The Lesser Known at Widus Hotel

After Jjimjilbangin the night before, I had to wake up at 8 am to be ready for breakfast, leave at 10 am and get back to work at 12 pm. 

Buffet breakfast at Salt Cafe

Inside Salt Cafe dining area

Breakfast station for eggs, bacon, ham and fried rice

Cereal section

My favorite, the bread section

We headed back to Widus hotel for our buffet breakfast at Salt Café. It was the first time that I had a buffet breakfast since I ate at The Rise in Marina Bay Sands a year ago. Although not as grand as The Rise, I still had a reminiscing mood at Salt while I got my serving of omelet, bacon, soft bread rolls, cereals and fresh fruits.

Eggs, bacon, pancake and lots of bread on my plate

A bowlful of fiber (muesli). Oats, cereal flakes, mixed nuts and dried fruits

After a satisfying breakfast I had a tour of the hotel’s facilities assisted by one their staff. Widus’ facilities are world class and are better compared with Lohas’. They have a very inviting large swimming pool with bar, an Asian themed spa, gym, a restaurant. All rooms also have private balconies so every guest can enjoy the view from their rooms. All those are just part of Phase One developments at Widus. Their operations manager mentioned that villa rooms are under construction as well as the Widus Convention Center and Function Hall. I caught the Korean family who owns the hotel eating before I leave.

Widus Hotel's Aisia Spa

Aisia Spa's exquisite massage room

Widus Hotel Fitness Room

The main pool with bar

And as I ponder on the things and thoughts playing in my mind while sitting on a bench in front of the pool, I have foreseen that most companies in Clark will be Korean owned. There were Korean schools, restaurants and so many things Korean which were not so prolific in this side of Pampanga before. Thanks to its airport that has direct and regular flights to and from Korea. After the Chinese dominating the field of business, are we going to experience a Korean invasion in the Philippines? Look out.

TLK

The Lesser Known goes "Jjimjilbanging" - A taste of Korean Sauna

That day..That day when aside from your usual daily work, you have several other commitments to fulfill and all of it lined up in a 5-hour time block. I looked at my planner and went to check on March 10^th. I was surprised to see that after I finished my last class at 3:30 in the afternoon, I have to serve as judge in an Auto Show at 4 pm in San Fernando, conduct a mock oral defense with my research students at 6 pm in Angeles City, meeting with a travel agent friend at 8 pm in Lohas Hotel and a spa appointment at 10 pm.

Examining the interior of a vintage red Mustang

After my class, I immediately went to the venue and rushed the judging as the event did not start on time. Arrived in Clark and met my students already at 7:30 in the evening, finished at 8 pm then ordered for my favorite frappuccino while waiting for the driver to pick me up. I met with my friend Ms Kaye who owns a travel agency at past nine together with her tour guide Arthur just after they finished the seminar which they conducted at Widus Hotel. Our group then transferred to Lohas Hotel where we were billeted. This was the first time that I have met with Ms Kaye after I first knew her in February in Puerto Galera, and I was grateful that she invited me over to try out and review a spa.

The New Well Being Spa at Lohas Hotel has the region’s largest spa equipped with hot/cold Jacuzzi, male/female locker rooms, shower rooms, massage rooms and a “Jjimjilbang” – which is a Korean style sauna with a wood-fired hot bulgama dry steam room, a charcoal detoxification room and an ice room. Jjimjilbangs are part of a truly unique Korean culture. These are large, gender-segregated public bath houses complete with hot tubs, showers, saunas and massage beds, similar to what you might find in a Korean sauna. It is advisable to try out the Jjimjilbang first, and then take a warm bath before having your massage. Unfortunately it was 9:50 and my appointment with a masseuse was at 10 pm so I had no choice but to have it the other way around.

My room, which is the other half of the two-bedroom family suite

The other side of the room with its amenities

Didn't had time to rest. Just a quick change then off to the spa.

I took my locker key, changed into shorts and a robe then headed to a massage room which I think has 20 percent more space than the massage rooms in my neighborhood spa in Valenzuela. The rooms are nice, with low lighting and a soothing music to set the relaxing mood. I had a 1 hour Swedish massage. The masseuse’s strokes were brisk but she has hit my stress points just right. It was quick but relaxing.

The male locker room complete with manly amenities such as bath gel,
razor, after shave, toothbrush and paste, gel, wax - across is the shower area.

After the massage, I tried to have an experience of the Jjimjilbang. This Korean style sauna has three rooms. I entered at the hot bulgama room which is equivalent to the steam room of most spas but different in the sense that the bulgama room utilizes wood burnt inside an enclosed chamber to produce dry heat and not steam. The room will make you perspire, open up your pores and helps release bodily toxins through sweat.

