Tag: Chill

Tian Zi Fang: The Hippest Neighborhood of Shanghai

“It is amazing on the 2F” it says on the door.   We walked in and were greeted with nothing but stocks of coffee and a stairway.

We walked up and the steep flight led to an amazing albeit crowded 2F indeed, wrapping us with the wonderful scent of roasted java.

It is an unpretentious charming little café that has a wide choice of coffees and serves Japanese comfort food.

A Japanese guy mans the bar, he is said to be the owner of Café Dan, this hip café restaurant in Shanghai’s hippest district, Tian Zi Fang.

Taikang Road, used to be Shanghai’s “old” art district where one would find a range of Chinese calligraphies and traditional ink paintings. Now also known as Tian Zi Fang is a hip new assortment of design and art enclaves and cozy cafe and bars.  It is a maze of old residential shikumen that got invaded by artists and local designers.

Many of the little shops here carry original designs and a myriad of small art galleries are scattered all over this artsy compound.

A typical boutique.

Tian Zi Fang integrates heritage, the arts and urban amenities.

Many of the houses in this 1920s commune rented out their ground floors to boutiques & restaurants and it is not unlikely to see locals going about their business like doing laundry, cooking etc. as you are to see yuppies sipping lattes.

The place is particularly busy in the weekend when people come to have coffee and indulge in some healthy window-shopping or even some real shopping.

Useful Info:

Cafe Dan
Back street 41-248 Taikang Lu
Tel:  021-64661042
Website:  www.idancoffee.com
Park in:  Riuyue Parking
Posted on by Jenn 3

Casa Vallejo: Back To Life

More than a hundred years ago, the Americans develop Baguio into a hill station. They also established Camp John Hay, Brent School, and Baguio Country club during that time.  Not long after, Baguio became known as the Philippines’ summer capital and in 1909, Casa Vallejo was put up to accommodate many of Baguio’s visitors and continued doing so for the next 20 years.

This white wooden structure located along Upper Session was an inn for the 1st 20 years and at one point, a detention hall and a temporary annex to the Baguio City High School.   When the government closed it down in 1999, many feared demolition but survived as well as many old timers fought to preserve the structure, particularly the pinewood used to build the inn.

With a little tweaking but with the same quaint charm, it stands today back to life as a boutique hotel– every piece of pinewood intact.  Old window panes were said to have been screwed back and the rotting wooden floors were replaced with pinewood salvaged from other parts of the inn.  The number of rooms was reduced to accommodate bathrooms on each room because the old building had common baths.  The stairs leading to the ballroom were restored.  And the ballroom now turned into Hill Station (that cozy restaurant that serves lovely food) was where government official and socialites back then used to dine and wine.  With so much history (from its glory days to its near fatal fate), it is a pleasure to be staying in one of the remaining American structures still standing on the original government center.

It being an old structure though, the rooms and especially the bathrooms are not as spacious.  Luckily our room was facing the back, more like the parking area, because unfortunately with all the cars, Baguio does not boast of fresh air like it used to many, many decades ago.  I can imagine the noise and pollution we would have to bear if our room faced the road.  A Deluxe Room for P 2,599 for 3 people is a good deal.  It comes with free breakfast albeit limited choices at the Hill Station.

*Information gathered on its restoration found here.

You’ll also find Mt Cloud, a nice little bookshop (as they called it) that carries many interesting foreign and local titles.

Although cramped, for some reason it was conducive enough for me to find 2 books right away.  I would have found more if I had stayed a little longer.

Just beside Mt Cloud is North Haven Spa.  We didn’t think twice to book us a blissfully relaxing indigenous body massage just before we called it a night.  Great decision.

Except for a few hours at BenCab’s Museum, we practically spent most of our time in Casa Vallejo not having the slightest desire to even walk over to SM Baguio for some wonderful sunset views.  We were so content just being lazy.

