In one of my recent blog articles, I shared a brief restaurant recommendations in Iloilo and thought about suggesting specific dishes from them.

I had been in Iloilo for less than a year when the pandemic hit, so I had not been able to go to many places. Although, even now that restrictions have eased up, I still prefer ordering in because it’s safer plus it's less awkward eating alone at home. :)

So—GrabFood and FoodPanda to the rescue! In fact, the following restaurants may have already memorized my name and number because I order from them almost on a daily basis, and today I’m sharing with you what I love about their food and why you should try them out when you’re in Iloilo! 😁

Nicolette’s Bakery + Café

• Smoked Bangus Teriyaki – the store can probably attest to how many times I’ve ordered this, alternating with their Italian-Style Steak Strips or Chicken Shawarma Rice. Their bangus (milkfish) belly is always rich and fatty and is perfectly paired with their homemade teriyaki sauce. I love how their white rice is consistently cooked to my liking and the cherry tomatoes are always, always juicy! 
• Italian-Style Steak Strips – this is soooo flavorful I don’t even know where to begin. The blended flavors of rosemary, garlic, and Italian seasoning which seemed to have been absorbed by the juicy steak strips just make my world stop. I don’t recommend this to anyone on a low-carb diet because you’ll definitely want (and need) more rice! 

Click here to go to Nicolette's Facebook page

Monkey Grounds Coffee

One of my first friends in ILO introduced me to Monkey Grounds. We frequented this place pre-pandemic because they open at 6:30 AM, which was right around the time we got off work. So we would go here for breakfast (our body clock’s dinner) before she drove me home – and I just started craving for their healthy food choices! 

Here are my most frequent orders (according to my apps):

• Roasted Vegetables Omelette with Buttered Ciabatta (or Brown/Adlai/Quinoa rice)

• Meatless Arroz Ala Cubana with Brown Rice (option to switch to Adlai or Quinoa) – I think this is a recent addition, which I love especially when I crave for Momo’s Arroz a la Cubana

• Spinach Alfredo Pizza – a must-try! I love the flavors of caramelized onion, cheese, Shiitake Mushroom, and creamy spinach just complementing each other! 

• Eggs Benedict on Brioche Bread – it’s luscious, need I say more? 

Monkey Grounds is located along Diversion road, and has an Insta-worthy industrial-style restaurant. I highly recommend dining in to enjoy their hot drinks which DO NOT disappoint. I don’t get hot drinks when ordering via food delivery apps (except SB/CBTL), so I always get me Blueberry Cheesecake Shake for take-aways. 😅

Click here to go to Monkey Grounds Coffee's Facebook Page

Prince Baker 

I think I first walked into Prince Baker at Festive Walk Mall when I was craving C’s L’Fisher’s Molo Soup—only to realize I was in a different store (because they had the same clean white store colors washed with warm lights). AND THEN Cheese Rolls found me. I am a huge fan of cheese rolls even when I was still in Manila, so I got so obsessed with Prince Baker’s cheese rolls that I even started saving the label stickers on each wrapping and placed them on my daily journal. 

So during one of my cravings, I looked them up and was so delighted to find them in the apps. It was a good thing that they have other food and drink choices so I don’t need to order dinner from other stores. 

I highly recommend: 

• Roasted Chicken – I love that they serve this with honey-lemon dip and not the usual pepper gravy!

• Everything in their All-Day Breakfast Menu! Lol – I just can’t choose one though I always Hotdogs or Spam, but what I love is their garlic rice. It’s too garlicky! 😁

Their Bichos are also unique and flavorful! Imagine the classic Bicho or Bichokoy (they’re like twisted soft bread sprinkled with sugar) with a modern twist which ranges from bacon bits, banana, cinnamon (my fave), and chocolate. Definitely a must-have when in Iloilo!

Click here to go to Prince Baker's Facebook page

Healthy Kitchen Café 

I have ordered from Healthy Kitchen back in 2019 because they have healthy prep meals and I wanted to make myself believe I can survive on a 1200-kcal meal plan. Then recently, because of my fixation with Nicolette’s Chicken Shawarma Rice and with it not being available on their menu the day I had a serious craving, I searched GrabFood and found that Healthy Kitchen has this on their menu, and I was hooked! 

• Chicken Shawarma Rice – the flavors precisely capture that Middle Eastern tang and the combination of chewy brown rice, lettuce, tomatoes, chicken and the crunch of finely chopped onion can just make my day, any day.

