Who loves food? US!

Who among you considers FOOD as everything? Of course, I know you do! It is almost the default answer to everything. Take it from me, I can’t live a day without indulging my food, lol. May it be in any special occasion, celebration, promotion, or even during breakups and when in depression, you name it! FOOD - there is always be food ready to fill your inner needs, heart’s desires and self’s emptiness. It catches you if life’s rhythm is a little bit unsteady. Okay, enough with the cheesy tickly lines, hahaha. 

A lot of my friends have been asking me about new food destinations in Cebu. They are under the impression that since I am an online influencer or a blogger, I should know everything. That is funny. Are you kidding me? *insert blank stare here* Trust me, I don’t. I am just a normal (well sometimes, above normal) person in this city trying to find my true calling and I don’t know everything, but I can share some places I have been into and can narrate my experiences and observations. There are heaps of restaurants in this city that you probably already know so I am going to mention the following destinations that are new to me (and I think new to you, too).

Okay, here we go!

1. Cafe Egao
If you are wondering what “Egao” means, it is actually a Japanese term for “smiling face”. Expectedly, you will see staff’s smiling friendly faces in this place. Café Egao is Filipino-Japanese café located in Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City just in front of Adolfo’s Furniture shop. This is a cozy and homey place where you can spoil yourself with dishes, desserts, pasta, salads, snacks, teas and lattes. The outside view of the café is a cool sight of green shade where big trees and bushes grow thick and free.



Yeah, that is a happy "me".

It was so funny finding my way here because I thought it was very far. Gosh gracious, it was the very opposite because it was just a 15 minute walk from my place (near USC-TC). Okay, this seemed to be one of the signs that I should start exploring cool places near my private place.

What are my personal favorites in this place? Takoyaki, Baked Penne and their signature no artificial sugar added drinks. I sometimes needed to surrender sugar in my diet so this place is just perfect.

If you want authentic Filipino dishes, then head to this restaurant. Mind you, it will really be worth it! This is located in M.C. Brioness St, Cebu City, just in front of Plaza Independencia. They have all-Filipino-staff so if you are a Filipino, then how about “mang-spot tag chix” kind of conversation with them? Nah kidding! If you are a foreigner, then this is the perfect place to know how Filipino foods taste and what they look like.

I’m not really a guru when it comes to Cebu City's specific places. I might be living in the City for eight years already but I still don't know all the road mazes, shortcuts and whatnots. Jeepney conductors, Google maps and Uber/Grab are always my friends when I'm going to a specific places. They are a big help in getting me out from the labyrinth kind of feeling I always get. So when I went in KKD BBQ +STK restaurant, I was lost. I entered in Plaza Independencia. Very funny! Well, I saw couples dating, kids playing, dancers practicing, group of friends lying on benches and then there’s me - a lost puppy, huhuhu. I messaged my co-influencer friend and he picked me from there.

Pak na pak ang awra!

This place was once a garage but the owner transformed it to something more worth visiting for... thus, a restaurant. They have nightly live band that a music addict like me enjoyed very much.

What are my personal favorites in this place? All, because hello I am a Filipino. Manok Bisaya, Pork Nilaga, Scallops and Leche Flan are worth-mentioning. Okay, I’m drooling now.


Baked Scallops in Butter

Pusit / Squid

Manok Bisaya. Messy looks but tastes good.

Pork Nilaga. Hello cholesterol :)

Crispy Pata

Leche Flan with Manggo

Prices are affordable that range from 100 to 300 pesos.

3. MAO JIA Hunan Cuisine
Now that we are done with our Filipino cuisine, let us jump to Chinese cuisine, shall we? Okay, fasten your seatbelt and get ready your milk because this will be a spicy adventure. MAO JIA Hunan Cuisine is located in Crossroads Place, Cebu City besides The Distillery. As the name suggests, this place is serving authentic Hunan Cuisine. Wait, what does that mean?

Hunan cuisine, also known as Xiang cuisine, consists of the cuisines of the Xiang River region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province in China. It is one of the Eight Great Traditions of Chinese cuisines and is well known for its hot and spicy flavours, fresh aroma and deep colours. To say it directly, foods here are spicier than my normal preference and taste less numbing and sourer.

