Sun, Sand and Tan

Since its already the typhoon season, and I am obviously missing the beach, I am posting this. I was only able to go to the beach once this summer of 2012. How poor!! Hahaha! So this post is dedicated to my past beach escapades with friends and loved ones. Pichur pichur! Photos below are those that have fond and super fun memories attached to them - Drinking in the beach, drinking in the room, card games on the boat, the food, the sunscreen and sunburn, the boat travels, and a lot more! I miss going to the beach. AS IN!!



Boracay 2012



Dasol, Pangasinan 2011



Caramoan, CamSur 2010

 

Dasol, Pangasinan 2010



Puerto Princesa, Palawan 2011

Calaguas, CamNorte 2011

 

Calaguas, CamNorte 2011



Coron, Palawan 2011





Tali Beach, Batangas 2010

Dasol, Pangasinan 2010



Dasol, Pangasinan 2011



Boracay, 2012

Dasol, Pangasinan 2010



Sorsogon, Bicol 2010

 

Sorsogon, Bicol 2010

A lot of the photos here, I give credit to Mac. You take wonderful photos. I love you! To more beach trips and travels!

Zubuchon

Dubbed by Anthony Bourdain as the Best Pig EVER! And yes, he is correct.

I was so excited to come here. Literally researching the net and asking friends from Cebu, where this is located so me and Mac can try this.  I have also been reading blogs to confirm that if it is indeed worth a try.
We went to their branch in One Mango Avenue, near Sunburst. And going into it, I believe I have a really wide grin on my face.

The interiors were minimalist and simple. Good ambiance and lighting. And given that it was lunch when we went there, the crowds were still sparse, maybe because it was raining. But going into the late lunch hour, the place is beginning to get packed.

Zubuchon, aside from their most famous lechon, also has a variety of short orders and pork selections that you can also check out written on their chalkboard menu.

Mac was also pretty excited for this. Look at the picture below, and you'll see! Hahaha!

I was also interested to see that they sell Zubuchon merchandise like jars, shirts and baseball caps. You can also get chicharon from them. One thing caught my attention, the artisinal jars of jelly they have on the shelf, so, I got a jar of guava jelly. And let me tell you, it tastes great. Heavenly for my taste. It is close to being the consistency of honey which I can think of so many food to put it on. My favorite is pairing it with crostini topped with cream cheese and of course the famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The plan was to keep it simple, since we had buffet breakfast at the hotel,  so we ordered half a kilo of lechon, kamias shake, santol juice and ensaladang talong to eat there. My favorite aside from the lechon is the santol juice. It's sweet and tangy and I honestly thought it took away the umay factor of the lechon when I had a lot already.

For us to take home to Manila, I ordered a kilo of their frozen lechon (Php490), which the very kind waitress suggested we get, instead of the fresh one, since we are still travelling late in the afternoon. She said the lechon might be spoiled already, by the time we arrived in Manila. We also got the Lechon Flakes which is, I think, retails for Php160 and also the Lechon Paksiw for Php250. I was surprised to see that they have a very good selection of frozen goods like Zubuchon Crispy Pata, Chorizo, and they actually have what they call Tampalen or the fat of the lechon which is frozen.

When we arrived home and opened the box of our take home from Zubuchon, there were pieces of paper that are actually instructions on what to do with the frozen goods. Very helpful! The frozen lechon, can actually store up to a month (frozen) after it has been purchased. They said you can thaw it, then put it in the oven to crisp it up again.

So for those of you who are going to Cebu, Zubuchon is a must try. :)

You can buy/order lechon in the following outlets:
Mactan International Airport Pre-Departure: (032)340-2486 local 3304
Escario Bldg, Escario St.: (032)583-5699
Capitol Site: (032)254-7342 or (0917)627-4761
One Mango Avenue Bldg: (032)239-5697
They also have a stall in Banilad Town Center which is open on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until supplies last.

Zubuchon Menu: http://www.munchpunch.com/zubuchon-mactan/menu



Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino: A Vision of Grandeur (Part 2)

The night started beautifully, as guests begin to flock the Lobby of the hotel. When you enter the cordoned Lobby, you will be greeted by hotel staff with refreshments - their finest red and white wine, champagne and of course there's non-alcoholic drinks for those who are non-drinkers. :) All through out the night, there is a string quartet that's playing beautiful music in the background.

 The hotel's chefs have prepared a wide array of hors d'oeuvres and desserts for the guests to enjoy, while mingling with other guests and appreciating the grander hotel lobby. People from the media, blogging community and the who's who of Cebu are there to witness the grand launching.

