Zoobic Safari

Zoobic Safari by Geof

 5 May 2013. Our summer trip to Subic inlcudes the Zoobic Safari. First, we saw a lot of birds and farm animals. Second, we took a train that brought us to the many sections of the zoo. The first stop was a close encounter with tigers. We went in a jeep and saw them up close. The handlers also fed them meat. The next stop, we saw where all the tigers were being held. For the third stop, we saw an Aeta dance ritual. Then we saw an exhibit of many animal skins and hides. Finally, we walked over a bridge overlooking a pond full of crocodiles. Even though it was hot that day, I still had a fun experience there.

Camels

Milk feeding the goats!

Inside the safari jeep

Ouch! The tiger bit my finger!

Tiger - happy with the finger!

An Aeta Dance

Geof and the crocodiles

Geof and Julia strolling at the Zoobic park

Ocean Adventure at Subic

Our Ocean Adventure by Geof

  

4 May 2013. During our trip to Subic, our first destination was Ocean Adventure. First, we went to the Animal Kingdom. There, we learned about the many types of animals, birds, and reptiles. Next, we watched Kenyan acrobats do all types of stunts and acrobatics. Third, we watched the dolphins do stunts and interact with the audience. Finally, we watched a show about sea lions doing tricks with their trainers. As an added bonus, one of the audience fell into the sea lion’s pool. After all that, we went to an aquarium and saw all kinds of sea animals. Finally, we bought 2 stuffed animals at the souvenir shop. It was an amazing experience!

 

Animal Show - Reptiles and Dogs

Kenyan Acrobats - Awesome and Funny!

Dolphins say bye-bye!

Sea Lions Show

Mr. Blowfish!

Souvenir shop

Toasted Siopao

Have you ever tasted a toasted siopao? It's yummy and the kids loved it. The toasted siopao has meat and egg inside. You can buy the toasted siopao here at Visayas Ave (besides Conspiracy Bar). One dozen of siopao in a box cost P106 (or P96 if packed in a paper bag). 

Kids at Art

Julia with her painting on exhibit

Kids at Art is a summer workshop where kids explore their artistic skills and creativity. It's not really an art class like the ones being conducted by UP Professor Sena but it's more of an activity art session where the kids are instructed to create their artwork following a theme and using a specific medium. We enrolled Geoffrey when he was seven (7) yrs old. This summer, Julia at eight (8) yrs old took the same workshop at Celebrity Plaza. After eight sessions, they had an exhibit at the Robinson's Magnolia. Compare the artworks of the kids. Geof's images are more of technology - cars, submarines. Julia's drawings are more of cute girls, insects and pets.

Playful Animals by Julia 2013

Underwater Animals by Geof  2007

Sketches at the UP Oval

May 12, 2013 we celebrated Mother's Day at the UP Oval honing our hobbies - Geoffrey painted a landscape using watercolor, Apple is engrossed reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo", Julia played with her scooter and exoplored the insects with her magnifying glass. In my case, I tried my hand in pencil sketching using some sceneries at the UP Oval and Lagoon as my subjects.

Geoffrey did some landscape using water color

Apple reads the kindle and Julia explores

Crazy Katsu

On my first visit at the soft opening of Crazy Katsu at the Archer's One Building, Taft Ave. beside DLSU, I fell in love with their tonkatsu - the thick, hot and crispy pork rest on shredded cabbage. Their special sauce when poured on the pork magnifies the taste of the pork plus the sesame seeds - the real taste of a tonkatsu which I remember eating at a popular tonkatsu shop in Yokohama. Wow!

So when our family had dinner out, I suggested Crazy Katsu at Maginhawa St, Teachers Village, QC. We ordered their bestseller chicken katsu, pork ginger, fish and veggie tempura, pork curry, gyoza and miso soup. Their chicken katsu is not really Japanese since the spicy sauce is more Pinoy - soy sauce with vinegar and sili. I love the taste of their pork curry. Over-all, the family enjoyed the food - the serving is large, the rice is the sticky type which is appropriate for the chopsticks. And the price is very reasonable: P140.00 for tonkatsu!

Gyoza (5 pcs per order)

Chicken Katsu

Fish  & Vegetable Tempura

Katsu Curry

Pork Ginger

Maginhawa St, Teachers Village is a haven of eateries

The Mighty Ton of Cebu

An ordinary hamburger has a diameter of about 4 inches. But the Mighty Ton burger is 3 times bigger, with a diameter of 12 inches or one foot. Inside the giant bun is 1 kilogram of beef patty (shaped in a square mold), with 125 grams of veggies, cheese, and bacon. The bun is almost as heavy as the 1 kg of burger! 

