Dinuguan Pizza @ Saramsam Restaurant, Ilocos Norte

Saramsam is the sister restaurant of Herencia Cafe. Food here is so great! It is located in Laoag and is right beside a karaoke place, so if you easily get annoyed with people singing the wrong tunes, you may want to visit during the day rather than dinner time.

Dinuguan Pizza

This is a must!

The highlight of my food fest! I know it seems disgusting, but it’s realllly goooood! Next time I visit, I won’t eat anything else so I’ll have space for this!

Awesome!:)

Saramsam Pasta

Mangoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic and cheese. This is a best seller in Saramsam and I would have to say that I am a fan as well. If you put chili oil and bagoong balayan = PERFECT!

yummm:)

Tuna Pasta

Ordered by Tita M and Tita N. It’s a bit on the spicy side.

Poque-poque pizza

This is ideal for vegetarians. It's made of crushed eggplant, tomatoes, onions and cheese. Better with loads of chili oil!

Poque-poque up close!

Iced tea with Basil

People usually order this with their food. I found it interesting since the taste of the basil is just right.

For sale!:)

I think I prefer Saramsam to Herencia. The service here is more personal and it's closer to the house of J's family. Next time I go to Ilocos, I will definitely try the other pizzas.


Cheers to more Dinuguan Pizza!:)

http://lifeisbeautifulandawesome.blogspot.com/2010/09/ilocos-norte-blue-lagoon-and-lunch-at.html
Ilocos Norte: Paoay Church and Herencia Cafe
Ilocos Norte Guide

Ilocos Norte: Blue Lagoon and Lunch at Hannah's Beach Resort

J, S and I decided to go to the amazing Blue Lagoon in Maira-ira, Pagudpud during our Ilocos vacation. Here is the view en route to Blue Lagoon.:)

Half of the road to Blue Lagoon is fixed, while the other half has yet to be developed. It would be best to use a nice van or any 4-wheel drive for more comfort and speed.

Doughnut shaped landmark:)

We decided to stay at Hannah's Beach Resort for our Day Trip. They charged us 1500 for a villa. It had a bed , towels, soap, tv, dvd player, refrigerator, couch and an extremely small bathroom. Imagine, I am 5Feet tall and I weigh 102 Pounds...and I could not even shower properly because the space was so small. In fact, I can shower and pee at the same time since it was right next to the toilet! It was the fastest shower of my life:)

Forgive me for not taking enough photos. There was a sign that were not allowed to take shots and the resort will just provide for us, but really, it's not worth showing.

Hannah's is one of the new resorts in Pagudpud, however it looks 10 years old. The bathroom water smells and tastes like salt and rust, the bathroom sink has so much rust, the furniture looks old fashioned...the place  needs more care and it seemed like the resort was not well thought of. The staff are okay... Some are nice and some are apathetic. I still think 1500 was a reasonable deal since we were also able to use the pool:)

Swimming Pool

J said they should have created an infinity pool, but instead, they blocked the view with more villas.

Beach Front of Hannah's

This area is not so nice since it's the center of the Blue Lagoon and it has a strong current. We couldn't swim here so we went to the end where the water is calm and more conducive for swimming.

People call this the "Boracay of the North"...with waves:)

I love how isolated this beach is.:)

The lifeguard from Hannah's warned us not to swim far since the current is too strong... I'm just happy the jellyfish are gone. Last time we went, they were everywhere:)

We decided to go back to Hannah's for lunch. Here's our PHP700 lunch:

Insarabasab

Liempo with onions, tomatoes and Ilocos Vinegar

This was good:)

Chicken BBQ

I was craving for chicken so I ordered this. the serving is big but it lacked taste - saltiness and maybe more bbq sauce

We also ordered drinks and twin popsies, which were refreshing.

Next time, I will try the other places along the coast of Blue Lagoon since I was not really impressed with Hannah's....unless they rebuild their bathroom and make it thrice the size so I can fit in the shower area:)

For cheaper places to stay, you can rent huts for PHP300 though you might get a heat stroke. There are paluto places as well if you wish to eat fresh seafood.

Cheers to awesome Ilocos!:)

Ilocos Norte: Paoay Church and Herencia Cafe
Ilocos Norte Guide

Ilocos Norte: Paoay Church and Herencia Cafe

Paoay Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which looked a lot better 13 years ago, when the area was less commercialized. Corals were one of the materials used to build this:)

When you visit, you need to dine in Herencia Café and have their Ilocano Pizzas. As you dine here, you have a really pretty view of the church.

J, M, J and I decided to have a snack and eat: Pinakbet Pizza and Longganisa Pizza (2 in one). You have the option to order 2 separate pizzas since it will be a lot cheaper. Since we weren’t really hungry, we opted for the 2 in one pizza.

Longganisa Pizza (left) and Pinakbet Pizza (right)

Pinakbet Pizza:)

The longganisa pizza was salty and tasty. I was surprised since I didn’t expect the pinakbet to be good as well. It would be better if you add Bagoong balayan to the Pinakbet pizza.

