White Man In Asia

One of the best restaurants you’ll come across in the ASEAN region.

Antonio’s Fine Dining in Tagaytay, Philippines, is continually being voted in the top 50 restaurants for Asia. This was my second outing to this restaurant and I once again, I was not disappointed. Located in a beautiful estate, you are welcomed with a mature garden located at 2,080 feet above sea level. By the sheer nature of being higher than in Manila, the welcomed drop in temperature. The balmy heat is cut by a welcoming breeze.

We are welcomed to our table to an ‘Alfresco’ dining option overlooking the sunset. The decor is Spanish influence. The touch I appreciated was the real hand towels to dry your hands. A nice touch and not common across the Philippines.

Now to the good stuff, the food. my date and I elected to go with the set menu. We selected the salmon and the lamb for our mains. The set menu includes bread and locally made pesto paste, followed by a fresh garden salad with wonderful feta. Then came the amazing mushroom soup (most mushrooms in the supermarkets thanks to Dizon farms import mushrooms from Malaysia, so it was an amazing welcome to have a soup made from locally sourced mushrooms). We had our starters with an excellent Sauvignon Blanc.

The mains came out. The lamb was spectacular however, the pick of the night was the Salmon. The salmon was simply sensational. The buzz from the food you got was simply out of this world. Salmon generally is over cooked in the Philippines, but thank God, Antonio’s cooked it perfectly. It was so amazing, I couldn’t help myself but to scrape the plate!!!

Marriott Cafe @ Marriott Hotel Manila - Fantastic Team & One of the best Pastry Chefs in Manila

Where do I start? This is one of my biggest secrets in Manila that I am about to share. I discovered 3 years ago the Bakery @marriotthotelmanila when they baked for me Hot Cross Buns for Easter!! It was something I was craving for Good Friday and I discovered that they baked them for Easter for us WWIA and WMIA’s!!

Ever since that first discovery, I always get the Cafe to bake my baking needs. For a recent birthday, I asked the team (look for Elaine, she’s fantastic and can handle nosebleed (that’s someone who can converse in English with ease for you non Asians) to prepare a Cheesecake for a recent Birthday. I am very specific on detail (ok call me OC) and sent a photo of a cheesecake from Martha Stewart’s collection. I was craving for a french vanilla cheesecake (and it wasn’t even my birthday! haha) and I asked Elaine if the hotel could prepare it. About 20 minutes later, I had a phone call from Elaine saying no problem and it will be done!

Not only did they exceed Martha’s version of a Cheesecake, the quality, texture and taste of this French Vanilla cheesecake was absolutely first class. For me personally, the value for money is excellent. The price difference between Conti’s Mango Bravo and a cake made to order by the Marriott was under a thousand pesos (if you ask me, once you have tried a Marriott Cake, you’ll never go back to Conti’s). I was quoted 1,800 nett for a custom made cheesecake that is similar in size to Conti’s (Conti’s Mango Bravo goes for 1,200 nett, so you tell me, are you prepared to spend 600 bucks on something that will delight your tastebuds?) but I elected to go for the larger “Half President” (just because I could! haha).

They do an amazing “Ube Entremet” which would please any French Pastry Chef which is an amazing twist on local ingredients with French cooking methods.

The “Mango Manille” is a must try for you ripe mango lovers. Wonderful texture and amazing with a cappuccino with cinnamon.

Where is truly home?

As a TCKid (Third Culture Kid), growing outside my native and passport country, Australia, my biggest culture shock in my life was being sent on my own by plane to Sydney to attend an all boys boarding school. It was so surreal being surrounded by 90 odd boarders of similar appearance. I had always grown up being a minority. It was all of a sudden, I had brothers which I never had before.

However, as soon as I graduated school in Australia, I went off to work with the UN as a Volunteer in the Central Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. I knew from that moment I got onto the plane to Tuvalu via Nauru and Kiribati that my life was destined to be abroad amongst people. As the plane touched down on the compacted coral runway of Nauru, I just felt in my heart I was complete.

As it is rapidly heading towards 10 years since I have last lived in my passport country and being a TCKid, I am blessed to have friends all over the world, however, sometimes they are just not close enough. I experienced one of those moments yesterday where we all have peaks and troughs and I was really having one of my trough days. Then all of a sudden, one of my closest friends called me and we ended up having a video call. My sadness of me questioning where is truly home was, was overwhelmed by a simple call of hello. I may not have many friends, but the friends I do have are lifelong true friends.

This come to the point of the topic which I started to question myself. Where is truly home?? I am often challenged on this question and people ask me “Do you see yourself living forever here in the Philippines?” and my go to answer which is from the heart is, I haven’t thought of where I will end up as plans seem to always change. I am preparing for the future, however, I have options. The true answer is, home is where the heart is. My heart is in a nation of where there are so many ups and downs, where you are often questioning peoples intent why they want to connect with you. I am in a city that never sleeps, that is dynamic, fast growing and continually improving.

I was so blessed and I was reminded last night by two Balikbayan (two men who grew up as kids in the U.S. who have subsequently moved back to the Philippines) twins who took me out to a place (which I will review shortly) called Central BBQ Boy Grill. The comradery and friendship was just what the doctor had ordered.

Earlier yesterday, I was almost brought to tears not feeling home sick, but a missing feeling similar to home sickness. I was missing friends in my heart, someone to talk to other than loved ones in my life. I was in that mode that I just needed a mate. Then my best mate and the Twins saved me last night. Saved me from a feeling of not having friends nearby, to a feeling where I was reminded of who I was and all the goodness inside of me and I was surrounded by people laughing with me and ended up having an awesome night with new and old friends and with loved ones.