Useful Info:

Casa Vallejo
Upper Session Road
Baguio City
Phone +6374-424-3397
Website:  www.casavallejobaguio.com
Mt Cloud Bookshop
+6374-424-4437
Website:  http://mtcloudbookshop.com
North Haven Spa
+6374-424-8112
Website:  www.northhavenspa.com
 
 
Posted on by Jenn 2

The Flavors of Old Baguio

My face lit up when A announced that “Mitos recently opened her own restaurant”, and all I could think of was the Fabada she served at her home one time we were in Baguio, that was last year.  Needless to say, we had to go that very evening.  We went back the next day with more friends in tow.  And I’ve been back one more time since then.

Mitos is Mitos Benitez-Yñiquez and her now famous restaurant is called Hill Station.  She, for the longest time, managed her family’s renowned Mario’s Restaurant in Baguio.  Her new restaurant is within Casa Vallejo, the boutique hotel built in 1909, renovated and open again for business along Upper Session.

Inspired by American colonial architecture, the main dining area has high ceiling, big French windows and wooden floors.  It also has 2 elegant staircases that lead to the hotel. Warm and cozy that makes you want to linger.

The food celebrates the flavors of Old Baguio, one of the last hill stations of Southeast Asia.  The menu offers a variety of slow-cooked hearty meals.  Lots of stews and some really good curry dishes.  Slow-cooked meals somehow evoke a sense of comfort and complement it with the homey, cozy atmosphere, who wants to go anywhere else?

Yes we spent the afternoon in a cozy corner of the restaurant reading, chatting and enjoying our cake and coffee until it was time for dinner.

Everything or almost everything is homemade — from the breads to the pastries to their ice cream.  As you enter from the bar you will see a shelf of potteries on sale mostly by famed potter, Lanelle Abueva and the Sagada Potters.  Along with it are homemade goodies by Mitos herself, for sale as well– salad dressings, salsa monja, salsa brave, granola, bihod, some jams… if I could bring them all home, I would.

I couldn’t stop raving about Hill Station to my friends in Manila hence the trip to Baguio early this year.  We got a room at Casa Vallejo and spent most of our time there – more on this on my next post.  We also wanted to try everything on their menu, which suffices to say is impossible for 3 people spending only a weekend there.  But with what we are able to cover, here are our favorites:

Tuna Tataki with Wasabi Mayo

Isn’t it obvious?  So good it was gone before I knew it.  Take my word for it… go for this.  The tuna seared very briefly then sliced thinly and seasoned with freshly cracked pepper that gave the tuna a nice kick.  Dipped in wasabi mayo… absolutely heaven.  A great appetizer just before we moved on to the main dining hall.

Home-made bread with Moroccan spice blend and olive oil

First I must say that this spice blend is brilliant.  What a way to whet one’s appetite.  The thing is, you need to control yourself lest you regret it once the main entrée arrives.

Left to right:  Grilled Shiitake and Grilled Tomatoes; Hill Station Green Garden

Hill Station Green Garden — mixed greens, tomatoes, blueberries, white cheese, caramelized walnuts and topped with a sesame-miso dressing.  What’s not to like about this salad?  Great combination and I’m always a sucker for miso or sesame dressings… this was an obvious choice.

Grilled Shiitake and Grilled Tomatoes — we had this over lunch the next day.  It was on their list of Specials.  A really nice blend of ingredients.  Shiitake with all the flavors and the tomatoes grilled and slightly caramelized… a winner.

Clockwise:  Cambodian Coriander and Garlic Chicken; Crispy Duck Flakes; Indian Lamb Curry; Steak and Prawns Peri-Peri

Cambodian Coriander and Garlic Chicken — marinated overnight and charbroiled.  Yum!

Crispy Duck Flakes — had this on my first visit and I highly recommend.  The duck was simmered for hours and then flaked and fried resulting to a dish full of flavor.  And to add to this flavor is laing sa gata.  Unforgettable.

Indian Lamb Curry —  my friend AH was all smiles when he had his first mouthful of this gorgeous curry dish.  I tried a mouthful too and I agree with his smile.  The lamb was so tender and the curry rich and tasty.  A scrumptious dish that epitomizes slow-cooking.

Steak & Prawns Peri-Peri — it had me at Peri-Peri, a famed South African dish that I enjoy a lot.  Was not disappointed.

