Michi Photostory

August 25, 2022

Gourmet Comfort Food at Apartment 1B

Apartment 1B is one of the pioneers when it comes to the comfort food concept in the Philippines. It started in the year 2006 in Salcedo Village, Makati City and you can also find this restaurant at The Henry Hotel in Pasay and The Henry Resort in Laiya, Batangas.

I worked in Makati before but I haven’t heard of nor tried this restaurant so it took me more than a decade to finally taste their gourmet comfort food. It just so happened that we had my Birthday Getaway at The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya. We were in the resort for three days so I’m sharing the food that we tried during our stay.

Prior to our trip, I already knew what food to order because the resort sent a PDF menu but when we got there, they have two menus pala, yung Filipino Menu and the Apt 1B menu that you can find online.

Dinner at Apt 1B

For our first meal, we ordered Crispy Pork Kare Kare PHP580, Apartment 1B Pork Sisig PHP360 and Rice PHP50/cup.

Crispy Pork Kare-Kare Bagnet

Pork belly, peanut sauce, bagoong, and seasonal vegetables

Apartment 1B Pork Sisig

Citrus, soy, onions, and chilies

I remembered that I also ordered Crispy Pork Kare-Kare on our first night at Acuaverde Resort several months ago. Hindi naman obvious na gusto ko ng Kare-Kare. Hehehe! The Pork Sisig is so spicy for our taste, pawis na pawis si hubby kasi siya ang kumain nito. I tried it pero hindi ko kaya. Nakalimutan ko ipatanggal yung chili kasi. Toink.

Breakfast at Apt 1B

Our room package includes breakfast, you can choose American or Filipino Breakfast. I chose American breakfast while my husband and son chose Filipino breakfast. My initial plan is to order American Breakfast on our first breakfast then Filipino on our second breakfast para lahat matry namin, pero mas gusto nila Filipino breakfast so ako lang nag-American.

American Breakfast: 2 eggs, home fries, bacon, bread, and salad plus orange juice

Filipino Breakfast: 2 eggs, garlic rice, homemade tapa, bread, and salad plus coffee

2 eggs, garlic rice, and homemade chorizo plus, bread, and salad plus pineapple juice

If you choose a room without breakfast, the breakfast meal rate ranges from PHP320 to PHP400 without drinks. So may konti ka lang na masesave kung room + breakfast na yung ibook mo.

Lunch at Apt 1B

For lunch, we ordered Apartment 1B Bulalo PHP950, Vegetable of the Day PHP240 and Rice PHP50/cup. I think this is the most expensive bulalo that I ordered, good for three naman yung serving, Sana pala hindi na kami nag-order ng vegetable, hehehe! For vegetable of the day, it is a choice of pinakbet or chopsuey and I chose the latter.

Apartment 1B Bulalo

Batangas beef shanks, special broth, and seasonal vegetables

Dinner at Apt 1B

Our last night in the resort so we splurged a little bit, doon na kami nag-order sa mas mahal na menu. We ordered Grilled Pork Chops PHP740, Buffalo Wings PHP520, Rice PHP50/per cup, Soda in Can PHP90 and White Toblerone Cheesecake PHP290.

Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Apple Sauce

Buffalo Wings with Crudite and Cheese Dressing

White Toblerone Cheesecake

Among the foods that we ordered, we liked the Buffalo Wings, nirequest namin na hindi spicy so parang soy chicken. We also enjoyed the White Toblerone Cheesecake, may toblerone talaga sa loob, bitin nga lang kami sa isang slice. Hehehe! No doubt that it is their signature dessert.

Breakfast at Apt 1B

Nainggit ako sa garlic rice ng mag-ama ko so for our second breakfast, I also chose Filipino breakfast, there are only 3 choices so we ordered all three; Homemade Tapa, Homemade Chorizo and Daing na Bangus.

Hindi ko lang natikman yung chorizo kasi 2 pieces lang yung serving and maliit pa. So far, happy naman kami sa brekfast meal, big serving so nakakabusog talaga. Natetempt nga ako na yung na rin for lunch and dinner namin since all-day breakfast naman so available kahit hindi breakfast time. Hehehe!

