Michi Photostory

Bataan is a province which is rich in history, it is known for World War II and Bataan Death March. It is sad to know that there were lots of people died in that war but we should not forget their courage to fight and defend our country.

There are so many historical sites that you can visit in Bataan, I have visited some of the sites last year when we had a Bataan Road Trip. We were able to check the Mt Samat, Zero Kilometer Death March Marker and Philippine-Japan Friendship Tower.  


Last sembreak, we stayed in The Plaza Hotel in Balanga, Bataan, which is the capital of the province. I searched for possible places that we could visit in Balanga, Bataan for our side trip. 

1. Bataan World War II Museum 
2. St. Joseph’s Cathedral or Balanga Cathedral 
3. Surrender Site Marker 
4. Tortugas Bird Site 
5. Flaming Sword 
6. Balanga Nature and Wetland Park 
7. Bataan National Park 



Due to time constraint, we just visited three places. We were lucky that the St. Joseph Cathedral is just in front of our hotel. This church was used as an artillery emplacement during the Japanese invasion. It was renovated by Bishop Celso Guevarra, the first bishop of the Diocese. 



Then we went to Balanga Elementary School where the Surrender Site Marker and Bataan World War II Museum is located. This school served as the command post of Lt. Gen. Homma at the time of Bataan’s surrender. 



At the back of the school you can see the Surrender Site Marker, this marked the exact spot where surrender terms were negotiated by Major General Edward King with Japanese Colonel Motoo Nakayama (who represented Gen. Homma) on April 9, 1942 after three months of relentless siege by invaders. 



We waited for few minutes because the Bataan World War II Museum was still closed. The museum was opened last February 2014, it was just a small museum where you can see pictures, war artifacts, doll diorama of Death March and 9 minutes video during World War II. Picture taking is not allowed. 

Entrance fee: P50 adults P20 students P40 senior citizens 
Operating Hours: Mon to Sat, 9AM to 4PM 

Even the museum is small, there's a tour guide that will tour you so you will learn new information and personal stories of World War II which is not written in history books. 



Before we left, the tour guide informed us that the Torture Chamber was also inside the school. This is used by the Japanese to torture Filipino and American Soldiers. 

After I took this picture, my husband asked me.

Hubby: kinunan mo ng picture? 
Me: Yes, bakit? 
Hubby: Wala lang, parang nakakatakot mamaya may lumabas sa picture. Dami namatay diyan. 

Honestly, natakot ako and parang ayaw ko tingnan picture. Isa kong matatakutin pa naman so sa biyahe namin napapaisip ako then I realized na bakit sa cemetery, marami din naman patay pero pag dumadalaw mga tao nagpapipicture. Hehehe! 

Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it stand- a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world cannot fall. - excepts from a radio broadcast from Corregidor.

When I was planning for my son’s 7th birthday, Max’s is one of my choices for birthday party because they have Kiddie Chef Package and I won Little Chef Party Kit too. Ok na sana but my son doesn’t want to have chef party, I already showed him the photos of Max’s birthday party but he was not interested. 

But when he saw the chef party kit, he agreed to have little chef party but it was too late to prepare for Max’s birthday party so I told him that we will just have mini party at home with family. 



Last Saturday, we attended a Max’s Junior Art Master birthday party and it was our first time to attend a Max’s kiddie birthday party, of course it was very different from my mom’s 51st birthday in Max’s. Hehehe! 



My son enjoyed the party and parang gusto na niya ng Max’s party next birthday niya, kasi Art Club member daw siya. Well, let see matagal pa ang next birthday niya. 



Max’s has 4 Kiddie Birthday Package that you can choose from. 

1. Super Race Package 
2. Princess Palace Package 
3. Kiddie Chef Package 
4. Junior Art Master Package

Last Saturday was the opening of S&R Nuvali so we decided to do our grocery there since we will be attending a party in Arcadia Paseo de Sta Rosa. But after wasting almost 2 hours in traffic and falling in line, we realized it is not worth to wait. Honestly, I’ve never experienced that long lines during Member’s Treat. 



So to kill our time we went to Solenad 3, it was my first time there and I was happy because it has more stores and restaurants compared to Solenad 1 and Solenad 2. It was time for lunch, my husband suggested Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken and Sauce Bar, his officemate said na masarap daw dun. 

Actually, I was hesitant at first because we will be attending a birthday party in Max’s so chicken na naman. Pero tamad na kami maghanap pa so we tried it, we were lucky that there was available table for us kahit sa labas na lang.