The variety includes, fried risotto balls, assortment of sushi, mini pork skewers, caprese skewers and crostinis. My favorite were the ones made with salmon and the deviled quail eggs. I think I ate a lot of it. It really tastes good with the red wine. The selection of desserts were also to die for. Personal favorite was the chocolate fountain and the many fruits and mini cakes that comes with it.

General Manager Mr Alfred Portenschlager gave the opening remarks of the night and also welcomed everybody to the event. I remembered him fondly from the time that we've arrived in the hotel. He personally welcomed us and assured us that we are going to have a wonderful time. A very genuinely nice person. And it was definitely and honor and a privilege to have met this man who makes sure that this hotel is in tip-top shape.

  
This is also a first time for me to witness a ribbon cutting, done in a very digital way. That was cool! The night progressed, with a fashion show from 6 of the best Philippine Designers - Jun Escario, Pretacio, Edwin Ao, OJ Hofer, Phillip Rodriguez and of course Cary Santiago. My runaway favorite is the Cary Santiago's dresses. They are to die for!

There was also a presentation wherein the showed the many changes that have happened and will happen to the hotel. And we were surprised to know that the famous fashion designer, Rajo Laurel, designed the hotel's new staff uniforms. Indeed it is very simple, functional yet very elegant.

The stay in Waterfront Cebu, although short and sweet was really a memorable one. It is indeed an exciting time for Waterfront as it journey through the changes for a bigger, better and grander hotel.

Congratulations!

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino: A Vision of Grandeur (Part 1)

I was fortunate to tag along with Mac on this rare opportunity to go to Cebu for something else other than corporate work. Mac was invited for the Grand Launch of Waterfront's New Lobby, and he invited me.

Mac (Mac Centeno), is the in-house photographer of Ensogo Philippines, a Living Social Company. He and their company has tied up several times with Manila Pavillon for deals like buffets and hotel stays. And he has blogged about it as well. First time to be treated as a VIP, with an all-expense paid trip. Though overnight, the trip was something worth remembering and definitely one for the books.

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino

This is my second time staying in Waterfront Hotel in Lahug. My first time was for work, during the Provincial Recruitment Program of Accenture, 5 years ago. Cebu was our last stop, after travelling from Davao and Cagayan De Oro. In Davao, I can also remember, staying in the Waterfront Insular Hotel, also a part of this hotel chain. My first stay, was a very good experience, so I was really excited to come back and experience the luxury that the hotel is really known for.

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino

No one can miss the hotel, since it is an iconic part of the Cebu skyline already. The almost castle-like architecture from the view outside is superb, wait till you see the inside. They have already segregated entrances for the casino, the hotel main lobby and also the function rooms for better people traffic management.

Top view of the new lobby

The lobby ceiling has a very beautiful artwork painted on it. Really an eye catcher, and completes the total look of a world class hotel. There are also two installements on each side of the lobby that looks like a small bar, which houses beverages from wine, liquors, etc. The guests can actually wait and sit at the table and they can order food or drinks while waiting. For those who needs to be online, you can just ask for the wifi password the reception area. The Duty Free area is still closed for renovation at this point, so future guests can now anticipate how great that will look, since the changes have already begun in the hotel.

The ceiling with its artwork.

The bedrooms are still superb. Big windows wherein you can see Cebu City at a bird's eye view, bathroom amenities are complete and with a blow dryer (which actually was the clincher for me! :]), TV has cable, and finally, you hav free wifi in your room! Yes, you read right, free wifi in the room! :) Doesn't get better than that? They also have big and spacious function rooms, which you can actually utilize for conferences, parties, wedding receptions and even a concert! Yes, the hotel is also the home of shows for a lot of international music artists like Tears for Fears just to name one. I remembered the first time I was there for work, we've utilized several of their function rooms to serve as recruitment hubs when we were doing recruitment in Cebu before. It's massive, so it is the perfect venue for those events.

View from our room and our room

The hotel also boasts of one of the biggest and longest running casino in Cebu. Try your luck in the casino, and sit in one of the many slot machines. If you are hungry, the hotel houses restaurants from Italian to Asian cuisine, take your pick and enjoy eating as if you're in another country. The Lobby Lounge is also a part of the hotel where you can chill and order a drink or two.

So the next time you are in Cebu, make sure you drop by at Waterfront, or better yet, book a room and enjoy and experience all the luxurious and top of the line amenities and services that this premiere hotel has in store for you.

I'll be blogging about the Vision of Grandeur launch in my next post. Watch out for it.