Eating Out at Lemongrass Asian Bistro

Lemongrass Asian Bistro opened in the Philippines February of last year. It was brought here by the same people behind Pho Hoa. Their food ranges from Chinese to Japanese to Korean cuisine. The restaurant is located at Upper Ground level of Shangri-la Mall at the back of Zara and in front of Mercury Drug and Mrs. Fields. The place is painted with a combination of white and bright green so its impossible that you will not see it. The place was not large but I cannot say that its small. The ambiance of the place was very homely. 

The staff are very accommodating. Once we were seated they handed to us the menu. The food on their menu has codes. For our appetizer we ordered Unagi Maki. Then for our main course we chose Crispy Fish Fillet with Tamarind and Sweet and Chili Sauces, Lemongrass Pork Riblets with Honey Garlic Sauce, Sauteed String Beans with Onions, Mushroom & Vegetables and Bagoong Rice. I love their Bagoong Rice beacuse its not too oily and salty. The mixture of the green Mango and Bagoong on the rice is just right. We also tried their Crunchy Wasabi Tuna Salad which I really liked. I thought that it would be spicy but its not. It just have the right tangy taste. Most of the food are for group sharing and is good for 4 to 6 persons. They have a generous serving of the foods, we even had a hard time to finish the food.

Lemongrass Pork Riblets

Bagoong Rice and Sauteed String Beans with Onions, Mushroom & Vegetables

Crispy Fish Fillet with Tamarind and Sweet and Chili Sauces

A must try is their signature Lemongrass Tea and Fruity Lemongrass Tea. The difference of the two teas is that the first is cold while the other is served hot. Their teas have of course, lemon grass and other different fruit. 

Lemongrass Tea

Fruity Lemongrass Tea

For our dessert we ordered Sticky Rice with Mango and Ice Cream and Thai Tago with Water Chestnuts. The Sticky Rice has fresh Cow's Milk in it and the waiter even gave us an extra cup of the milk. 

Sticky Rice with Mango and Ice Cream

Thai Tago with Water Chestnuts

We had a great lunch and we'll surely go back in this restaurant!

Saving the Pawikans (Sea Turtles)

As part of our company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), last Friday we went to a Sea Turtle Conservation in Bataan, Philippines. Most commonly known as the Pawikan Conservation Center, the place has been promoting the conservation and protection of sea turtles for more than 10 years. The people taking care of the place are local folks who voluntarily devote their time to protect the sea turtles. They do not get any funding from the government and rely mainly on the donations given to them. The conservation center accommodates overnight stay for guest especially those who would like to search for sea turtles at night. A minimal fee of P150.00 is collected for the overnight stay accommodation inclusive of dinner and breakfast. However, all of these are put on the center and the locals are not paid for their job.

The visit to the place includes four activities. First is the beach clean-up, second is the releasing of sea turtles to the sea, third is mangrove planting and the last activity which is the most exciting is searching for sea turtles at night. Since we came in early December,if we are lucky enough, we might be able to witness a sea turtle lay her eggs on the beach. This is what we are supposed to search for the night. Once the sea turtle lay her eggs, the people at the conservation will take the eggs and put them on their hatchery to ensure that the eggs will be protected.

A turtle shaped pond is situated near the entrance of the resort. At the back of it is their hatchery and a wonderful illustration on the life cycle of the sea turtles. At the right side of the center are the dining area and the guest rooms and shower rooms. 

On our first activity we were divided into ten groups with three members each. We have trash bags ready for the garbage we will collect. At first we thought that the only trash we will get are cigarette butts but as we go farther on the beach we found different stuff. We were able to get a shoe, slipper, plastic wrapper of candies, foams and even diapers. After thirty minutes, all ten groups were able to fill-up their trash bags.

The releasing of turtles was just a short activity. The guy at the center explained to us that when releasing a turtle to the sea it imprints itself on the place and that they will come back after 25 years to lay their eggs. 

Our next activity was the mangrove planting. The people at the center gave us mangrove shoots to for planting. We went to a nearby area where there are lots of mangroves. We just have to place the mangrove shoots on the holes that they have created. They advised us that it will be much easier for us to plant the mangroves on a damp area. They remind us also to ensure that we are able to firmly planted the mangroves on the hole.

After the three activities, the people at the center gave us a brief history of the place. They also explained to us the next activity, which is the searching for sea turtles. They usually search 12 kilometers of the beach for sea turtles. They were able to see sea turtle lay their eggs the past two nights. At the average, a mother turtle can lay a hundred eggs however only one percent have a chance of survival on the wild. The search of the sea turtle will begin at 9PM and will end at 1AM. There are instances that there were no sea turtles but we're hoping to see one since this is the season for them to lay their eggs.

The search for the sea turtles is a very tiring activity. It was very hard to walk on the sand. After 3 kilometers there were still no sign of sea turtles. The guide let us rest for awhile before going back and check the other direction. The night sky was very beautiful. There stars are very visible unlike when you are living in the city. After 20 minutes of rest we head back to continue our search. Our exhaustion was relieved when we were signaled that a sea turtle just came out of the sea and is ready to lay her eggs. We were just in time to witness this wonderful event. 