The Mighty Ton (12-inch diameter) burger dwarfs the apple in size.

As soon as I saw this, the picture of Adam (of "Man vs. Food") flashed before me.  I have got to show this to my son and hubby who are both fans of the show.

Bringing it home was quite a challenge.  When I got it out of the restaurant, Casa Verde, the smell was overpowering.  I thought to myself, I can't hand-carry something this smelly, the entire plane might smell like McDonalds. We had to wrap the box with layers of packaging tape, making sure that the holes are sealed tight.  As soon as we cleared it with the check-in counter, the next challenge was the departure x-ray and checking of luggage.  The airport personnel couldn't decide whether to allow me to hand-carry it (donuts and cakes are regular hand carries, but a burger as big in diameter as a cake was something new), he had to consult his supervisor.  When we finally got it in, it's quite hefty to haul it around in a packed airport.

125 grams of bacon, cheese and veggies inside

So I got it home.  And Geof  had to have the first taste - the verdict:  "it tastes good."  The burger was a bit dry, though since it was grilled (and maybe because it took sometime to get it home - from Cebu to Manila, from Airport to Quezon City.  The bun is thick but is good and soft.  The fillings, especially the cheese and bacon, complements well the grilled burger.

Overall, the burger is  good (Geof gave it a "4" in  scale of 1 to 5).  

www.casaverdecebu.com 

The ordinary burger vs the mighty ton

- Apple Oreta 17 April 2-13

"Paluto" at "Dampa"

"Dampa" is a popular eating place in Metro Manila. There are dampa places near D. Macapagal Ave., C5-Libis, Ortigas Area and Pasay City near the NAIA I. A "Dampa" is both a market and eatery. You first buy the fresh seafoods - Lapu-Lapu, Tilapia, Crabs, Scallops, Shrimps, Squid, Tahong or mussel, etc - at the wet market. Price of the fresh goodies is on a per kilo basis. After purchasing your fresh seafood, choose a "Paluto" restaurant. "Paluto" means to cook. The restaurant will cook the fresh food based on your choice of cooking. For example: Mussels can be cooked as a soup or baked, fish can be fried, steamed or grilled, squid can be fried or grilled, etc. The cooking fee is also on per kilo basis. Price of cooking ranges from P75.00 to P200.00 

Fresh Sea Mussels

Last Holy Week, in observance of abstinence from pork and meat, we visited the Dampa at D. Macapagal Ave. We bought tahong (1/2 kilo), scallops (12 pieces), squid (1/2 kilo) and one Lapu-Lapu. Total cost is  P500.00 +. Then we asked Josefina's to cook our food. Four of us enjoyed the meal with still left-over for take-out. Cooking cost is about P500.00. By the way, at Josefina's, we love their appetizer, peanuts.

Fresh scallops

Baked scallops in cheese and garlic

 

Calamares

Steamed Lapu-Lapu - where's the fish? Ubos na?

Tahong  Soup in onion leeks and ginger

I love the appetizers at Rosemary & Thyne (Pampanga)

When you go to the City of San Fernando , Pampanga, make sure you drop by at the Robinson's Star Mills and have a taste of the delicious and mouth-watering appetizers at Rosemary and Thyne Restaurant.



Our highschool batch had a get-together at the Rosemary and Thyne Resto last Jan. 7, 2013. It was my first time to eat there and I promise to return there to bring my family and friends. The food is really good. Really the Kapampangans are really outstanding when it comes to food preparation and cooking.  We just ordered simple appetizers and when I tasted them, I was so impressed and commented: "iba talaga ang pagkain dito sa Pampanga. Manyaman (masarap) talaga."

Tokwa't Baboy. You can find this also in Manila but here the taste is really excellent. The vinegar and other ingredients plus the pork will really temp you to take more.

Shrimp with cheese on fresh vegetable salad. The fresh vegetables come from Floridablanca, Pampanga. The combination of the cheese with veggies - cucumber, tomatoes and leaves is magical!

Shrimp Tempura. Cispy shrimp tempura in vinegar sauce? WOW!

Sisig. (crispy pork on vinegar). Similar to the Tokwa't Baboy but no tokwa. The crispy "balat" and the "tender taba" soaked in vinegar matches your ice cold San Mig Beer. Isa pa nga! Sisig does not have to be sizzling!