Inside the Bulgama room where temperature can reach to 70 degrees Celsius

The second room is the charcoal room filled with chunks of carbon coal mounted on the walls. With a room temperature inside, the coals will absorb the sweat and toxins released from the body.

Charcoal filled room, also filled with Korean books.

I did not dare to go inside the ice room because I did not want to feel the cold temperature inside. But the ice room is designed to close the pores after detoxification. Instead, I went to the shower room, took a warm bath, changed clothes and head back to the suite room where my midnight snack of croissant sandwich and fries are waiting.

I needed the calories after the session

A quick chat and a happy birthday greeting to Ms Kaye, watched a women’s volleyball match between USA and China and I finally went to bed and slept at 2 am.

T'was a good morning!

The view of the pool of Lohas Hotel

The hotel lobby

TLK

The Lesser Known Food Finds: Heaven in 5 slices at The Coffee Beanery

It was I who actually suggested and convinced my two colleagues Faith and PJ that we go to The Coffee Beanery yesterday afternoon after meeting with our adviser. After a series of train rides from Manila to Quezon City, and walked past four malls, we arrived at The Coffee Beanery on West Avenue at around 6:40 pm.

The gang (l-r) - PJ, Faith and yours truly

The visit was my third time but I thought I was more excited than my two friends about it. There were few changes with TCB’s policy on how to avail their signature promo “Unlimited Cake and Coffee” for only Php 150. You first have to like their Facebook page, and then upon arrival in their store they will check your Facebook profile to see if you have liked them already before you can avail. Otherwise, you will pay for the new and regular price of Php 200 per person. In our group’s case, I initially thought that we would be paying for the new price. But after some chit chatting with the cashier, our case was resolved. I just told her that we will just like their page when we arrive home. Tact, that is!

Our group decided that we have the same cake variety at every serving and opted for iced coffee instead of hot.

Being a chocoholic freak that I am, I was happy to have a “double chocolate cake” as my first slice. The cake was delightfully moist and coated with thick chocolate fudge cream. Amidst its name “double chocolate” it was moderately sweet as per my taste buds tell me.

Double chocolate cake. Moist and not too sweet.

To have contrast and so as not to tire my taste of chocolate sweetness, I helped myself with my second slice of “mango cream cake”. This soft and spongy chiffon was on the citrusy side and its mango and cream icing is a bit sweeter than its cake and filling which is a good thing.

Mango cream cake

Third slice... “White caramel cake”. This variant is coated with white butter cream icing and a filigree of caramel sauce. The cake is also moist with thin caramel filling. Again, not too sweet. Though I still prefer the double chocolate.

This is TCB's white version of their classic caramel cake

“Ube sansrival” was my next. This attractively decorated cake has a sansrival crust topped with ube flavored chocolate shavings. It is full of texture as the cake is crisp and also filled with almond nuts.

Ube sansrival cake

We believe that macadamia nuts are pretty expensive and it is less frequently used in some cakes. But The Coffee Beanery let their customers indulge in this decadent “mocha macadamia cake”. This heavenly piece of dessert has a crust similar to those of tarts and oh boy, it is generously filled with macadamia nuts glazed in mocha sauce! That was the moment where I had eaten the most number of macadamia nuts!

Behold, the mocha macadamia!

I believe I do not have to worry about the amount of calories I have consumed that night, all I know is I have had a taste of heaven in 5 slices! Though I was disappointed that my favorite “strawberry cheesecake” was not available that night..

Be sure to like TCB on Facebook first!

Coming back? Hell yeah! Err, heaven yeah!

TLK

Do you ever know Stanley Lambchop aka Flat Stanley?

On April 17th, I have received a mail from my cousin Alcyrra who is living in Grande Prairie Alberta. It made me ecstatic because she gave me quite an exciting task. She sent me a friend who's name is Stanley Lambchop or popularly known as Flat Stanley. Along with him is a letter saying that I need to host Stanley for a couple of days and to send him back to Alberta. Then I knew from reading the letter from her English teacher that Flat Stanley is a children's book character who got squished when a bulletin board fell on him and made him flat.

Stanley patiently stood on my desk for 2 days

The task is to host Flat Stanley for a couple of days and take him to visit cities and other places around the globe. Then the host will send him back to his origin and tell a story of the things that the host and Flat Stanley did and the places they visited during the stay. I had Flat Stanley stay at home with me for the first two days as I was very busy completing my graduate school paper for submission. But I promised him that I will take him for a ride and give him an experience of the city life in Manila. 