We browsed the menu, since the name of the restaurant is Peri-Peri chicken we ordered chicken. We ordered 3 Bahia which includes 1/4 peri-peri chicken + 1 side dish P180 + SC. There is soup and beverage all you can at P99 with a minimum food purchase of P250. 



I was surprised to see the chicken kasi ang liit niya and ang dami ng java rice. I find it expensive considering the serving, rice is considered as side dish and no drinks included. 



In fairness, the chicken is good, it is different from other roasted or grilled chicken that you have tasted. It is tender and flavorful. According to their website, Peri- Peri Chicken is trimmed of excess fat and marinated 24 hours using best African-Portuguese mix which is from Africa for fuller flavor, inside and out. It is spit-fired over charcoal to bring out its smoky flavor and complemented by sauces derived from Peri-Peri. 



They gave us this plate of 3 sauces, I can’t remember the name of the sauces but my husband like the middle sauce.  Peri Peri or Piri Piri refers to African bird’s eye chilis that they use for their sauces. 

Lechon is indeed a popular pork dish in some parts of the world including the Philippines. The word lechon came from the Spanish word which means "roasted suckling pig". Two to six weeks old whole pig is seasoned and roasted over charcoal for several hours. Yes, it takes time to cook this pork dish but it is really worth the wait. 


Filipinos love lechon; honestly, aside from the vegetarians, I haven’t met a person who doesn’t like lechon. I personally like lechon, it was love at first taste. It is not a secret that I’m a self-confessed meat lover and diet is not my thing. If you’ve been a regular reader of this blog you already knew that I love this national dish. 

Love at First Taste 

Speaking of love, would you believe that my ex-boyfriend now husband used to live in La Loma Quezon City. I’m pretty sure that you know that this place is famous for lechon and they even have a yearly parade of lechon. As expected, we always eat lechon in one of lechon restaurants there.



I really missed our lechon dates because when we got married, we moved to South Luzon which is really far from Quezon City. 

Why Do Filipinos Love to have Lechon During Parties? 

It is not surprising that Filipinos love to have lechon in any occasions. It seems that celebrations is not complete without it. It is always present in birthdays, festivals, reunions, wedding, parties or any other occasions. 

Lechon in our wedding in Pangasinan

Being a lechon lover, of course we had lechon in our wedding and every time my husband’s has reunion in Pangasinan, I always look forward for lechon. But there is one lechon that I really like to taste; Cebu’s lechon has been in my bucket list for the longest time.

Cebu’s Lechon

Four years ago, I revisited Cebu to celebrate my birthday and I did not leave the place without tasting the famous lechon. One bite of lechon made me realized why Cebu’s lechon is really famous, it is true that you don’t need a sauce to enjoy this dish. 

I have to agree with Anthony Bourdain’s statement, “Best pig ever!”. Since then I always get excited whenever my husband has a business trip in Cebu because I know that he will buy lechon for me. Yes, I don’t ask for danggit, dried mango or otap, all I want is Cebu’s lechon. You can check here the different lechon that I’ve tried in Cebu. And as of this writing, I’m just waiting for my husband’s pasalubong from Cebu. :) 

Manong’s Lechon Cebu 

Cebu is far so it is really sad because we can’t have it any time we want. But fret not because I just discovered last October 25, when I attended Blogaplaooza event that there is Manong’s Lechon Cebu here in the Metro. I was so happy when I saw the lechon and we immediately fell in line to sample it. 



Waah! It is really Cebu’s lechon that I really like, it was tender, juicy, flavorful and no sauce needed. We loved it! And because of that, we left Blogapalooza early to eat our lunch. #nagutombigla Sayang, sana nagdala ko ng rice, hahaha!



Oh yes, we don’t need to pay shipping charge or we don’t need to fly to Cebu just to eat Cebu’s lechon. For your Cebu lechon needs, you may contact Manong’s Lechon Cebu at (632) 475-6875, 0932-8805600, 0927-7839920. They even deliver door-to-door within Metro Manila.

We stayed in The Plaza Hotel in Balanga, Bataan two weeks ago and the only restaurant in the hotel is Cafe Kyoto. A Spanish inspired building has a Japanese restaurant inside. There is Jollibee at the ground floor and there is Max’s beside the Balanga Cathedral but of course we want something new so we decided to have our lunch here. According to their website, the lunch and dinner is prepared by their Japanese Executive Chef. 



We went to the restaurant at 10:45AM but we were advised that 11AM is the opening time. So while waiting, we browsed the menu to save time. The staff went to our table at 11AM to get our order. We ordered Chicken Teriyaki Bento + Miso Soup P320, Mixed Tempura P320 and Rice P50. 