Left- right:  Tortilla de Patatas and Chorizo Bilbao; French Toast

French Toast — made from home-made whole wheat bread, of course I must have this.

Tortilla de Patatas and Chorizo Bilbao — saving the best for last, I instantly fell in love with this tortilla.  It raised my love for anything chorizo to the next level.  A dish of eggs, potatoes and good quality chorizo bilbao, have it with the baguette and the salsa brava con chorizo bilbao… wicked!  Wanted to have more than just a few bites, unfortunately it was not mine to do so.  Makes me want to go back to enjoy again, this time I’ll order the dish.

Hill Station is worth a trip to Baguio, I guarantee.  And while there, look out for a bubbly lady with a hearty laugh, that’s Mitos.

Useful Info:

Hill Station
At Casa Vallejo
Upper Session Road,
Baguio City
Contact No.:  (074) 424-2734, 423-9100 or 423-9558
Posted on by Jenn 5

At the Wharf

If you don’t like crowds and all kinds of tourist traps, Fisherman’s Wharf is probably not the best place to be.  But if it is your first time in San Francisco, I would recommend an hour or two to wander around, sample some fresh sourdough bread and feast on Dungeness crabs.

And with a tourist in tow (a staff M came with us on this trip), we headed out to the Wharf the morning of our departure and spent our last few hours in SF doing just that.

Fisherman’s Wharf is best known for Pier 39, the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Ghirardelli Square and a lot more, it is however most famous for (at least as far as I’m concerned) the restaurants and stands that serves fresh seafood, more notably its Dungeness Crabs and Clam Chowder on sourdough bread.  While you can actually get great tasting Dungeness crabs elsewhere like R&G in Chinatown and a favorite back then, Thanh Long at the Sunset district

and the sourdough bread over at Acme is, in my opinion, more superior, my brother always says that, “experiencing it where it all started is always more meaningful”.  I agree.

And Fisherman’s Wharf is the epicenter of San Francisco’s famed Dungeness crabs. The fresh street Dungeness crabs sold by vendors are expensive but very fresh – ask for fresh crabs and you’ll get one that is freshly cooked for you.

Even before there were sidewalk vendors and restaurants, some of the fishermen would set up cauldrons of boiling water and cook the freshly caught crabs, handing them out in paper cups as a crab cocktail.  Many restaurants and vendors today continue the tradition of steaming crab cauldrons in front of their place of business and still serve them on paper cups.  One may however opt to order a whole cooked crab to take home. Firm and sweet, this crustacean has played a significant role in defining San Francisco’s culture – from the boat docks of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Italian restaurants nearby to the Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants around the city today.

Clam Chowder on sourdough bread is my brother’s favorite and Boudin Café is where he usually goes to get them.  Born in the Gold Rush, Boudin Bakery is the oldest business in San Francisco.  Known for its sourdough bread, the bakery still uses the same starter yeast bacteria culture it developed in 1849.

Although their main bakery is in the Richmond district, their Baker’s Hall at the Wharf is their flagship place.  It may not be the best today; it surely is still a very decent piece of sourdough bread and is and will always be synonymous to San Francisco.

I love San Francisco and no matter how often I visit, I will never tire of it.  It is after all my favorite city.  So until next time…

Posted on by Jenn 3

A Side Trip to Danville

Whenever I am in the US, my time with my cousin and good friend S has always been short – only a few hours for either lunch or dinner depending on how our schedules connect.  On my recent trip to the Bay Area, we made it a point to spend a couple of days together starting with a mini family reunion at her parents’ home in San Ramon and ending with lunch I immensely enjoyed in downtown Danville.

Just 30 miles east of San Francisco, Danville, the heart of the San Ramon Valley was a pleasant surprise.  As with many towns, it features various interesting shops, art galleries and upscale eateries.  One such eatery is Sideboard, a neighborhood café at the old Danville Hotel.

It spells quaint the minute I walked in with its charming French country décor.  One gets a choice to dine on wooden tables and cozy chairs indoors or on the mosaic tiled patio tables outside – which we chose despite the chilly weather.