• Mango Float – I think this is one of my constants. Like, I can’t order from Healthy Kitchen without getting a Mango Float to sate my sweet tooth (and to cleanse my palate from the onion-rich flavor of Shawarma)

I’m not often adventurous when it comes to food, but have tried their Steamed Fish Teriyaki, Tofu Sisig, Cilantro Chicken Chops, Pandan Curry Chicken, Spicy Crab Salad Rolls, and nothing—as in nothing disappoints. 

I even located their store and dined in —once, all by my lonesome self, and second was with my BFF and the place was serene and so green! 

Click here to go Healthy Kitchen Café's Facebook page

Courtyard by Marriott

When dining in, a MUST-TRY for a group of 3 or more would be their Giant Marriott Burger, just because!

Click here to go to Courtyard by Marriott's Facebook page

K’s Final Thoughts 💜

Other restaurants/food choices I would recommend when you’re in Iloilo would be (titles linked to their Facebook pages):

• Buto’t Balat – they have a lot of famous Ilonggo dishes and my go-to restaurant for sinigang, pinakbet, and tinola

• Akamon Ramen Bar – my ramen and yakiniku craving fulfiller when in ILO

• Salt Gastro Lounge – their New Jersey Fried Chicken are the best fried chicken in ILO

• Troi Oi – I’ve been here only once, but would love to return when I go by Esplanade again. I love their Bahn Mi and Fresh Spring Rolls

• Seventy N Coffee + Drinkery – been here just once too, but their four-cheese pizza is unforgettable! I’m always tempted to order one whole box for myself. They also have the finest and most flavorful steaks in ILO

There are a lot of restaurants that I really want to try while I’m in Iloilo City! I’m sure that I will one of these days and hopefully find one or two to add to this list! Let me know if you have any recommendations! 

xoxo,

I love Manila! I was born and raised here—you can never get me lost anywhere in the National Capital Region.

If you’re also from—or have been to—Metro Manila, you already know how livable it is. Almost everything you need is a stone's throw or an app away! Even before the pandemic, Manila peeps have already been enjoying app-purchase of food, drinks, medicine, and groceries. There’s also a vast array of choices for dining, shopping, and other leisure activities. 

Of course, you would also be familiar with the heavy traffic, the overly-populated malls on weekends, the noise and air pollution, and the paranoia when a suspicious man (or group of boys) lurks around, and the waiting game in parking areas. 

In one of my recent blog, I listed a few ideas on how to prepare if you’re planning to move out – stuff I learned when I moved to Iloilo City on my own. I’m halfway through my 4th year in Iloilo City and I hope I can already pass to be an Ilongga --though sometimes my Ilonggo vocabulary (local dialect, aka Hiligaynon) still fails me and my accent still gives away the Manileña in me. 

Today, I’m sharing the changes I experienced when I first moved here—plus additional tips to make Iloilo City your home away from home.

Traffic & Commuting in Iloilo vs. Manila

When I was working in BGC, there was no one sure way to get me to work on time. I’ve tried it all – having someone drive me to work, riding a motorcycle (you can just imagine the struggle of a skirt-wearing um, lady, side-saddling a motorbike that’s going 80 on the highway!), hailing taxi cabs which often has picky drivers who would also haggle for higher rates instead of going by the meter, book from ride-hailing apps that can either: get lost, cancel on you last minute, or have terribly high surge rates, and the regular commute – which I will not even bother with. 

When I first came to Iloilo City, I. Walked. My. Way. To. Work. I wrote about it in my very old blog. In Iloilo City jeepneys– they don’t rush you to your seat. Most of the jeepneys in Manila? You would be head bent looking for a vacant seat while the jeepney has already accelerated to oblivion. Although, I did have trouble getting off once because I kept saying “Para po!” – a phrase used in Manila when you reach your stop and want to get off a public vehicle. I was a few meters away from my stop when all the passengers chorused on my behalf with “Sa lugar lang!” – which is the Ilonggo version of "Para po". 

Here are other phrases that I learned on my commute: 

• “Bangga lang” – imagine my shock when someone shouted that on the jeepney. ‘Bangga’ in Tagalog means ‘crash’. Apparently, that meant ‘the next corner’ here. 
• “Sa babaw lang” – Yes, ‘babaw’ can mean top or above, but it can also mean ‘a little ahead’ if you’re speaking of proximity. 
• “Kambyo” – No, that doesn’t mean to shift gear, but here it means ‘change’ (from your payment). 

Here is where I’m always wrong: 

• “To-o” – means right 
• “Wa-lah” – mean left 

I always talk to taxi drivers in local dialect because if they find out I'm not from here, they often ask questions like, “Taga-diin ka?“ (‘Where are you from?’), “Ga-ano ka diri?” (‘What are you here for?’) and it can get tiring to answer the questions (LOL -- they are way too friendly for me.) BUT then – I would forget these local terms for directions so I would end up saying, “Liko ka dira, ‘nong -- sa LEFT” .