I am not a fan of pizzas but I definitely will try this again!

Menu

Some tables are vintage sewing machines!:)

View from our table:)

Cheers to Awesome Ilocano Dishes!:)

Related Topics:
Ilocos Norte

Zao Vietnamese Bistro

When I feel unhealthy and need good soup, I choose Vietnamese restaurants. J and I had Pho and we enjoyed it like our last visit.

Seafood Pho

J's favorite:)

Chicken Pho

Makes you feel alot better especially when you have a cold.:)

It'll taste so good if you crush the basil and put alot of chili!

Love it!

Zao has average service - not great and not bad either. If you order Pho, you get the food in less than 5 minutes.:) It's also cheaper than Phoa.

Cheers to being healthy (hopefully)!:)

Zao Vietnamese Bistro, Eastwood City Walk 1

Eastwood City Cyberpark, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan, Libis
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 470-7587

Amoroma, Tagaytay - Worst Service Ever

My friends and I decided to have lunch in Amoroma, Tagaytay. If it weren't for my friends, I would have thrown a fit due to HORRIBLE SERVICE.
1. We got our food almost 1 hour after we ordered - the lady said my Risotto takes 15 minutes. Hello.... 60 minutes is very far from 15 minutes!
2. P complained (in the nicest possible way) to the owner (Italian) and you won't believe what he said: "It's a sunday! Come back monday!" - First of all, it was a SATURDAY. Next, he didn't apologize for the delay. Talk about rude and improper. Oh, and his tone was just so condescending. I have met Italians before and they were all more pleasant than him.
3. We got the bill 10 minutes AFTER we asked for it THRICE!
4. The worst part about this place is the FOOD IS NOT GOOD. I would rather go to Italiani's! I don't understand why people say this place is good. Its overrated and tasteless. P didn't like her food as well.
Anyway, at least I know never to return:)

Mushroom and Cheese

Tastes like rice and local cheese.:(

Cheers to knowing where NOT TO GO NEXT TIME!:)

Texas Roadhouse Grill

Texas Roadhouse is my favorite place when I need good food, comfortable chairs, efficient service and friendly staff. I decided to try their Fajitas and I could not finish it since the serving was generous.

El Paso Fajitas Combo

Chicken and Beef Fajitas :)

The chicken and beef were both tender and the veggies were still crunchy - which is always a plus!

You can always add chilli sauce to make it tastier!

Cheers !:)

Texas Roadhouse Grill, Bonifacio High Street

B1 Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 856-1547

Nasi Lemak Authentic Singaporean Restaurant

Nasi Lemak is a Singaporean Restaurant in Robinsons Galleria. The reviews are really good so we decided to try it out one day. After eating there twice, I don't agree with all those reviews especially since I have been to Singapore at least 5 times already.

Roti Pratha

The curry sauce was a bit watery but the bread was moist and the texture was crispy on the outside and soft inside. This was average.

Singaporean Laksa

The reviews of this make you hungry as you read about it so I  expected it to be really good. I prefer the laksa of Orchard Road in Megamall since it has more soup and chili. This has alot of meat however it's dry and watery.

Hainanese Chicken

This is ideal if you have never tried authentic Hainanese Chicken....you can imagine how it tastes like for those who have tried it. A bit on the dry side and the sauce does not do justice at all.

The sauce of hainanese chicken matters so much to make it perfect. For me, Stevies still has the best here in MANILA.

The rice of the hainanese....hmmm, does not look quite like the original one. The broth of the chicken needs to be used for the rice. I wasn't satisfied as well.

I have also tried Nasi Lemak Rice set and the Char Kway Teow. My favorite so far is the char kway teow since its spicy and salty. Far from the original, but good enough for me:) hehe

Cheers to finding a better alternative here in Manila!:)

Nasi Lemak Authentic Singaporean Restaurant, Robinsons Galleria

2/Lvl. East Lane, Robinsons Galleria, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave.
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 571-8988

Flapjacks for Breakfast

I had breakfast in Flapjacks, Greenbelt with my mom and Sisters. The ambiance reminds you of Pancake house with more space and better service. I would pick this any day to Pancake house since the staff are more efficient.

Vigan Longganisa with 2 eggs

My mom and my sister C had this one and it's pretty good especially if you ask them to burn the longganisa a bit so it can be slightly crunchy.

Tapa with 2 eggs

Tapsilog is great comfort food and I was happy with what they served.

See the texture? It's perfect with the vinegar!

Perfect condiments for the filipino breakfast

Sausage, Egg and cheese on english Muffin and Hash Brown on the side

This was A's order. She is like an american when she eats. I didn't try this but she said its good. The muffin looks moist, unlike the one they have in Mcdo. haha

Dessert: Banana Pancakes

Awesome! I am a pancake critic and this was great and moist. It was sweet and buttery and you even have the option to skip the syrup- my sisters did not agree.:)

Moist, fluffy and yummy!

Exactly like pancake house with better food and service!;)

Cheers to more big breakfasts!:)
www.flapjacks.com.ph