They have a big serving of bento meal, chicken teriyaki is just ok for my taste. Mixed Tempura includes shrimp, squid, fish, crab stick, okra, onion, eggplant, okra and bell pepper. I enjoyed my ebi tempura and my husband ate the rest.



The following day, we had breakfast in the same restaurant but we chose Filipino meals. :) 

Cafe Kyoto 
3rd Flr The Plaza Hotel 
Plaza Mayor de Ciudad de Balanga, 
Balanga City, Bataan, Philippines

Two weeks ago, my husband told me that he will have a business trip in Balanga, Bataan. It was just an overnight trip and he told me to check for hotel. I immediately suggested The Plaza Hotel because I’ve seen that in Deal Grocer and I like the Spanish inspired building.



The business trip was just in time for sembreak so we joined his business trip. This was the very first time that we joined his trip because most of the time, we have classes. We left before 5AM because it was our coding day and we need to be in NLEX before 7AM. I know that 2PM is the standard check-in time so on our way to Balanga, I was checking what are the possible places where we could stay while waiting for 2PM. 



We arrived past 8AM and it was really nice to see Balanga, Bataan. Though I’ve seen some pictures pero iba pa rin in person. It seems that they had urban planning in the area because the adjacent buildings are also Spanish inspired. The hotel is located in Plaza Mayor de Ciudad de Balanga, where you can see the City Hall, the 18th century Balanga Cathedral and Galleria Victoria Mall. 



We went inside the hotel, the reception and restaurant is located at 3rd floor. My husband asked if we could check-in and they allowed us. Yehey for early check-in. My husband reserved Plaza View Deluxe P4000 but they had promo that time and we got it at P2990. You have to pay P1000 for incidental deposit.



Let’s have a tour. 





The room is clean except for the shower curtain that I think they need to replace. I also notice that some stuff are missing like there is only one teaspoon in the coffee set and there is only one bathrobe in the cabinet. 



We had lunch at Cafe Kyoto, the only restaurant in the hotel. They serve Japanese food at reasonable price. Will share it in my next post. 



Since there is no playroom or swimming pool, my son and I stayed in the room while hubby was working. Yes staycation kaming mag-ina. 



The hotel is located in the heart of the city so the place is really busy, I enjoyed watching the fountain in front of the hotel. There was a program in the plaza “A Night of Saints” so you can really hear the noise inside your room. Good thing it was finished early so I was able to sleep after watching On the Wings of Love, #otwol 





The following day we ate our breakfast at Cafe Kyoto, the room rate includes two complimentary breakfast so we had additional order for my son. The breakfast price range from P145 to P299, but for Hungry’s Man Tapa P225 and Japanese Special Morning Bento P299, you have to add additional fee. We ordered Longganisa and Tocino Combo P195, Balanga’s Own Tinapa P185 and Buttered Pancake with Bacon P185. The breakfast meal include coffee and juice. 



We checked-out after breakfast.

Like 

1.We like the location of the hotel because it is near mall, church and city hall so it is not really hard to find. There are different restaurants around the area so you have a lot of choices. 

2.They allowed us to check-in early. Imagine our travel from Cavite to Bataan, it was really long so at least we were able to rest. 

3.Free wifi though there are times that the connection is slow.

4.They do not have swimming pool but at least they have bath tub. 

5.Service is good. 

Dislike 

Not really dislike but things to improve. 

1.I think they need to replace the shower curtain. 

2.Please make sure that all items in the room are complete before the guest check-in. 



The Plaza Hotel in Balanga 
Plaza Mayor de Ciudad de Balanga, 
Balanga City, Bataan, Philippines

I’ve been blogging for four years already but I don’t really go to events because I don’t have much time and the location is always Metro Manila. But last month, I was able to attend Blogapalooza event for the very first time. Thanks to my husband for being my driver and my son for accompanying me in visiting different booths. 

Upon entering One Esplanade, I immediately notice the Chips Delight booth, who wouldn’t notice the Santa Mascot so we immediately fell in line for a photo op. Seeing Santa Claus reminds me that Christmas is fast approaching. Have you started your Christmas Gifts list? I just started mine yesterday. 


Writing a gift list is not easy, especially for those people you do not know personally like my husband’s officemates, my son’s teachers, classmates, and friends. So one of my choices is to give food gifts that they will like and appreciate. You can check my christmas gift ideas and homemade gifts ideas.  