A perfect choice for summer but if like us, one still prefers to sit outdoors on a cold winter’s day, they offer heater stands and thick woolen blankets to keep one warm.  Having a meal at Sideboard is like having dinner at your good friend’s home as the owner Ford Andrews goes around talking to diners as if we are his long-lost friends.  The self-service style is evidence to the friendly casual atmosphere it has come to project.  And the food is comforting and personal.  Ford’s wife Erin uses regionally grown produce, which she personally hunts for at the Farmer’s market nearby or at the Ferry building in San Francisco.  What we had that day:

A must try!  Fried Brussel Sprouts.  One after the other, I just kept popping these gorgeously fried babies into my mouth.  The best dish I had here.

I went for the comforting Pulled pork sandwich while my brother chose this delectable bowl of Chili (a favorite of his).

The scones, he said, went so well with the chili, he asked for second servings (of the scones), which Ford gladly gave.

Also not to be missed is their famous burger made from Prather Ranch beef.

This homemade Banana bread and a mug of Blue Bottle coffee is the perfect cap to a wonderful lunch.

My visit to Sideboard had me wishing I lived in the area so I can make it my regular go-to café – a great place to kill time with a good cup of coffee and terrific homemade desserts. Thank you S for taking me there.   🙂

Useful Info

Sideboard Cafe
The Danville Hotel
411 Hartz Ave.,
Danville, CA
(925) 984-2713
Posted on by Jenn 0

Rustic Italian in Sausalito

My mom once told my dad while driving around Sausalito that it would be lovely to own a house there — overlooking the marina would even be lovelier.  Gulp!   😯   I want one too.   😛  Its neighborhood oozes with charm, the steep wooded hillside on one side and the water on the other faintly reminds me of the Mediterranean, although Positano it isn’t.

With the wide choice of restaurants from charming outdoor cafes and bistros to chic dining right on the waterfront, this endearing city of Marin County has captivated my heart since long ago.

Yes, the food and the quaintness played a big role in endearing me to this town.

We had a few days to spare before heading home to Manila and we decided that a beautiful lunch in a beautiful city is the best way to spend our last day with our chef-brother and Sausalito it was.

We got a table at Poggio, a classic Italian restaurant at the Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa overlooking the bridgeway and the Sausalito marina.  Chef Paul McNee’s menu featuring Northern Italian classics, changes daily.  Rustic and soulful, he uses local ingredients and prepares nearly everything in-house from cured salami and prosciutto to fresh pastas.

For our starter, we had this beautifully prepared Octopus with Pork Belly confit, frisée, french beans and poached egg.  What an array of texture and flavor.

I had this light potato gnocchi tossed with a rabbit ragout – comparable in taste to our Chicken Adobo and the rabbit taste so much like chicken too.

I wish I had ordered this.  Tagliatelle with crispy pig face.  A winner I tell you, I wanted to devour the whole plate, except that it wasn’t mine.  Imagine large chunks of crispy pork with the fat melting in your mouth.  And the olives and the chilies added more levels of goodness to this excellent dish.

Yes, my trip to San Francisco is indeed a trip full of feasting.  I’m happy to say though that hours of slaving away at the gym during lunch break have helped me shed most of the pounds gained on this trip by now.   😀

Useful Info:

Poggio
777 Bridgeway ,
Sausalito, CA
(415) 332-7771
www.poggiotrattoria.com
Posted on by Jenn 1

R&G Lounge

Credits:  Papers from Lana Koopman Digital Designs — squares paper, striped paper and turq diamonds;  Elements from Pink and me kit by Pouyou

When in San Francisco, a visit to Chinatown is a must even on limited time.  Tired from all the walking we did at the Fancy Food Show, my brothers and cousins decided that an early comforting dinner was called for.  R&G Lounge at the corner of Clay and Kearny came to mind.

Their famous salt and pepper crabs deep-fried to perfection – sweet, juicy and some parts crispy.

And then there’s the Peking Duck with its golden brown crispy skin and juicy meat.

The Beef Brisket and Turnip soup cooked in a clay pot, I particularly liked because the flavorful broth reminds me of a similar soup my grandma used to make.