Me, myself and Stanley

Then came Friday, April 20th, went to graduate school to submit my manuscript and I took Stanley with me to the metropolis. We rode the metro rail from Manila to Cubao, Quezon City and walked past Gateway Mall, Farmers Plaza and rode a train going to North EDSA. Stanley also had a stroll in Trinoma Mall while I checked on some clothes. He also had a quick stop at SM North Edsa (which is now the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines in terms of area) before finally arriving at The Coffee Beanery in West Avenue Quezon City. I actually persuaded my colleagues (Faith and PJ) that we eat there so they could try the "cake and coffee unlimited" and indulge in different cake varieties and sip on TCB's coffee (this on a different story). After having our share of cakes and coffee (and also Stanley watching on us), we got home at 9:30 in the evening. So Stanley, did you enjoy the ride today huh?

Stanley and the Big Dome (now called Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Stanley at Sky Garden North Edsa

I ate up Stanley's part of the cake.

Hope you enjoyed the day Stan!

TLK

The Lesser Known chronicles: Observing Holy Week

This observance happened last year as I was so determined to experience and see the reenactment of Christ's crucifixion in Cutud Pampanga. I was hoping to do this again this year but was unfortunate because I have a 5-day vacation with the whole family in Baguio for the Lenten days. 

Memoirs on Good Friday of 2011..

I had nothing to do on that Good Friday of 2011 so I decided to escape home and do it. Just 3 hours after I arrived home from Visita Iglesia on Holy Thursday of 2011, I woke up at 4 am to embark on a holy experience. Arrived at 6:45 am in San Fernando and met with a group of penitents. I saw how they prepared themselves for their so called "panata" or penance. It was not for the weak stomach because you get to see one person wound the back of some flagellants and blood rushed down.

Penitents whip their backs before they are wounded.

And then will be filled with blood all over their back.

From Barangay San Jose in San Fernando to the city cathedral, I joined the group and walked with them as we passed by some group of penitents. So numerous that it caused traffic. I was in charge with holding the wooden cross of a friend who is also doing his penance every year as he made his stop at every church and prayed.

If I could still remember, there were 7 penitents who carried
a cross and 8 flagellants in the group.

In this photo, I had to walk with my friend to hold his cross
every time he stopped at a church and prayed.

This is our final stop at the cathedral

A group of bloody flagellants

Then came the highlight of this Holy Week observance, I made my way together with Potch and Jay to San Pedro Cutud -- the sight of the infamous crucifixion. We were lucky that Bern was a local resident of Cutud and we had a place to eat and be refreshed. Thousands of tourists, locals and foreigners alike flocked to a small hill to witness 16 penitents get crucified. Amidst the very hot climate and the scorching sun, we made our way towards the front area to have a nicer view. And it's such a heart wrenching scene to see how the males (dressed like Roman centurions) hit that mallet against the nail and how the penitents reacted with such pain as the crucifixion took place. 

Sixteen people got crucified on that day.

The site of crucifixion

It was a brave act on my part, remembering that I was once very afraid of those people doing flagellation. Despite the crowd, exhaustion and extreme heat, the experience was so worthwhile and gratifying. It made me realize what a great sacrifice Jesus Christ did for mankind to redeem us all. I started reflecting as I sit inside the bus on my way back home. I thought of doing this again next year -- as spectator again or maybe one of the penitents, but that's an understatement for now.

TLK

The Lesser Known chronicles: A Coffee Encounter with a Pastry Chef

After a full day of outdoor activities (and half a ruler long of wound from a limestone hill), I knew I had to rest and reserve some energy for the moving up ceremony that will follow the next day. Took a shower and applied some medication to my hurting wound. After having dinner, Ms Jen Latap, the resort manager introduced to us a very unassuming, humble but a very established and successful personality, Chef Mary Ann Sylvestre who happens to be a regular guest of the resort.

I just had a quick conversation with her at the resort, but with that short span of time, she got me interested with her and all that her mouth has to utter. She is very soft spoken and from the way she fluently speaks, I knew that she has a very good upbringing. Mary Ann Sylvestre is a Pastry Chef with a complete and passionate love for baking. She honed her craft in Switzerland and traveled to some parts of Europe to try out and get to know the continent’s baking ways.