My friends invited me to eat in this restaurant during my sleeping hours so obviously, I was still daydreaming when I was on my way towards here. But when I got inside and started gulping their foods, I felt alive and hotter, lol. Their spicy foods did it to me. I gulped chilis peppers! I am not really a big fan of spicy foods. I mean, I wish I am but my tastebuds just couldn’t handle the explosion it will cause inside my mouth (it likes sweets; it always does awe except kimchi of course). Spicy foods makes me cry inevitably. Crazy, I know.

So, for those of you out there that likes spicy very much, this is your place. Get over the processed noodles in Samyang Spicy Noodle Challenge and switch to “real” spicy foods in this restaurant.

What are my personal favorites in this place? Cabbage, Eggplant and the peanut in the chicken dish. I set aside all chili peppers.



Cabbage

Spicy Celery

Spicy Fish

Spicy Chicken with Peanuts. I love the peanuts!

This will be all for now. I still have lots to share. Watch out for more food destinations and my experiences in my next posts. Ice cream? Burgers? I will cover that too. Let us be hungry together.

Bon appetit!

My version of "blogger pose" during  #iLuvCebuInstameet 5.0.

I am currently living in the heart of Cebu province – in Cebu City, a place where all things are possible for a millennial like me. You name it! Learn new courses, attend to one-of-a-kind events and activities, participate in hackathons/technology meetups, grow the network of friendship, build startup businesses and then there is Instameet.

I started living in this place since I was in college and I could still remember my introverted self few years ago.  Afraid to go out from my tiny little shell in order to venture what opportunities could offer; scared to say “hi” to people I met in the hope to gain new friends; reluctant to acquire things and learning needed to be my own kind of unique self now. It’s a little bit funny to think of these but a sigh of relief and gratitude as well thinking that somehow at some point I overcome these. Okay, enough with the drama. Let us go back to “Instameet”. What in the world does it mean and why I am I correlating this to my self-improvement particularly in the friendship aspect of my journey. 


Instameet is literally an Instagram Meeting by instagrammers. If you have no clue what instagrammers are, these are literally users of Instagram application. In a nutshell, this is an event where people gather in a prearranged place and time to meet new friends, share stories and ideas, take photos and upload it to Instagram of course. That’s it really, growing the network of friendship both offline and online! Plus, you get to meet your favorite Instagrammers that you’ve been Insta-stalking forever.

#iLuvCebuInstameet 5.0 is an instameet specifically organized by Doyzkie of iLuvCebu.com with an aim to give an avenue for everyone especially millennials to meet up and share best social media practices. Held last 15th of October 2017 in The Glass House of Montebello Villa Hotel, it had the theme “We Meet Again” commemorating its fifth anniversary. The said event was supported by the country’s No. 1 Pizza Chain – Greenwich Pizza and Pasta.

Everything Greenwhich :)

1. Meet new faces and gain friends. Making new friends can be intimidating especially when making your way to those that have unapproachable appeal individuals. I’ve been there, kinda scary but the trick is, just be an open-minded individual. If they’ll like you, they’ll respond. If not, then go find another. Let us not complicate things, shall we? Hehe. Nonetheless, I tell you, Instameet participants are very friendly - all of them. I usually instantly become friends with them. That's how feeling close (FC) I am, lol. Instagram influencers grew their network by gaining friends. So be prepared to meet new faces. There is no harm in talking funny and humorous topics along the conversation to spice up the conversation. Just don’t be too personal and keep it unobtrusive.

Unity in diversity, lol. Feeling close na kami agad even if we just meet. :)

2. Learn new ideas and techniques. Ever wondered how instagrammers manage their accounts, how they gain followers and how they curate/beautify their shots? Well, I learned it from this event. Broad number of Cebu influencers as speakers  of the event tackle different areas regarding such topics surely helped. Plus, multiple methods and tools to help us and a whole lot more. Who wouldn't want that? How to properly use Snapseed, VSCO and instagram filters were tackled.

3. Picture here, picture there, picture everywhere. iLuvCebuInstameet 5.0 was a half day of getting reaquainted with previous meets and newer participants. When I arrived at the venue, I could see people scattered everywhere taking photos. Such a good thing because I belong, lol! Well, you actually don’t have to be an amateur in photography when taking photos. Just be creative and unique. Find the best spot you could think of. Show yourself  through your pictures. Luckily, Montebello Villa Hotel, where the event was held, has picture perfect scene in every corner. I grabbed some few  friends and took pictures of each other. Voila! Some of my shots are here:






4. Raffles and prizes. Get a chance to win awesome prices and giveaways offered by the event. We participated in Best Barkada Shot (Group Award) and 5 Most Creative ILuvCebu Instameeter.