Recognized as one of the best Chinese restaurant in San Francisco Bay Area, R&G is a go-to for reasonably priced traditional Cantonese meal.  From a restaurant that seats 50 people when it opened in 1985, it is today a 3-storey restaurant that can serve up to 250 people.

Despite the expansion, lines are still long which only says that people continue to flock there for one good reason – the mouth-watering dishes that come out of their kitchen.

Useful Info:

R&G Lounge
631 Kearny St.,
San Francisco, CA
Tel:  (415) 982-7877
http://www.rnglounge.com
Posted on by Jenn 5

Reminiscing

Lombard Street overlooking Russian Hills

For a short while I called San Francisco home.  Straight from a pampered life, away from the watchful eyes of my parents, living (not exactly) alone in the Richmond District was uncharted territory (for us then).  Albeit a carefree time of my life, it was there that I learned independence and self-reliance.   It was one of the best times of my life.

I don’t return very often but I recently found myself back in San Francisco again and again.  Although our visit was mostly because of work, my brother and I managed to squeeze in some time for family, friends and some reminiscing.   I likewise seized the opportunity to spend precious time with my brothers – one arrived with me and was my roommate then, the other met us there from Louisiana where he now (temporarily) resides.

The bar escapes the need for reservations.

We met up with friends at the Slanted Door lounge bar no sooner than we landed.

Having Slanted Door’s signature drink:  Ginger Limeade with Hangar One Kaffir Lime Vodka.

The next day we decided to pay our old neighborhood a visit,

passed by our old apartment and had lunch at our favorite hangout.

Thai Cafe along Geary St. has good food at student-friendly prices thus a favorite hangout.

That weekend we spent a lot of time visiting old-time favorites.

Choco Fudge Sundae at The Ghirardelli Square

Breakfast at Mel’s Drive-in Diner.

Although many of those who stayed behind after school moved out of San Francisco, they remained within the Bay Area.  Some still lived in the same house we used to hangout in.  Once you’ve lived there, you can’t really shake San Francisco out of your system, can you?

Stockton St.  I used to walk this street a lot (in daytime, or course) to go to school.

It was an awesome weekend reminiscing about the juvenile things we’ve done and had gotten away with.  How we survived those reckless years was a miracle.  Ah to be young again… even for just a weekend.

Posted on by Jenn 1

The Upside of Being Wimpy!

Credits:  Papers and elements by LivE Designs’ You are Awesome kit — AwwwSome Blue, Color Me Happy and Floral clusters; Frame by Moninda Fall Meditation Frame 4 with shadow.

To finally be on our way to Caramoan was like a project coming to fruition.  This trip was supposed to have happened a decade ago, prevented however by various reasons – the remoteness and the logistic nightmares being some of the major ones.  There were so many other trips so I placed Caramoan in the back burner until Gota Village Resort came about.  Yeah, sometimes I can be a wimp!!  An attempt last summer still didn’t fall through because they were closed for a Survivor shoot.  “Ok, maybe Caramoan really isn’t for us”, I thought.  But late last year, without a plan yet for the Christmas break, I attempted to inquire for rooms and lo and behold, I got an affirmative – but not without a side trip, as you probably know by now.

From CWC, we hired a van and headed to Sabang Port.  At the port, we took this boat so cramped with passengers to Guijalo Port.  2-3 hours later we got into a van provided by the resort and another 30-45 minutes, we finally reached our destination.  Not exactly a breeze but imagine if you took public transport all the way… which would be the case if we had gone a decade ago.  And that, my friends, was the reason this trip only happened now.

Also known as the Caramoan Peninsula, it is a group of islands isolated from the rest of Camarines Sur and like many remote islands, these included, they remain unspoiled by regular tourists.

December however is not exactly the right season to be exploring the islands, the waves prevented us to explore even the island across the resort.

I have to say, this resort is charming!  No beach in sight but as you enter, the wooden cabins and the mountains in the background is an obvious prelude to the charm.

The deck at the reception area allows a peek of the ocean on one side

The cabins from the deck at night.

and the other a bird’s eye view of the cabins.