The Finisher: Nike We Run MNL 2012

The Finisher... The 30th city to participate on the Nike We Run 2012 is Manila. The run is to be held in 34 cities and the run is its 2nd year to be held in Manila. The run started in September 1 at Prague, Czech Republic and will end on December 15 at Rio De Janiero, Brazil. Approximately 13,000 participated on the said event here in Manila.

My younger brother was supposed to participate and he was really looking forward on the event. Unfortunately two weeks before the run, he was diagnosed with Dengue and was confined in the hospital for almost ten days. The doctor advised him not to participate for he was still not physically fit for a race like that. My brother was really sad after hearing what the doctor had said. On our mind, someone must run so that we can get the shirt. Four days before the race, my twin sister volunteer herself to run. She has no experience in running on a race. We are all anxious if she can finish the race within the given time.

On the day of the race - December 2, 2012, me, my younger brother and twin all went to the race. Since it is the first time of my sister we are there to accompany and support her. My younger brother act as our guide as he tell us how the race will go, where should my sister go and some of the race guidelines. There are really a lot of people who join the event.

The race flag-off was supposed to be 5:30AM however based on our time it started at 5:45AM. My brother and I watched as the participants started to run. After we saw that my sister has already pass the starting line, my brother and I decided to hang-out at Starbucks. We just ordered a croissant, a doughnut and frappuccino. 

 The race ended at 8AM and after the race is a live band performance from Spongecola, Chicosci and Never the Strangers. A lot of the runners stayed and watched the band performance.

Plunging to the Waters of Coron

Swim, swim and swim. An endless swim in the cool clear water in Coron. Certainly, nobody can resist the temptation of the beaches. It's definitely ME time when you are in Coron. Forget about the fast-paced life in the city and the noisy surroundings. There are numerous beaches and snorkeling site in Coron for you to plunge in.

Famous tourist destination place is the Kayangan Lake. The distinct feature of the place is that its a combination of salt and lake water. So don't be surprised if you feel something different when you are in the water. One must also be prepared for a long walk going to the lake however all of these will fade because it’s definitely a worth it experience.

the most captured place in Coron

taking a swim in Kayangan Lake

the fishes in Kayangan Lake

The Twin Lagoon holds a magnificent towering rock formation. On a low tide, one can kayak under the rock and on high tide one can swim through the hole of the rock.

CYC is an island which you do not have to pay any entrance fee. The place is full of mangroves. We were also able to see small fishes on the roots of the mangroves. The place easily gets crowded since it’s free.

Banana Island is a beautiful place for beach goers. It has a wide beach and tree houses for guests. A trip to this island will take an hour of boat ride. The water is clear blue. The place is perfect for sun bathing and to relax. There is also a nearby spot for snorkeling.

Another distant island is Malcapuya. Just like Banana Island, the place has a long and wide beach. A must do in the island is to climb the top of the hill. The view is very spectacular. Tourist must only prepare for a steep climb.

 

For diving enthusiast, the ship wreck during World War II is a must see. The wreck has become home for different sea creatures. 

Taking a Dip of Life in Coron

Palawan has always been my dream destination for a vacation. It finally comes true when we decided to book a flight going to Coron, which is an island that is part of Palawan.

Coron is very much famous for its white beaches, its rich marine life which is a perfect place for snorkeling and scuba diving and its rock formation. The first thing we did in Coron is the town tour. From Busuanga airport to the town proper is a one hour drive. There were already a lots of resort located on the mountains going down the town. You also have the opportunity to overlook the whole town and the sea. The market place and pier are paralleled to each other and are surrounded by inns.

 

On our first day we stayed at Mt. Tapyas inn which is situated on the side of the mountain. The mountain also has the famous Coron name just like the hollywood name on sta. Monica Hills in the U.S. We can see it on our view aside from of course the fantastic view of the sea and other islands near Coron. In the afternoon, we did a hike of Mt. Tapyas which consists of some 700 steps. Our tour guide said that we can finish the hike in just an hour. It’s perfect to do the hike in the afternoon so that you can watch the setting of the sun. It’s a very tiring hike. We did some stops along the way not only to rest but to also take some pictures. Along the hike the kids who served as our tour guide told us that the mountain got its name when a bomb hit the mountain during World War II. The bomb has taken off a large portion of the mountain. Tapyas is a tagalog word which means to take a part off. On top of the mountain is a large cross. You can also clearly see another mountain which resembles a sleeping giant. After taking some picture and a short rest we started to descent from the mountain. As we go down we were able to see the sunset.

Our driver said that after a tiring hike, the tourist usually heads out to the hot springs. It was already dark when we reach the hot spring. They water was very soothing on our feet. They made a pool on the place which is only waist deep really intended to relax your tired legs muscles. The place is full of mangroves. Since it was dark we cannot fully see if the water from the hot spring leads to the sea.

These are other pictures taken at Mt. Tapyas view deck.