The following night gave me such excitement because she invited us over to her house for a late night coffee chat (it was past 9 in the evening). We had to take a short walk going to her house which is just a few minutes away from the resort. She bought the piece of land (in Puerto Galera) where her house is now constructed a few years back because she loved the place when she first saw it. Chef Ann was captivated by the friendliness of the people  from down south and even said that southern people are more genuine when it comes to being hospitable compared with people from the north specifically pertaining to Kapampangans. Ironically, Chef Ann is a Kapampangan herself. With both of us being a “cabalen” it was just a breeze for us to be comfortable with each other.

Pastry Chef Mary Ann Sylvestre loves to entertain friends over
a cup of coffee which she personally prepares.

Her place was quaint and small and I caught her busy in her kitchen working with a single espresso machine as she waited for every drip. She made us a Lavazza medium roast coffee which she told is Italy’s most loved coffee (than the another popular Illy coffee). To match the hot beverage, she offered us a crisp walnut biscotti and a Verona cookie which she personally baked. I equally loved the biscotti which went well with the coffee but it’s the cookie glazed with sugar icing with cardamom and dates that kept me wanting for more.

Lavazza is Italy's most favorite coffee according to
Chef Ann and well.. to this sign board.

This Lavazza coffee with a citrus hint is a perfect pair
for a crisp walnut biscotti.

The to-die-for sugar glazed Verona cookie, baked with dates and cardamom.
Looking forward to have a bite into this again.

Our conversation, which I thought turned out to be an informal and friendly chat, extended to hours as she relayed all her stories about how passionate she is with her craft. Being (still) an aspiring pastry chef that I am, I listened to all she said. One has to really love what he does to succeed in a chosen profession. And when it comes to baking, a quality product starts with quality ingredients. Chef Ann only uses ingredients she had bought in Italy. From flour, chocolates to nuts, all ingredients are imported. She even have 3 separate refrigerators (all with different and fixed temperature) to store all her ingredients. Water for baking? Well, she uses Evian water for all her baked products. How expensive could that be? They just have to, because her "Pasticceria Mariana" clients (this is her brand name) range from airline and business executives, ambassadors and the Zobels just to name a few. She regards herself not as a pastry chef but a "kitchen gardener" because she keeps a small garden at home where she also gets some of the ingredients she uses. For her, a good chef also must know how to grow and cultivate good ingredients from the soil.

It was really overwhelming to have gotten to know and to have spent time (and a coffee encounter) with such successful and interesting person. And to be able to make friend with Chef Ann was really a bonus. She was on that night looking forward for our next “coffee chat” and invited us to pay a visit in her home (and kitchen) in Pasig and promised to personally bake for us. Well I won’t let that chance pass. I had hoped to meet with the “kitchen gardener” from that night on.

Tell me what you think and feel free to leave comments.

TLK

The Lesser Known travels: Another Italian feast at Luca's Cucina Italiana

My first dinner in the island of Puerto Galera was a taste of Pizzeria Ristorante Ciao Italia. As I said it on my previous post, it was more than satisfying. When it seemed like I could not have enough of pizzas and pastas, I was again on my way for another authentic Italian dinner to Luca Cucina Italiana at Talipanan, Puerto Galera.

The restaurant is quite secluded because one must take a 5 minute walk from the road going to the beach shore and finally to the restaurant situated at the foot of a hill. Luca Cucina Italiana is a popular Italian restaurant in Puerto Galera owned by a person named Luca. Even people from Manila know it and would not skip going and dining there. Same with Ciao Italia, this restaurant also uses native materials. You have to eat to really taste and feel Italy, because honestly speaking, the only thing that is truly Italian is the food and how it’s prepared (using fresh ingredients cooked slowly and with heart).

LUCA'S CUCINA ITALIANA FACADE

We ordered for Pizza Luca, the restaurant’s specialty made with fresh tomatoes, ham, salami, mushroom and onion rings. The second pizza variant is a Seafood Pizza consisting of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, tuna, shrimp, clam and calamari. Our pasta orders were Pasta Marinara (red sauce and seafoods) and Spaghetti ala Putanesca (olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, capers, fresh tomatoes, chili and oregano).

THE MENU

THE RESTAURANT SPECIALTY, PIZZA LUCA

PASTA MARINARA AND SPAGHETTI ALA PUTANESCA

Although you can taste the characteristics of Italian food and the portion serving is really generous, I thought my taste had no distinction of the two pizzas and that the pastas fell short of the level of being perfectly ‘al dente’ in comparison with the pastas I had with Ciao Italia.

THE MENU. HAVE A SLICE OF ITALY TO YOUR PLATE

But nevertheless, I went home with a full stomach and enjoyed another authentic Italian dinner for the second night.

BIG BURP! THE LESSER KNOWN AND HIS PLATE.