Read: Birthday Getaway at The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya

Watch the video here

Apartment 1B

The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya

Laiya Aplaya, San Juan, Batangas, Philippine

August 23, 2022

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August 16, 2022

A Glimpse of Mahogany Luxury Villa of The Farm at San Benito

Let me continue my The Farm at San Benito series, this time let us have a glimpse of Mahogany Luxury Villa, this is the newest and the most expensive villa of The Farm at San Benito. This is where my husband’s staff stayed, mas sosyal yung room nila. Hehehe!

Just like other suites and villas, the room package includes:

Refreshing welcome drink

Daily vegan breakfast at Alive restaurant

Complimentary WiFi access throughout the resort

Participation in Daily Movement & Fitness Activities: yoga, meditation, core training, power walks, and more!

Use of swimming pools, meditation pavilions, and Pure energy gym

The Mahogany Luxury Villa is huge with a 600sqm area. The maximum occupancy is 4 adults and two children under 12 years old below. The 2-story bedroom has scenery of the jungle and a view of Mt. Malarayat.

This villa has 2.5 bedrooms with its own bathroom, spacious living and dining area, kitchenette and bar area, terrace, swimming pool, walled-in garden, private treatment, and powder room.

Acqua Sanctuary

Those who stayed in this villa went to Acqua Sanctuary too for their therapy. They experience Cold Bucket Shower and Hilot Pandanggo.

Read: 3 Wellness Restaurants at The Farm at San Benito

What to Eat at The Farm at San Benito

Sweet Escape at The Farm at San Benito

A Glimpse of Lakan Villa of The Farm at San Benito

Staycation at The Narra Villa of The Farm at San Benito

August 15, 2022

A Glimpse of Lakan Villa of The Farm at San Benito

I was so preoccupied with my back-to-school preparation hence I have limited time to blog. I’m supposed to blog about our Staycation at The Narra Villa of The Farm at San Benito but let me skip that for now because it will take me a lot of time to choose photos. So let me just blog about Lakan Villa of the Farm at San Benito.

A Glimpse of Lakan Villa of The Farm at San Benito

I mentioned last month that my husband revisited The Farm at San Benito, his company reserved 3 rooms, The Bamboo Villa, Lakan Villa, and Mahogany Luxury Villa.

All accommodation options include:

Refreshing welcome drink

Daily vegan breakfast at Alive restaurant

Complimentary WiFi access throughout the resort

Participation in Daily Movement & Fitness Activities: yoga, meditation, core training, power walks, and more!

Use of swimming pools, meditation pavilions, and Pure energy gym

My husband and his two colleagues stayed at The Lakan Villa, this villa is so huge; 372sqm for the indoor area, 78sqm for the pool deck area, and 61sqm for the pool area but the maximum occupancy is only 4 adults and 2 children under 12 years old.

It is one of their exclusive accommodation with two bedrooms with their own bathrooms, living area, kitchenette and bar area, garden and koi pond, maid’s quarter, and swimming pool.

The maid’s quarter has its own bathroom too, mas gusto ko pa nga yung bathroom ng maid kasi may privacy. Unlike in The Narra Villa na glass ang wall ng bathroom.

Acqua Sanctuary

My husband and his two colleagues went to Acqua Sanctuary for their Acqua Revitalizing Therapy appointment. He is not sure if this is part of the Lakan Villa room package or nireserve din ng company nila. Anyway, my husband and his colleagues experienced the Pressure Pool + Hilot Pandanggo.

According to the website, here are the different Acqua Treatments

Infrared Sauna, Oriental Sauna, and Steam Bath

Cold Bucket Shower

Kneipp Therapy

Onsen Bath

Pressurized Jacuzzi

Blind Shower

Pressure Pool

Floatation Pool

Vichy Shower

Hilot Pandanggo

Breakfast at Alive Restaurant

Breakfast is just okay, mas type ni hubby yung mga previous breakfast na naexperience namin.

*Guests are still required to undergo an FDA-approved Antigen Nasal Swab Test upon entry at a fee of PHP3,050 per head (13yrs old above).