This coming holiday, why not share the delight with Chips Delight, #sharethedelight I’ve been buying this cookie for quite some time now. Our family loves chocolate chips so it is always on our grocery list. Chips Delight of Galinco is one of my chocolate chip brands. I buy different chocolate chips kasi madali magsawa anak ko sa baon so dapat paiba-iba din. 

I haven’t tried the other variants but Chips Delight has different flavors and they even have cookie mixes which are perfect for lazy bakers like me. We got a sample, Chips Delight Triple Overload Chocolate Chip Cookies that I haven’t tried because my son ate it all. Glad that I was able to take pictures before he finished everything, di halata na di niya gusto. Hehehe! This one has no baon pack sizes.


How about you, what is your favorite Chips Delight cookie? Or What are you planning to share this holiday?

As I mentioned in my post, my son has no Trick or Treat event in their school. He is now in grade school so they have few activities that require costume. I searched for different places here in the South where we could join, I posted here the list of Trick or Trick events for 2015.  


We decided to join the “Li’l Monster Mansion” of Taal Vista Hotel because of the location, price and costume. My husband just called the hotel to reserve and he was advised to pay the fee on the day of the event.

P799 for adult 
P399 for kid 
Less 10% discount if you have SM Advantage card or BDO Rewards card 

I’ve read in their post “It’s a Halloween party that’s sure to be a fright. Come dressed in your scariest best and celebrate the night” so I decided to have a Dracula or vampire costume because I just need a vest and cape. I asked my family if they have vampire costumes and my sister-in-law replied that they have a costume so I borrowed it. Good thing that we will be going to my cousin’s wedding so I was able to get the costume, a week before the event.

My son used his graduation attire so I just used the cape and vest of my nephew. I was happy that I did not spend anything on the costume. I did not do any make-up anymore para wholesome pa rin ang hitsura. 

Last October 31 off we went to Taal Vista Hotel, it’s been years since the last time I visited the place. Three years ago we had staycation in this hotel and I was not impressed with the service but I’m happy to say that they improved the service. The staffs were smiling and approachable na. Keep it up!


We went there early and I was surprised to see that not all are wearing scary costumes, kahit ano pala pwede. After paying the fee, they gave us these tickets. While waiting we went to the photo booth. The event is from 3 to 6PM but it did not start on time so while waiting they allowed us to eat popcorn. 


Balloon Twisting and Games

When I booked a room in The Manila Hotel, I immediately checked for different reviews including their restaurant which is Cafe Ilang-Ilang. I’ve only seen a few reviews but I did not see any bad reviews. Our reservation includes two free buffet breakfast in Cafe Ilang-Ilang so I was excited to try their food.

We usually go to the restaurant at the start of the buffet para konti pa tao but we woke up late so when we went to the restaurant there were a lot of diners. Hence, I was not able to take more pictures and check the different stations.



Cafe Ilang-Ilang interiors are very different from other restaurants, the tables and chairs are not all the same and it varies in size and style. It shows elegance, pangmayaman ang peg. Since the restaurant was almost packed, we were not able to choose a good spot but at least there is already available table for us.


For the very first time, I have to pay for my son’s buffet breakfast. Kids rate is P724.99. Waah! It is very expensive for someone who only ate cereal and bread. We have an option for a la carte but checking the menu, the price is close to the buffet rate so we chose buffet and hoping that he will eat more food para sulit.



After eating my bread and butter. I checked the other station and I realized that Cafe Ilang-Ilang has a good variety of food when it comes to the heavy meal. Maybe that is why the buffet rate is P1450, I’ve seen a lot of choices that I have not seen in my previous hotel staycations. They even have turkey, Canadian bacon, bacon, different sausages and many more. My favorite is tinapang bangus.



I don’t know if it is only me pero sobrang nilalamig ako sa restaurant nila and bilis lumamig ng food. So it is really better to eat one meal at a time. I usually get a lot pa naman para di na tumayo pa. Lol




For dessert stations, the choices were few and there were Filipino delicacies like sapin-sapin, maja blanca and many more.


Overall, we had a great buffet breakfast at Cafe Ilang Ilang. The service is superb too. If I have a budget I would love to try their lunch or dinner buffet.

Cafe Ilang-Ilang Buffet Breakfast Rate 

Adult P1450
Kids P724.99

Watch the video here "Lunch at Cafe Ilang Ilang"
Read: Dinner Buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang

Cafe Ilang-Ilang of The Manila Hotel 
One Rizal Park, 0913,
Manila, Philippines,
Telephone: 632 527 0011 Fax: 632 527 5348