Gastronomic Adventure at Pino

Little did I know that there are multitudes of resto in Teachers Village, particularly in the long stretch of Maginhawa street. Not the fine dine nor the cheap type, but has the best reviews received and delicious foods served. One them is Pino Bar and Restaurant. Attacked by my curiousity, I invited my friends to come dine with me at Pino. Pino's known for their dooddled walls, flavored beers, oversized margarita and kare-kareng bagnet. I did not let the chance pass not to have these things except for the oversized margarita. I did not even dare pass for the dessert (chocolate tempura) which is really sinfully delicious!

No need for any second thoughts when I've learned (and much to my surprise) that Pino is the brainchild of my idol couple, PJ and Alessandra Lanot (http://www.lifeafterbreakfast.com/) and chef Ed Bugia, along with Pipino and Burger Project.

Grilling station of the South!

Welcome to Larsian sa Fuente! Probably, the largest grilling station I've ever seen! 

Getting inside Larsian was like getting yourself inside a  "just-fumigated" place. Smoky to the highest level! That could be the reason why there are so many electric fans and they  are scattered everywhere. To fan smokes that's so painful once it hits your eyes. 

Larsian sa Fuente reminds me of the Banchetto here in Manila. Surrounded by food stalls were an array of tables and chairs, adorned with colorful lamps, flowers and other table accessories. Pagandahan sila ng table to attract customers!

 

The foods are not only tasty but cheaper too! They offer varieties of foods to grill. I opted for the pang-masa foods. Isaw. 10 pieces of puso or rice wrapped in coconut leaves. A liter of Coke. Solb!

For those frugal travelers like us, this is the best place to eat without hurting your pocket! Nakatipid ka na, nabusog ka pa! Just don't do it on a daily basis. There are other food stops that are also way cheaper. And too much eating of grilled foods aint healthy!

 

Where there's smoke, crowd and totally loud, that's Larsian! Better live with it! 

Be proud of the pig!

Cebu is now making waves when it comes to food. Dried mangoes, danggit, otap, etc. But the  one dish that placed Cebu on that spot was the tastiest roasted pig in town aka Cebu Lechon!

Even the No Reservation's celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain hailed it as the best pig.. ever!!! 

Balat pa lang ulam na! The crunchy and tasty pork skin is the culprit. We didn't let the chance pass. We tracked down the famous CnT Lechon near SM City Cebu. 

Syempre, what else is to order but the delectable lechon!! They also sell veggies like chopsuey (para di naman puro lechon na lang!). I love the puso (o hanging puso) or rice wrapped in coconut leaves (ung pang-suman). Your choice of puso or steamed rice.

The food is not pricey (to think I have lechon as viand- making our lunch sosyal!) And it's really nakakabusog!

If only I have some extra moolah, I would have  bought a kilo and bring it back home.

Sidcor Sunday Market

I love weekend markets. I am a fan for a couple of years now. I love to eat, drink, buy and explore. I've been to the weekend markets of Makati, Ortigas and QC, and I'm still in search for the best, budget-friendly and accessible weekend markets in town.

They said that of all the weekend markets in town, Sidcor Weekend Market is the largest. It houses more than 400 stalls. It comes in varieties of food, drinks, fruits, veggies, clothing, accessories, furniture and even pets! You can never ask for more!

Sidcor Market was located at the old Lung Center compound until 2004 then transferred to Eton Centris compound. It's now more convenient and accessible to everyone. Anyone can go there by riding a cab, jeep, bus and even MRT. They have wide parking areas. And traffic isn't even a problem.

Together with my food buddies, we headed to Sidcor one Sunday morning.  I want to see it for myself. Feel the warmth of the weekend market, savor the delicious food and buy some produce to my heart's delight.

The choices are definitely endless. There's nothing that you could ever wish for. Foods, drinks, fresh produce, fish, meat, poultry, dairy products, pet animals, clothing, accessories, handicrafts and even furniture. A one day visit isn't enough. And don't forget to bring pocketful of money. You can never tell how many can you buy and how much can you spend. But each peso's worth spending and each item's worth buying! So, go and explore Sidcor, the country's largest weekend market.