#NCDFoodtrip: Escalante-Mitra Bulalohan and other Bicolano Foods

#NCDFoodtrip From a 40-year old family recipe of Bulalo to affordable and delicious home cooked meals, Escalante - Mitra Bulalohan is a keeper. 🥰

Bicol Express, Lechon Kawali and Bulalo will mean more rice at Escalante-Mitra Bulalohan

3 Quick Notes About #EscalanteMitraBulalohan
✔️ Bulalo Cravings
✔️ Bicolano Food
✔️ Affordable Lutong Bahay

Aside from the Bulalo only priced at P180 being the main dish of the house, my personal favorite is the Ginataang Spicy Beef (2nd photo) which I learned that it’s a signature dish of Escalante Bulalahon, so please keep this as a MUST TRY.

Another favorite is the Gulay na Santol! Oh my for only 30 pesos! The Bicol Express was flavory Bicol of course. Lechon Kawali, special Fresh Lumpia and the Ensaladang Talong was also for the win 🤗

📍They are located along Diversion Road, right infront of C-Bros. Perfect for travelers and on the spot source of ulam for your homes. If you are familiar with them, they were located along Dayangdang before.

Ginataang Spicy Beef

Oh, they also sell #CamNorte delicacies Maza Podrida, Pili Roll and the like. So if you’re craving for them, just visit their store.

Gulay na Santol

Fresh Lumpia and Ensalad

⏱Store is open from 7AM to 8PM. 
🛵They also accept deliveries until 7PM. Just send them a message in their FB Page for inquiries https://www.facebook.com/escalantemitrabulalohan/
✔️They offer party trays/packs too!
☎️ ‭+63 951 610 2848‬

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#NCDfoodTrip: Coconatz, A Bicolano Restaurant

GINATAANG SISIG. The first dish that would probably come to mind when it’s about Coconatz- A Bicolano Restaurant. Just visited this new resto along Dayangdang and they offer various Bicolano dishes in a casual (to a semi fine dining) set up with slow music, enough seats, high ceiling which makes the whole place lit up.

Ginataang Sisig, crispy and manamisnamis

From the name of the restaurant itself, they played along with of course Bicol’s bounty harvest of 🥥coconut milk/gata, but there are many other Bicolano dishes that they made into something special.

We ordered the following:

Crispy Dilis, Tinolang Manok (Sabaw ng Buko) something similar to another resto in Naga, interesting Sizzling Beef Sinigang, ❤️ Ginataang Sisig, Pinoy Salad with Salted Egg which I also like because it reminds me of Ilocos dishes.

Crispy Dilis

Sizzling Beef Sinigang

Pinoy Salad with Salted Egg

Tinolang Manok (Sabaw ng Buko)

Prices, for me, are reasonably priced with the kind of service, presentation and place that they offer.

Appetizers start at P120-P245
Gata: P115-P280
Soup: P180-P280
Specialties: P280-P520
Chicken: P240-P480
Seafood: P190-P280
Noodles: P240-P250
Pork: P185-P280
Gulay: P160-P190
Drinks: P40-P80
Panghimagas: P40-P70

Parking: May accommodate 5 to 6 cars.
One tricycle ride away from downtown Naga.

Business Hours: Monday - Sunday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM OPEN
3:00 - 5:00 PM CLOSED
6:00 - 10:30 PM OPEN

Location: Zone 1, Dayangdang Street, #NagaCity
Colgante Bridge, turn left, it’s h a few steps away from Orange Dormitel
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CoconatzResto/

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RJ's Buffet, It's Fiesta All Day in Naga City

RJ's Buffet is now open starting Dec 7, 2017. The Obiedos has really dreamed bigger for us Nagueños! Starting December 7 it will be like “Fiesta All Day” and wonderland-like! From Italian, Chinese, Japanese, to Filipino cuisine, from drinks to dessert, it’s all here!!! 

Have a pact with at least of 2 of your friends, you dine for free during your birthday, your two friends will pay and when it's their time for their birthday, it's your turn to pay. Just jeep the promise that you three will always be together every time one of you is celebrating his/her natal day. 

Villa Caceres Hotel has really set a standard now when it comes to an all-day buffet. Just before the big ones come to Naga City like The Vikings, Cabalen or Buffet 101, at least Naga City is not left behind. Apart from RJ's Buffet, the Obiedos has also opend another hotel with the name Roberson Hotel along J. Miranda Avenue which is very near Villa Caceres Hotel. 

Well guys, I could not take a photo of each of the dishes because they were just so many! But my favorite would be the Japanese station and the dessert bar and oh the Italian too. Read on the rates, discounts, promos below and get ready to fill your tummies with RJ's Buffet!

