Ginzadon Japanese and Korean Restaurant

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Now I know why my new-found Japanese friend understood our Korean friend very well. There's even a restaurant dedicated to both nationalities - Japanese and Korean. This means there's got to be something common with the two. So without reading anything yet, I decided to try out this restaurant located within Resorts World Manila.

The restaurant is called Ginzadon Japanese and Korean Restaurant specifically located at the Maxim's Tower Hotel. These are said to be two different cultures but must be complementing each other to give enough reason to serve them in one venue.

I initially thought it was a little odd at first to be naming a restaurant like that but they must have valid reason for such an arrangement. In my case, I don't really look into the origins of the cuisine. Whatever passes to my taste buds is good enough for me even if it's a fusion with a twist of many cuisines.

But because I wanted to limit my meal budget to only Php 1,000 but still get more food from the amount, I think I ended up only ordering from the Japanese menu. I forgot to take photos of the menu which I normally do whenever I dine for the first time at a newly discovered restaurant but in this case I was overwhelmed with the small but luxurious place so I neglected that routine.

This is why I'm just referring to the bill where it states the name and price of the dish, and hopefully its the same name as written on the menu. If not, it may be the shortcut or coded version of its lengthy name.

Cebu: The Philippine Taoist Temple is a Photographer's Delight

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The Taoist Temple, located in the wealthy residential enclave called Beverly Hills subdivision, was first in our private city tour of Cebu. They say the temple was built in 1972, which is the second quarter of the century. It's the cultural center of the Chinese minority with many paintings and images of dragons, lions, altars and statues of the Buddha. There's the beautiful pagoda roofs and a pool adorned with Lotus flowers

Its 300 meters above sea level and multi-tiered with 99 steps to reach the top. There are three separate winding routes that you can take. Whatever way you choose, you would be fascinated to take photos of almost every spot within the Taoist Temple. Every area is purely Instagrammable to the max!

The Taoist Temple is the center of worship for Taoism - the religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze. Taoist devotees perform the traditional rites and rituals with lighted joss sticks every Wednesday and Sunday. 

Taoists believe the "tao" (the way) which refers to the principle of the universe. An emphasis is put on remaining in harmony with the "tao" and with one's environment, which in turn leads to right behavior.

The temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. You are allowed to takes photos of everything except the altar. There will be signs telling you taking photos of the altar is not allowed.

Benguet: Strawberry Fields are Forever at La Trinidad

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Every time you mention Baguio, the first things that comes into mind are pine trees and strawberries, aside from the Panagbenga Festival, the cold climate, and the sweet delicacies at Good Shepherd like the Ube Jam. Of course, there's the popular tourist spots like Camp Jon Hay, the Mines View, the Burnham Park, and the many emerging restaurant favorites like Oh My Gulay offering veggie dishes which we visited during our previous trip sometime last week of February of 2015.

You have to try their strawberry taho and ice cream but be warned that there's a big difference in the preparation where you buy it. It is highly recommended you buy them from places not in Baguio but near the Strawberry Farms of La Trinidad. Benguet.

It is here where you get to pick strawberries on your own together with the Ibaloi farmers. Just a friendly reminder that it will cost you twice the amount if you pick the strawberries yourselves. They say you're paying for the "awesome" experience and the delight in picking the best strawberries in the farm. Some will argue it should have been cheaper because they save on the labor or effort to harvest.

But the real reason why it costs more is because strawberries are actually very delicate compared to picking apples and oranges (like in other countries). The farm owners find it reasonable to ask for an additional cost when amateurs harvest the strawberries. Newbies would tend to damage the strawberry shrubs so half the cost was allocated for the risk. Prices will vary depending on the season. Of course it's a lot more expensive during the summer when a lot of tourists flock the already considered iconic site.