*face-palm*

Abaw, manong!

Food Delivery & Dining Out: Iloilo vs. Manila

When I first came to Iloilo, they already had the GREEN food delivery app. BUT there was no store catering past 8 PM yet. So I had to make sure to order before then, or suffer the whole night craving. This is a huge lifestyle change for me as we would often order in or drive to a fast food or coffee shop in Manila at any given time. 

Eventually, the PINK food delivery app was introduced, and just right on time too, because the pandemic hit, and more stores were extending their hours. (There are 24-hours food chain here now!)

Dining out, just like in Manila, can be hit or miss. If I have to recommend good food and restaurants, here are my top choices (I can—as a matter of fact, I do—eat from the following almost everyday, in turns) not in specific order :

• Akamon Ramen Bar 
• Healthy Kitchen Café 
• Nicolette’s 
• Buto’t Balat 
• Monkey Grounds 

Safety & Community Life in Iloilo vs. Manila

I have seen people get robbed on the streets of Manila, in broad daylight. First experience was when I had the car window down in the backseat and my brother was twiddling with his phone in the front passenger seat when a man in his twenties just grabbed his phone from MY window-- and ran away. Well, we were dumbfounded and I’m still sorry until now LOL. 

Second experience happened when I was in an Uber along C5 and a teenager just opened the door of the car in front of me and took the lady passenger’s bag and ran away.

The traffic was at a standstill both times.

So, can you just imagine an Iloilo cab driver’s look when I got in --- and locked all the doors? They never bother doing that here! I bet you he got dubious of ME! But still – it doesn’t hurt to practice caution and be mindful of your surroundings. I actually had a horrible encounter with a bad cab driver here recently, but he wasn’t from Iloilo (according to him). Overall, people here are honest, polite, and friendly. 

K’s Final Thoughts 💜

I wanted to cover shopping and leisure activities, but I rarely go out and I’m dull on shopping trips, even in Manila. I do miss the huge malls though. Iloilo only has a few malls here but the store outlets and food chains are becoming competitive. I do wish they would have North Park and Army Navy here soon. Oooh and Mary Grace. And Lord Stows. LOL. 

I guess the major change that happened is that I rarely go out here. I think everyone has been forced to stay at home during the pandemic too, but that made me discover the joys of being alone with my thoughts – well there are downsides, but still preferable for me. I still use social distancing as an excuse to get me out of a social situation. 

I still have a lot of places and things to discover in Iloilo City! What would you recommend? Diin kita makadto? 😁

xoxo,

Prepare your Heart

- Has there been a history of flooding? 

- Are there safety concerns (e.g., high crime rates)? 

- Any serious issues like drug syndicates or kidnappings?  

✔ A suitcase full of clothes 

✔ One set of bedsheets & pillowcases

✔ Towels 

✔ My pig stuffed toy 🐷  

✔ An electric kettle 

✔ A couple of bowls, cups, and utensils 

✔ Toiletries  

The goal is to stretch your budget so you can afford next month’s rent—even if it takes a while to find a job.

Explore the City 

On my old blog (which I’m no longer able to access), I wrote about the joys of walking around the new environment. It was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. Be sure to also do that once you’re settled in. Go around your place, familiarize yourself where the nearest establishments are, and get their numbers for future reference:

• Landlord/Landlady
• Police Station
• Hospital
• Fire Station
• Drugstore
• Dentist
• Grocery Store
• Laundry Shop

✔ Change your door locks (The previous tenant might have a duplicate key!) 

✔ Invest in a good lock or alarm system 

✔ Let your landlord know you’re a solo tenant (so they’ll be aware if someone unexpected comes around)

- A scented candle 

- A small painting 

- A cozy rug or new curtains 

📸 Photos of loved ones (I printed out pictures of my nephy-poo and nieces) 

The idea of moving away can be scary and intimidating, especially if you’re used to having someone to live with, to dine with, to split the bill with, or just simply share ideas with.

The feeling of isolation can be overwhelmingly scary at first. I can still remember the many nights I spent crying on my first weeks here, (and this was pre-pandemic! the anxiety that came with isolation during COVID pandemic is a whole new different story!) --but just try to focus on the good stuff. I got myself busy with my new job, and spent time in nesting, and appreciating the freedom, the new experiences, and new people.

Who knows, this just might be the best thing you will ever do for yourself. Where do you plan on going?

xoxo,