the place. My heart is filled with love and joy, the belongingness that I've missed with my family is now refilled and recharged. Thanks that we've chosen Vista View for tonight's another unique experience.  Thanks also to our waiter Dave.

Vacation Mode at Villa De Mercedes

After many months of planning where would be my Philippines destination vacation 2013 and after surfing in the internet all travel destinations in the Philippines to gather information I have picked Villa De Mercedes in Toril Davao City for some reasons; First, I want a very relaxing environment; laid back lifestyle and enjoyable. Second, I want to connect with the nature and recharge my energy from hard work. Third, I want a place where I can celebrate with my big family. :). Lastly, near or within  Davao City.

June 3rd, I finally book my whole family at this place. I inform them to be prepared exactly at 9:00am for June 4th at the gathering place in the parking area of Pryce tower Davao. Actually the agent told me that the gathering time is 10:00am. I just train my family to be ahead of the gathering time, as we used to know the Philippine time is always late.

June 4th, at 8:45am my whole family and relatives are on their way to the Pryce tower. I said yes! I did it, I make them early.When I get there at parking lot, everybody look very excited. Some of my nieces are busy on their iphone and ipad, some are taking their photographs while waiting for me. As I approaching to where they are, they are all smiling and ready for the swim. I told them that we need to wait a little while for the real time is 10:00am, I told them also why I need them to be at 9:00am, for them to keep early and be time sensitive :). I am glad they understand, and that they don't get angry they waited for almost an hour.

At 10:00am the agent came near to us and ask if we are the one who make an appointment. Then she called the driver and park the van where we are standing for almost an hour.

 

Inside the van with my beautiful niece (right)

They picked their own seat inside the van. We are full packed, I seated at the back seat of the driver. I hated and afraid to be seated at the last seat of the van at the back, my claustrophobia might attack me like what happen last year at Bohol. I don't want to spoil our fun.

At 10:41am we arrived at the entrance gate of Villa De Mercedes. Everyone is wide eye open, including me, for this is all our first time in this place.

We dropped at the pool area, everyone is started to go out from the van.

My sister and I pay first at the lobby/dining are. I am glad that my sister is having vacation too, so she share with me to pay half of the bills.
The agent tour us to the area and have a sight seeing. We take a break at the "Bahay Kubo," a Philippine native house before proceeding to the pool.

The area has a playground too, and the kids are making their own memories. I love to see them happy.

At the pool area, we are so much having fun.

We are trying to play train

When we do play the train, and occupy the whole pool some of the occupancy on the corner are enjoy watching us.

 

The Ladies

Gentlemen

I really make our summer time the most memorable ever for this year. I enjoy so much, I laugh out loud again :)). Everybody has a smile on their face.  Everything seems perfect; the place, the transportation service. But I am not happy with the food service package. They only offer tocino, pork and chicken barbeque, 3 plates of fresh pineapple and watermelon, and ice tea. To solve our hunger we need to order additional menu, we order 2 bowls of pancit, 3 plates of viands with rice.

I really treasure this moment. I love spending time with each other, I am sure the kids surely have fun too and they have memories to cherish when they grow up. I love to celebrate the joy of living at Villa De Mercedes.