RJ's Buffet Hours of Operation

Breakfast: 6am - 9:30 am
Lunch: 11am - 2:30 pm
Dinner: 6pm - 10:00 pm

RATES:

Adult:

Breakfast - P499
Mondays to Thursdays Lunch - P699
Mondays to Thursdays Dinner - P749
Fridays to Sundays and Holidays Lunch - P749
Fridays to Sundays and Holidays Dinner - P849

Kids:

Kids below 3 feet - FREE OF CHARGE
Kids below 4 feet - 50%
LEFT OVER CHARGE - P1,000.00

DISCOUNTS & PRIVILEGES

Bistro 360 cardholder - 20%
VIP Gold cardholder - 20%
HRC cardholder - 20%
MVP cardholder - 20%
Bingo Boutique VIP cardholder - 20%

Senior Citize - 20%
Person with Disability - 20%
Villa Caceres Hotel in-house guest - 20%
Robertson Hotel in-house guest - 20%

Senior Citizen (75 years old and above) - FREE OF CHARGE
Provided, a senior citizen can show a valid ID (with their birthdate on it), and is accompanied by at least TWO (2) FULL PAYING ADULTS

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BIG GROUP DISCOUNTS

10 persons and above - 10%
25 persons and above - 20%
50 persons and above - 25%
75 persons and above - 27%
100 persons and above - 30%

To avail of the above discounts please take not of the following:

• Must be reserved at least 2 days before the event date and full payment upon reservation is required.
• Terms and conditions of cancellation and refund policies will apply upon reserving and signing the reservation confirmation.
• This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other in-house promotions or discounts (including senior citizen, PWD and kids discounts).
• Gift certificate will not be honored with this discount.
• Any unused number of persons (seats) will not be refunded nor converted to a gift certificate.
• Any excess number of persons (seats) during dining will be charged at full rate.
• Promo Discount is valid until further notice.

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BIRTHDAY PROMO

• Celebrate your birthday on the day itself and on your birth month.
• Celebrant can eat for free ON THE DAY of their birthday as long as accompanied by TWO (2) FULL PAYING ADULTS.
• Celebrants can eat for free for ONE MONTH every day, as long as it is within a month of his/her birthday, and accompanied by FIVE (5) FULL PAYING ADULTS.
• Requirements for celebrants: celebrant must bring an ORIGINAL and VALID government I.D. with photo and birthdate imprinted on it such as SSS, NBI, Driver's License, Pag-Ibig, PRC, Barangay, Unified, Police Clearance I.D., and Passport (both local and foreign ID's are accepted). In the case that the celebrant doesn't have a government ID, he/she may bring his/her birth certificate supported by any ID fo the following: School ID, parent's ID, company ID.
• This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other in-house promotions or discounts (including senior citizen PWD and kid's discounts).
• Gift certificate will not be honored for this promo.
• This promo is available only at RJ's Buffet.
• Promo Discount is valid until further notice.

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ANNIVERSARY PROMO

• Celebrate your ANNIVERSARY ON THE DAY itself and on your ANNIVERSARY MONTH.
• Celebrants can eat for free ON THE DAY of their anniversary, as long as accompanied by FOUR (4) FULL PAYING ADULTS
• Celebrants can eat for free  for ONE MONTH every day, as long as it is within a month of his/her anniversary and accompanied  by SIX (6) FULL PAYING ADULTS.
• Requirements for celebrants: Celebrant/s must bring an ORIGINAL marraige certificate (both local and foreign certificates are accepted).
• This discount canot be used in conjunction with other in-house promotions or discounts (including senior citizen, PWD and kid's discounts).
• Gift certificate will not be honored for this promo.
• This promo is available only at RJ's Buffet.
• Promo Discount is valid until further notice.

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Review: May's Split and Share Restaurant

Here's a quick review of May's Split and Share Restaurant & Coffee Shop also offering lunch and dinner buffet every Saturday. They are located at P. Diaz Extension and the restaurant is amongst the residential area of Brgy. Sta Cruz, little did I know that there's a new structure along P. Diaz Extension that houses a simple and quiet restaurant. If my memory serves me right, it's the same area where Karl's Pansitan is also located which eventually transferred near Veteran's Bank along Elias Angeles Street.

CLICK HERE for a list of other Eat All You Can Restaurants in Naga City

Serving around eight (8) dishes excluding pizza and around 3 to 4 kinds of dessert, your P199 is already a decent price for a nice buffet. Yes they do serve pizza as part of the buffet plus unlimited juice. I have dined here twice on a Saturday lunch and so far the dishes vary from time to time. I love their pasta, it's simple but it's tasty and the pizza is indeed a welcome add on since they also serve it fresh and hot. I loved their pork adobo and lucky you if you chance upon a "gulay na pako". It's rare here in Naga to be having this local veggie. I think one of their specialties is the Brazo de Mercedes, it's a regular every Saturday. 