The dining hall from the beach.

Walk further to the dining hall and you will see the ocean emerge inch by inch and before you know it, right in front of you is a breathtaking view of the ocean and its nearby islands.

It’s like being in the mountains with the beach just around the corner.

As with CWC, the Provincial government of Camarines Sur operates Gota Village Resort, which makes transfers from CWC much easier than doing your own logistics.  In fact, for large groups, one can organize for a fast craft to shuttle you directly to the resort.  It will only take an hour.

It is also said that the resort earned for the Philippines the title of “Ecotourism Destination of the Year” in the 2009 edition of Nature – one of France’s biggest travel fairs.  It was also with France that Caramoan first got its big break.  The French franchise of the reality show “Survivor” chose to shoot one season here.  Many more franchises of the “Survivor” shows followed after that… Sweden, Israel, Bulgaria and Serbia.  And while we were there, they said that they would close again soon to make repairs in preparation for the next ”Survivor” ocular.

The different bridges connecting one tribal council to another.

It is on the adjacent beach called “Gota 2” that they built the different “tribal council” sets.  Not exactly my cup of tea ( I don’t follow this show) but the reality is that they pride themselves of being the favorite of the “Survivor” series… and why not?  Sadly though, they rave more about this when there is so much more to rave about — like their beautiful islands and breathtaking cliffs, perhaps?

Given the rainy season, the crowning point of this trip for me was spending most afternoons enjoying the mountain setting with some wine and cheese (that we brought with us) on our cozy little porch chatting away till dinner called.  Precious.

Useful Info:

Gota Village Resort
Address:  2F Bldg. 11 La Fuerza Plaza Compound,
2241 Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
Tel. No.:  +632 817-0831 or +632 710-9086
Mobile:  +63 928-308-3969
Email:  gotavillage@gmail.com or infocamsur@gmail.com
Posted on by Jenn 3

The Mix-up That Went Right

Credits:  Template from Crystal; Paper from LivE URAwesome kit.

A miscommunication that had us staying in Pili, Camarines Sur for 2 nights was not such a bad thing after all.  The plan was to stay at Gota Village in Caramoan all the way but when I inquired for rooms on the Gota Village Resort link at the Caramoan website, I assumed that it was for the resort and wasn’t very specific, but apparently the inquiry went to the Provincial government (which operates both CWC and Gota Village Resort) and we ended up with a 4-nights reservation at the wakeboarding domain, a more popular destination I suppose.  Not exactly our idea of a Christmas break and owing to low season, Gota (thankfully) wasn’t full and we managed to change our bookings right there and then.  We just had to stay the night because the ferry to Caramoan had already left for the day.  No problem, we’ll take what we have and make the most of it.  A blessing in disguise, I would like to think as we also found out from the CWC staff that we will not make our flight if we don’t spend our last night at CWC, so we ended up staying 2 nights each in two places.  Being flexible is less stressful, don’t you think?

CWC stands for Camsur Watersports Complex, the watersports park that made wakeboarding the new thing among the youth and a new haven for adventure sports enthusiasts.  The park was designed for wakeboarding, water skating and waterskiing with a 6-point cable ski system towing the wake boarders all day and all night.

The pool and the massage huts with Mt. Isarog in the background.

The government-operated park has hosted many competitions placing the Philippines on the water sport enthusiasts’ map.  Once considered a disaster-stricken province due to typhoons that struck them through the years, Camarines Sur or now more popularly known as CamSur has steadily risen to be among the top ranking tourists destination, even hauling the most tourists’ arrival in the Bicol region, outperforming Albay, where one can find Mayon Volcano.

We were given 2 wood cabins on a cul-de-sac at the Villa Del Rey – all pre-fabricated from China, I heard.  The wood cabins gave a cozy feel of the mountains and is so conducive to curling up in one corner and read.

After all, we were there to take a much-needed break from the crazy Christmas season and weather didn’t help much as well.  But the adventurers that we are, we still found some time to explore a bit of the nearby places.

More of Camsur coming soon.

Posted on by Jenn 3