Read: 3 Wellness Restaurants at The Farm at San Benito

What to Eat at The Farm at San Benito

Sweet Escape at The Farm at San Benito

August 11, 2022

Royal Tulip Golf Resort Gunung Geulis in Bogor Indonesia

Several months ago, I mentioned that our last international travel before COVID19 was Norway and that was our first trip too after being stuck at home for more than two years. And it happened to my husband too, his last international travel was Indonesia and last month he started traveling again and his first destination was Indonesia. The Immigration Officer noticed that and he said to my husband “Welcome back to Indonesia” while smiling.

My husband doesn’t post photos on his social media account but he always sends me pictures of his travel trips so when I saw the photos, I told him “Huwag mo ko niloloko, wala ka sa Indonesia nasa Tagaytay or Caleruega ka lang” hehehe! Natawa na lang asawa ko kasi weather din, parang Tagaytay.

This was his first time in Bogor, it is a city in the West Java of Indonesia. It is 60km away from Jakarta so travel time is more than an hour depending on the traffic. Bogor is one of the most attractive tourist cities in Indonesia, tourists often visit Bogor Botanical Garden, Presidential Palace, Bogor Cathedral, and others. It is known for cool weather so it is a good option for a day trip or weekend getaway.

My husband stayed at Royal Tulip Golf Resort Gunung Geulis. The 5-star hotel has a nice mountain view and because of the good location, you will have a relaxing stay.

This is the Deluxe Room with a private balcony, writing desk, sofa, coffee and tea facility, and bathroom.

The hotel has three restaurants; LL One Restaurant &Wine Bar, FIRE Grill & Bar, and Breeze Lounge. Buffet breakfast is served at LL One Restaurant & Wine Bar. The open restaurant offers a selection of Asian and international cuisines.

Other amenities are a banquet room, swimming pool, spa, and fitness center.

Read: Where to Stay in Jakarta Indonesia

Royal Tulip Golf Resort Gunung Geulis

Jalan Pasir Angin 16720

GADOG-BOGOR, Indonesia

August 04, 2022

Moving to Southern California? Check Out These Areas

If you are planning a move, and looking for amazing weather with year-round mild temperatures, southern California is the spot for you. There are also various landscapes to enjoy, all within a quick drive from most cities. You can head to the beach, the mountains, or even to the desert to take in all the beauty it offers.

Another great thing about southern California, or SoCal, is the number of excellent options for cities and areas to live in. Depending on what you are looking for in a city or area, SoCal has something to offer everyone. Consider the following areas as you plan your move to southern California:

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is probably the first city you think of when you think of southern California, and for good reason, since it is the second largest metro area in the country. You probably know of L.A.’s amazing weather, diversity, and connection to the film industry.

If you like living in a big city, L.A. is the SoCal area for you. There are many neighborhoods to choose from, great nightlife, and a thriving economy, which will help as you look for a job during your move. If this big city sounds like the spot for you, there are plenty of houses for rent in Los Angeles.

Newport Beach

If your reason for moving to southern California is a dream to live by the beach, Newport Beach is the city for you. Since it is so close to the ocean, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy watersports, but there is also plenty to do on land if you only prefer looking at the ocean.

This oceanside city is the California dream with yoga studios, cafes, boutiques, and so much more. While the housing market is expensive, this is balanced by the generally high average income in the area. If you are moving your family, Newport beach is also known for its good school system and low crime rate.

Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa is located in Orange County and is known as one of the best cities to live in. Like Newport Beach, housing prices are on the expensive side, but the median household income in the area is significant also. Residents also love the fact that there is plenty to do.

You can check out new bars and restaurants, and there is also plenty of shopping. If you love to be outdoors, Costa Mesa is also conveniently located. You are just a short drive to the mountains, the beach, the desert, and several gorgeous national parks.

If living in southern California is your dream, you will have so many amazing cities to choose from with balmy weather and close proximity to the beach, mountains, and more. From L.A. to Newport Beach to Costa Mesa, there are so many SoCal cities to put on your shortlist for a move. Consider your perfect location, and make the big move to your ideal southern California city.