They accept reservations and for gatherings too. The restaurant is spacious with very nice crazy cut furniture in the dining area. They also have an indoor garden on the side, but the area is not advisable during noon time. If you happen to eat at May's Restaurant, tell me what you think about it. 

Oh btw, I saw on their FB page they there will be an Anniversary Special at May's and you will only pay  P150 for the Eat All You Can. 

CLICK HERE for a list of other Eat All You Can Restaurants in Naga City

May's Split & Share Restaurant and Coffee Shop

Corner Narra St. P. Diaz Extension

Brgy. Sta. Cruz Naga City

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/maysSSRCakeandcoffeeshop/

Contact No. 0977-6890782 / 054-8730034

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#NCDfoodTrip: Captain Shawarma

Naga City - It's been a while since I ate shawarma. How many shawarma places do we have in Naga by now? Remember the authentic Shawarma along Magsaysay Avenue called Haidnor located in front of WestPark? A bottle of beer was always fun served with Haidnor's Shawarma in pita or on a plate. After Haidnor, I was a fan of Spice Eleven Shawarma, owned by  friends who opened some time in 2010. For a few years they grew several branches around the city. There "to-go" place beside Saint Joseph School and their first store at the food court of Nagaland E-mall were the two sources of the hottest shawarma in town after Haidnor closed its doors. I can actually eat one pita shawarma and shawarma rice in a box in just one seating, that's how I loved Spice Eleven Shawarma before. When they closed down business around 2015 due to other  priorities, from that time on I never tried any other shawarma in Naga not until last Saturday, November 12. Let's just say Haidnor and Spice Eleven was able to meet my standards in shawarma from Baguio. 

Here's a quick story how I learned to love shawarma. Being a kid before, I hated beef, basically because I hated the "off" smell which eventually leaves a strong aftertaste in your palate. As I age, I appreciated beef from time to time and hey, I eat burgers right? Since it's not tasting like it's beef I believe that fast foods' burger patties really has a lot of preservatives just to counteract the aroma of the meat. I learned how to eat Shawarma during my college  years in Baguio. When you want to eat shawarma all you got to do is go to Session Road. Shawarma stalls grow in number every Session Road in Bloom during the Panagbenga Festival. It's a comfort food in the cold weather of Baguio. From that time on I was able to outgrew my hate for beef up to the point of enjoying Bulalo. That was how I gained my-kind-of-shawarma. 

I found this shawarma place in ALDP Plaza Mall food court at Roxas Avenue (Diversion Road). Surprisingly the food court in this mall has a good foot traffic. Captain Shawarma is the only shawarma place in this mall and the rest are various stalls offering meals you can choose from. Trying to regain my craving for shawarma, I was able to try the Pita version and took home the Rice Shawarma. 

Serving Size is for the win! I must say, P50 for the Pita Shawarma with their kind serving is really something that I was not expecting. The main ingredients of the Captain Shawarma's Pita version are: tomato-cucumber relish, white onion, plus the white/garlic sauce. For other shawarma's being offered, cheese is an add on, sometimes they come in slices of the basic cheese, but for Captain Shawarma, it's a cheese sauce. The Rice Shawarma for only P60 also has a good serving size. 

Pita Bread is Homemade. Unlike other shawarma places, Captain Shawarma's pita bread is homemade. Meaning, we are assured that it's fresh.

If you want your shawarma more "garlicky" just tell the server that you prefer more white/garlic sauce than the cheese sauce. Captain Shawarma's beef is tender and thinly sliced making sure there's enough for your pita bread. This on the go meal with veggies and sauce is perfect for our fast-paced world or just a snack for a slow afternoon for us to savor the spices of Captain Shawarma's offering. 

Captain does not only serve shawarma in pita bread or in rice. They also Shawarma Fries, Nacho's, All Meat and Shawarma Platter at very affordable prices. For drinks they serve Magnolia's Healthtea because they want you to drink healthy. I know shawarma is so damn good with softdrinks, you can always purchase from the neighboring stalls. =P. I loved the pita version of Captain shawarma, after two years of not eating this delicious meal, now I can say I have regained my craving for shawarma. 

Captain Shawarma has two other branches in Naga. One is located along Ateneo Avenue and one is right in front of the USI's HS gate. With their pricing, it's still affordable for students considering that the serving is that of a one full meal. 

Thank you for having us Captain Shawarma! More power!

