Snack Houses in My hometown

Summer is definitely around in our country. So hot, the sun is scorching. Thirst is best quench by cold drinks. Personally, I go for fresh fruit shakes and my favorite halo-halo ( - a kind of dessert made of sweetened fruit and crushed ice with milk or ice cream, particular around islands in the Philippines ). See Digman Halo-Halo here.



My love for halo-halo rooted from my childhood years in my hometown_ Guinayangan Quezon.
As a child, my mother would take me and my brother to Aling Aida or Aling Pina, then both equally popular refreshment parlors in our town. Both served superb snack menus which included sandwiches, spaghetti, pancit, noddle soup and ofcourse halo-halo.


Growing up into teens, I spent half of my highschool still in my rustic town. These two refreshment parlors were our Starbucks where I would hang out with friends after school. But instead of fraps we enjoyed our tall glasses of halo-halo.




Summer vacations from college in Manila, were also full of memories of meet-ups with my friends in these snack houses.

These were also the places of our quaint town where you would be obliged to treat your friends on your birthday, incase it was randomly remembered on the spot. Hence, an unplanned halo-halo treat was a practical decision both for your wallet and for the grateful well wishers.







My regular yearly short vacations with my own family to my hometown, keeps me abreast with updates about these establishments.

Between these two snack houses, Aling Pina's remains standing up to the present. Only, it's now called by a different name_ Jomari. Still owned by the same clan ( Isaac's), one of them was Tin-tin a classmate/friend way back in my primary school.





At Jomari's (Aling Pina's), halo-halo is presently priced at P27. Still using the same vintage ice crusher, must be the secret of a delicious halo-halo.



Good news! Our favorite halo-halo mates shanghai rolls in a bun sandwich still keeps our mouth waters at P15 which I remember used to be P2.50 per sandwich.

I would say this sandwich is particular here. I remember one incident in the past, when I brought a friend/guest from Manila introduced her to this unique concoction. She said : a whaaat? rolls inside a bun? She took a bite and loved it!

The humble beginnings of this snack house which used to be a pharmacy was these original shanghai sandwiches in recycled milk carton boxes being sold infront of the owner's aunt pharmacy. The rest is history.



Today, the place is not limited to snack menu anymore but offers lunch and dinner dishes too. My brother brags to me about its newest unique concoction which is a spaghetti in black sauce made up of pork blood stew dinuguan. This one, I haven't tasted yet. A must on my next visit this summer.





As for the other one, Aling Aida's, whose owner with the same name, died years ago, had closed down and since then the place with new owner turned the place into a funeral home.
Is this ironic or what ?

V-Lunch at Lotte

We found a quiet and uncrowded spot for our V-day lunch. We dared not went near the malls as I assumed they were jam packed cos of three situations : Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year and it's a family Sunday. Neither we aimed to eat at popular places for the same reasons given.

All we wanted was good food and unhurried afternoon. Previous two nights out had enough noise and fun to seek for a relaxing lunch out.







I've been eyeing this newest resto in our vicinity everytime we passed by the new building where it is nestling.




The location is unassuming as you wouldn't expect there's a restaurant hidden on the 2nd floor of a small commercial building ( Palm Square ) with a beauty medical clinic (ala Belo Med) as its carrier. The only hint is its sign board name infront of the building.


The resto is named Lotte Seafood, Taiwanese Cuisine. True enough we were the only occupants of the place. The light was even turned off before we entered and I remember seeing the place got dark when we left the place.


I have a good feeling with newly opened resto. Everything is new. I would imagine the kitchen has all new cooking hard and soft wares, must be neat and inhibited yet of germs and as bacterial repository just like old and abused kitchen of some old Chinese restos.





Interior was minimalist. Almost zen like. Dining sets smelled clean and new. It was big enough and had private function hall on the side. I always love a place without a crowd. It's like renting the whole place all by yourself. That was how the noon was, we were the only costumers, the only table in used.





Prices were reasonable and not at all expensive. The menu said Taiwanese cuisine which specialized on seafood. Personally, I couldn't tell Taiwanese from other chinese cooking. They all the same to me.

Tempura, isn't that Japanese?

To cut the choices short (there were lots), we ordered a set meal for four. When everything arrived on our table, only then we realized that they had the same color of red orange and all were sweet and sour based.

the ever fave of my girls - sweet and sour pork

prawns in chili sauce

fish with mango (not the exact name of the dish)

fried rice, even this had orange color

We actually enjoyed each plate. The dishes were all delicious. We had to order some extra plates of rice as the fried rice included in the set was not enough. I thought, the rice was only good for two and not for four.




I appreciated the details put in each plate. Each was beautifully decorated with edible stuff.





The service was fast and kind. Well, that's what the best about uncrowded resto.




We even received a complimentary dessert of fresh fruits. Thank you very much.

cutee baby of the family who owns the place

We'll be glad to comeback for more delighful dishes and good service.

Salcedo Saturday Market

Last Saturday my daughter Marla had the earliest 7am college entrance exams in Makati. So after dropping her in the school, how do you think I should kill my time waiting? Malls?, nah, too early.

Up we went to Saturday market in Salcedo for breakfast and ofcourse to see what's new and to buy some organic stuff. Remember my post about Sunday market at Legaspi, Makati? see here . That's for Sunday shopper. This one for Saturday people.





My hotdog crazy Kyla went straight to the sausage booth. Me, I don't eat meat in am. It's like my stomach is not yet ready for heavy stuff on breakfast. I go for fruits and pastries.






Going around, I nibbled light piaya( originated from the province of Iloilo) from a 12pcs/box I bought to bring home. These are so good and being cooked right infont of your eyes. So you buy them fresh and hot.




I started going around and saw familiar stuff..




Like these ready-to-go dishes for lunch and dinner and the usual delicacies from different provinces of our country.

puto, rice cake

fresh carabao's milk

shrimp paste

green Philippine mangoes

different variants of dried fish and bottled of sweets : my favorite macapuno & nata which I bought a bottle of each

strawberry and lettuce from Baguio

jars of cookies and preserves

looking for something new...

giant mushrooms, imported

blackberries?, imported

alfalfa sprouts, imported

wheat grass fresh juices and other products from this healthy craze of the hour

Chinese dimsums cart, in time for CNY

Thai dishes from Thailand, whereelse?

Foreigners who stay in condos and villages in Makati, like the expats and their families frequent this market. That's why there are lots of different international booths/stalls around here. There's Greek, Thai, American, to name a few.

there are also handcrafted stuffs which are surely a hit for the foreigners and locals like me

plants for sale

and flowers too

I was little disappointed coz there's no nachos. I used to buy bags of it to stack in my pantry ready to get as cravings arise.

The following day was the Chinese New Year, that explained the dragon all set to roar.

The girl behind the lens, Kyla, my sweet girl who enjoyed the market with me. We were now ready to pick up her sis Marla who called to tell us she was done with the exams.