5. Good food. The event was sponsored by the country’s No. 1 Pizza Chain – Greenwich Pizza and Pasta. Good food were served. Lucky for us it was saturday which meant "cheat day". Yas!

Lafang :)

6. It's all about promotion. Put yourself in the spotlight. It's yours!

Ako ang dyosa! :)

…because it’s basically about Instagram drama, so why not pull off a unique OOTD (outfit of the day)?

On the bridge of the pond. "I wish there's a bridge I can take towards you." Genern!

I was happy to be one of the participants of iLuvCebuInstameet 5.0. Aside from I ditched my computer at home which basically is my prison, I had the chance to know and talk to awesome instagrammers of Cebu. I had relaxed my mind from the city noise. My blogger friends were also there making the experience extra special.

Blogger friends. She's the thorn among the roses, hahaha.

Love Instagram? Participate in iLuvCebuInstameet!
If you are interested to join the next events, you may follow iluvcebu.com in their official Facebook page and website.

See you in the next #iLuvCebuInstameet event!

Yay, this stuff toy is so cuddly!

Lazada, the number one online shopping site which operates Southeast Asia (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam), will cause a great a BANG this coming 11th of November (11.11) up to 12th of December (12.12) in the online shopping arena! Prepare yourself to shop the universe with countless products available on Lazada’s portal. As the Pioneering eCommerce in the region, it will provide customers great offers at discounted prices – up to 90%.

The Roadshow in Cebu City

I got an email from Lazada Philippines team that they’d be having Lazada’s Online Revolution Roadshow in Quest Hotel and Conference Building on November 6, 2017 in order to unveil and spread the good news. I got no conflicting appointment with it based on my calendar so I confirmed. Participated by Cebu influencers and content creators, the event was held in the hotel’s Henson Room in the 7th floor. It was spearheaded by Sydney, Aya and Kyru over a sumptuous dinner. A lot of awesome deals have been revealed ranging from fashion, appliances to electronics and gadgets that customers should surely be rejoicing at. Magnificent news has been announced, too. Alibaba Company invested US$1 billion thus owning 83% of Lazada’s stake and strengthening the financial security of the company. A new factory site has also been constructed making transactions even more convenient and faster for the buyers.

Outside the venue. What’s more fun way to do other than to take a picture? Haha!

A lot of giveaways and freebies had been given too in the course of the program.

I won hair conditioner, bracelet and pouch. Harhar.

Shopping the Universe

Known as the biggest and the grandest sale of the year, the Lazada Online Revolution is an event where shoppers can get hefty discounts on almost everything. This festivity is where you’ll most likely find all the great deals and massive discounted items from all the trusted brands in the industry. Expect to be blown away with their extensive range of fabulous and smashing products. So what are you waiting for, give yourself a treat and visit avail their Online Revolution offers.

Some of the brands and products to watch out for:

Why Shop at Lazada this coming November 11 to December 12?

1. Discounted Prices. Grab your favorite items and enjoy a discount up to 90%. More awesome deals await!

2. New Offers. Taobao Collection is now in Lazada. If you want authentic Chinese collections, you can now shop it here. There are more digital goods at your grasp, too.

3. Safe and Secure. Choose from broad secure payment options either through credit card or cash-on-delivery. Products quality and authenticity are assured to be genuine and not defective. If in case there are problems, simply return it within 7 days for a full refund under the Buyer Protection Program.

4. Easy and Accessible. No more traffic jams, crowds and long queues! Shop anytime, anywhere via your computer and mobile phone. It is just one click away.

With their quick and reliable delivery service, just sit back, relax and your package will come to you.

Let the online revolution begin!

How to make most of your online shopping especially during Lazada’s Online Revolution?

1. Create your wishlist now. Add products from their selection to your wishlist and get them at a discount on November. Big things coming your way at discounted prices.

2. Visit Official Stores. In order to really make sure you shop for authentic products, go to http://www.lazada.com.ph/official-stores/ and browse your heart out.

3. Take note of Product Reviews. Know what customers are saying about the product you chose. Avoid products with poor reviews.

For more details, visit Lazada now!

Got our cool packages. Happy faces!