Kahuna Resort - San Juan Beach, San Fernando, La Union

Hello my avid WMIA readers! I wanted to write a review about the Kahuna Beach Resort in La Union. I recently stayed in their Ocean Villa (all photos were taken from Ocean Villa 1).

Upon arrival, there was a “Terminal error” on the Credit Card Machine and double the amount of the room was deducted from my credit card. Not a great start to the trip. It did however, rectify itself after about 5 days. I was given excuses that it happen to other customers and for me to contact my bank (however, when I contacted my credit card company, there was nothing they can do as it was a “Floating transaction”. My advice for anyone staying at this resort, either pre-pay or pay on cash on arrival. It’s the only hotel in Asia I have stayed at where I was given an excuse. I know how the Credit Card Payment systems work, they could have called their acquiring bank (which was BDO) and have them rectify it straight away. But they chose not too. I have a suspicion that they did another pre-auth for the same amount and it wasn’t a terminal error, but I am not going to judge, I am sharing my experience.

Upon arriving on the room, I was relieved to see the view I saw in the photos I have uploaded. The Ocean Villa has a semi-private pool shared by one other Ocean Villa and a multi store villa at the rear. I arrived mid-week to find no other guests, so it was a private pool until Saturday when we checked out all other villas were full.

In terms of beach locations, Kahuna has a fantastic spot and they know it. Staff are friendly but not flexible. An Ocean Villa goes for Php 14,625.00 nett a night during weeknights and Php 16,087.50 nett on weekends / holidays (they know how to charge).

They provide a bbq area which is fantastic as it is by the pool overlooking the beach, however, they do not provide the charcoal for it. You have to literally drive 20 minutes into San Fernando and go to the palengke (wet market). The cost of the coal was 25 Pesos, however the hotel would not supply it. I just feel for a hotel that is charging that much, they could provide the essentials such as tongs, coal, plates, etc. I had to ask for everything. I advised the hotel, I would have happily paid 100 Pesos for the convenience having the coal from the Hotel.

The moral of the story is, the hotel is in a fantastic location and the quality of the room is ok. I believe you are paying for it. Would I go again? I think I would but I would make sure I bring everything with me including the kitchen sink! 

I cannot say it again, the location is perfect.

Guevarra's - A Filipino eating experience.

Chef Laudico’s Guevarra's is a Filipino buffet that is located in an old Colonial Spanish house in San Juan, Manila. It is a wonderful, reasonable and cheerful place to take Foreign guests to allow them to try Filipino food that is generally exclusively available in the home of a Filipino family.

I always entertain my international guests at Chef Lau (As it is commonly referred to) as Foreigners get to experience the following dishes.

Angus Beef Kare-Kare - Kare-kare is a Philippine stew complimented with a thick savory peanut sauce. The twist that I love about Chef Lau is instead of Ox Tail and tripe, they use Angus Beef. It’s a wonderful replacement to the traditional dish and the taste is amazing. I can’t be certain but my gut feel is the shrimp paste they use (Bagoong) is from Pangasinan (If I am mistaken, I’ll treat everone to Chef Lau.

Bagnet - This Ilocano (Northern Region of Luzon Island) classic. Bagnet is a deep fried crispy pork belly dish that is similar to lechon kawali. It is considered to be a top favorite among Filipinos. This is best served bagoong monamon. it is a dip made of fermented anchovies. The Chef Lau Bagnet does not disappoint. Hold on to your cholesterol and enjoy this Filipino Classic

Laing - Another favorite of mine. Laing is a dish made up of Taro leaves (Taro is called ‘gabi’) The dish is cooked in coconut cream/milk and is sensational. Chef Lau does a great rendition of this classic Bicolano dish (a region in the souther part of Luzon Island) famous for cooking with Coconut and chilli’s.

With the Spanish influence in the Philippines, wherever you turn, there is a place of worship. In Manila in particular, there a number of Catholic Churches. This is a picture of the famous Baclaran Church (The National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help). This church is somewhat modern to some of the older churches in Manila. Constructed by the Redemptorists Order and completed in 1958.

As the title of the church suggests, the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help sees many Filipinos make a Pilgrimage to make a petition or pray for special intentions of help. It is a very solemn place that is surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Roxas Blvd and EDSA. The surroundings might question am I really in a place of worship? However, once you enter the church compound, you instantly feel the solemnity. Once you enter it genuinely feels like you are in an Oasis of a crazy city. Literally a few hundred meters of the church is the clubs of Roxas Blvd. Such a great contrast.

As my title suggests, this is a White Man in Asia, so I would like to share a funny story of my experience at Baclaran Church.

I entered the church one Sunday to celebrate Mass. During the Church service, a man kept staring at me. At first, I thought was there something wrong with my attire. Is my zipper undone? Does my shirt have a stain? After a brief Wallet, keys and check, I was fine. However, the man kept staring and staring. Then came the collection. As the collection plate came my way, I ensured I placed my offering in a way that he could not see my offering.

Then came Communion. He was gone. I said to myself, phew! The final blessing (the reason most people come is for the final blessing at the Mass) came and then I proceeded to go towards the exit.

At the exit of the church there are stall holders selling all types of Catholic paraphernalia. Then the man who kept looking at me during the Mass, saw me and came straight up to me with the paraphernalia and saying “Sir, sir.. You buy, you buy!! and then to my surprise, came another vendor. This time they were in sync “sir, sir, you buy you buy!”, then came a third! “sir, sir, you buy you buy!! Then I said to myself, I can’t get angry or upset or show emotion, I have just been to Mass and I have been blessed at Baclarn Church. I have to go forth and be happy. I was really holding back my frustration of not wanting to purchasing anything and understand that they are there to make a living.