Facebook: Captain Shawarma 4400

Branches: 

• ALDP Mall (Food Court)
• Ateneo Avenue (near Cathedral Street)
• USI Branch (Fronting USI HS Gate)

Contact No. (054) 475 0090

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Survey: Top Local Restaurants, Bars, Kinalasan and Cafes in Naga City

BECAUSE LOCALS KNOW BEST
You can also take the Survey here http://goo.gl/forms/9jaqAdVkcV

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Sityembreakfast, Merienda and Tienda sa Fiesta the Que Pasa Way this September

Naga City - As colorful as the Peñafrancia Festival, a restaurant brings us a delightful breakfast and merienda, the Que Pasa Naga way. You might be wondering if why have I been writing for many times already about this restaurant and if you have read them, I reiterated that this place will be evolving from time to time both aesthetically and gastronomically. True to its evolving nature, Que Pasa brings us daily merienda in the afternoon and Sityembreakfast during weekends this whole month of September. But, during this busy week of the Peñafrancia Festivities and to accommodate fellow Bicolanos and guests going back home, breakfast will also be offered starting September 16 until the 20th.

Breakfast is served from 7:00 am to 10:00 AM

 Now what do we have for breakfast? These two are definitely my favorite!

Arroz Con Chocolate aka Champorado and Naldo's Caldo

The Arroz Con Chocolate  P48 topped with Newlook (a kind of dried fish) flakes realllllly complements the sweetness of the champorado. The milk will even make it more enticing. 

Naldo's Caldo P38 reminds me of Nald's Goto in Padian St.
But I think this has more flavor, just look at the toppings.

The "I woke up like this" kind of mood for my Bicol Bloggers friends

Coffee is an important pill for the not so morning people. Scrambled Eggs P28 with herbs and rice would be nice just like any typical breakfast. They also serve Breakfast Hotdog with Cheese P48. Having your breakfast at Que Pasa is like eating at your own patio or veranda knowing that the resto is an open area, this you won't get an enclosed restaurant and most especially in fast foods.

They also serve Chilis Dilis P18 which you can also pair with the Arroz Con Chocolate. 

Other breakfast goodies available are:

Newlook P28, Salted Eggs P18, Salsa Fresca P15, 

Salted Eggs w/ Salsa Fresca P28, Fiesta Logganisa P48, 

Chicken Tocino P48, Arroz Con Leche P48

Your afternoon merienda is now covered by Que Pasa this month of September. We Filipinos really give importance to our hungry tummies don't we? Always remember, that when you're in Que Pasa, you should be able to master the art of pairing. Mix and match the dishes that would definitely complement with one another, but hey don't you worry if you're not used to this kind of set up. You can also ask the servers for any recommendations. 

Here's my few tips on how I choose my dishes, this is very applicable here in Que Pasa most especially that they do not have sets of value meals like other restaurants. 

1. Sweet and Salty - this has been my top of the list in any restaurant. 

2. Spicy and Sweet

3. Sour and something hot like bowl foods

4. Sweet and Sour

6. Fatty foods and anything

But of course, you pretty much know your own palate. I can't argue with you of you're own set of pairings.

Que Pasa Merienda is served from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Merienda the Que Pasa Way

Que Blanco P18, suman with caramelized sugar, mango bits and pinipig. This is definitely one of my favorites.

And another personal favorite Baked Longganiza Pasta P48

BananaNut Fritters P28 - Que Pasa's own version of Banana Cue, wrapped banana with peanut butter
as the added filling. It's more than the average size of our usual banana cue. 

On the right is the Arroz Con Maiz for only P38, I may not be a fan of corn that much but hey give it a try. 

You're in luck if there's still Arroz Con Chocolate during Merienda time. We Filipinos would want champarado as our afternoon snack right? 

#TiendaSaFiesta is only available until the 18th of September located near the entrance of Que Pasa. These collectibles are handmade and handcrafted by Bicolano artists, so good and intricate that they can even serve as your souvenir from Bicol. Naga is indeed becoming an artist haven and destination. You can tell by the many artsy shops all around.

Karaw Craftventures is a design hub that up-cycles scrap and waste materials into artisanal products, with brands positioned as handcrafted, sustainable and contemporary. It gives and shows love by combining art enthusiasm with passion to take part in community development advocacy and promotion of environmental sustainability. It aims to empower the marginalized women's groups in Naga City while spurring economic mobility by providing career and training opportunities, capacity building activities, and guidance in financial savings. 

Purchasing a Munuqueta is helping the inmate artisans. 

Homemade Kaleidoscopes

So probably this will not be my last post about Que Pasa. There's a lot happening in this restaurant. So stay tuned for more.

Related Post:

Que Pasa Naga: 360° Instagrammable with Art in All Forms

http://www.nagacitydeck.com/2015/02/que-pasa-naga.html

Siete Paobras and Encanto Bar

http://www.nagacitydeck.com/2015/07/siete-paobras-and-encanto-by-que-pasa.html

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