Of Anniversaries and My Beloved Elyu!

Okay, so this a long overdue post. Our anniversary was on the 31st of October. It was our 18th! So the hubby who is as of late hooked to tripadvisor.com bookings searched for the best hotel for us to spend the day in the province. He chose The Little Surfmaid Resort in San Juan La Union because the price was right 😆 and the reviews we read online were all great!

Three Fears You Could Conquer at Tangadan Falls

So I finally reached my first waterfall. True or false? (Pun intended) True! Truly it was one amazing experience! Forgive me for my delight, I sort of ceased being adventurous until recently. As the title implies this is all about the fears I conquered at Tangadan Falls.

Want to hear about it? Read on and I hope I get to lure you to visit one of the best places in my province La Union. Proud to have been there and to have ditched the following fears:

Where To Eat In La Union: El Navi Restaurant

Today the hubby and I dropped by one of his favorite restaurants in the northern side of the province. He quipped he kinda misses the "clubhouse sandwich" of El Navi Restaurant in the heart of the town of Balaoan, La Union.

"FriFOODate"- Loving Green!!!

Okay, so we are like any of those couples out there who semi-argue where to dine on Fridays- that much I admit. He, wanted to eat somewhere a bit more pricey than our usual Friday destination because he was craving for some Chinese cuisine. Me on the other hand just wanted some sweet treat. To coax me he said they serve my latest craving there too- Broccoli with garlic! So, to settle the matter I gave him my silly grin and said with no breathing in between- "YOU PAY THE BILL ALONE"! We bursts into a fit of laughter like we always do inside "Rosebeth" our family car where Andrea Bocelli's Somos Novios was playing non-stop. In five minutes we found ourselves indulging in our all-time fave goodies! Virtually join us please.

My Broccoli with garlic

Kubong Sawali Restaurant

Before Valentine's Day we had a family V-date at one of those nipa-hut themed restaurants in our home sweet province. This was after we had a long walk shopping at San Fernando's Fiesta Trade Fair. Remember that? You can view that post here.

Now Care to join us virtually at...

Kubong Sawali Restaurant?

 The resto is bahay-kubo inspired. Inside, you could feel the breeze from the nearby sea because of its open windows and raised ceiling made of crisscrossed bamboo.

The lamp ornaments are likewise made of bamboo and furniture particularly wooden native chairs adorn the corners of the restaurant.

Places like this always warm my heart reminiscing the simple childhood days I spent with my grandparents.

 The resto has some sort of an annex on one side of the main hall where the dining sets resemble those of nipa huts' "bangko," simple wooden, low chairs and the architectural design allows air to freely enter. I think next time we visit I'd love to dine in this area.

Looks all comfy and cool for summer day lunches! 

On the contrary, for those who prefer an air-conditioned room, there's one for them to occupy on the right side just after the entrance.

Looking at the walls and exploring these rooms I saw these displayed...

The above framed magazine clippings features the humble beginnings of Kubong Sawali having been first established by its entrepreneurs in Baguio City as well as their house specialties which include "Pinaputok na Pusit" (Stuffed Squid), the hubby's inspiration for his Valentine recipe for me. In case you missed that post, you can view it here. 

What To Order At Kubong Sawali?

Let's check out their menu...

The kiddos were the bosses that day and we allowed them to choose first!

 One thing I cherish about our kiddos is that they appreciate natural food more than highly seasoned ones from fast food chains.

So....what were the boys' orders? The hubby suggested it would be best if we ordered one of the combo seafood platter to which everyone agreed.

 The halo-halong pagkain sa bilao (platter of mixed food) consisted of 

• garlic Bangus (milkfish, fried topped with sauteed tomatoes, garlic and onions)
• chicharon bulaklak 
• Nilasing na Hipon (shrimp)
• Fried Squid (supposedly vinegar marinated but since we were dining with the kids we had it fried)
• Inihaw na Liempo (pork barbecue)
• Enseladang talong (eggplant salad) with freshly cut tomatoes and onions

The sight of the oh so green banana leaf spread on the platter was enough appetizer for me!

I loved the garlic milkfish! It's quite a simple dish or so I think hehehe which I am planning to cook one of these days. When exactly?-depends on the movement of the moon hahaha.

Chicken always makes its way into our dining table. This one came with a sauce just right for the kids' taste buds.

Lechon Kawali

 ahhh ohh..not quite healthy for adults huh, our son Roel ordered for this one, he needs the protein and some fats for growing his muscles!

 With some juicy calamansi, red pepper and fish sauce the family had a blast!

Fruit shakes, Guyabano and Mangoe completed our meal...

a glass of cool water all made us say "Happy Valentine's Month" burp! hehehe

See???

Everything disappeared in a flash and someone is planning to eat even the fish scales hahaha.

It was a happy pre-V day family lunch. After all, as long as we are together, everyday is Valentine's day. We didn't get to spend Heart's day itself together so we also had a post V-day dinner hahaha...keep posted for that.

Happy Hearts' Month Everyone!

 

~just another happy customer's honest opinion~

..you might wanna READ MORE of places to dine in La Union here....

as for Kubong Sawali Restaurant, you can find them at:

National Highway, Pagdalagan Sur, Bauang, La Union

Tel Nos. (072) 705-01-50

Healthy Lifestyle: S.O.U.L. Cafe (Spice of Urban Life)

"So, I am a disturbance to you eh?"- I told the hubby when he grumbled about me suddenly popping into his office while he was in the middle of something. He replied- "Not a disturbance dear but a distraction!" with all smiles and that deceiving smile that enchants me most.
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That conversation brought me to a quaint resto yesterday. I came from the university to secure some papers I needed for floating my thesis questionnaire. All thanks to my decision to surprise the hubby I finally got to see the cafe I've been hearing about for sometime now and found it as awesome us I heard. Join us!

I didn't realize what an artsy place I was about to enter until the hubby pushed open those doors for me. I found myself marveling at the oh so refreshing ambiance of S.O.U.L. Cafe. It felt like being transported into a totally different world after coming from the hustle bustle of the city.

 I just love the colorful walls and chairs and their friendly crew. We were lucky the place was all ours to enjoy for several minutes!

 We could not make up our minds at first which table to occupy and as I was finally settling myself in one of those crafty green chairs the hubby announced he'd rather rest on the sofa beside the stairs.

The homey, relaxing atmosphere was overpowering! Look who went to dreamland in an instant! :D As always when I see a place for the first time I am drawn to take pictures first before ordering. Come explore the cafe virtually with me! Pardon the quality of the shots because I merely used my ever reliable smartphone.

The fancy design of their floor near the entrance is hard to miss! It makes me smile thinking of the sun's beaming welcoming face on a beautiful summer day.

I think this is what lulled the hubby to sleep in a flash aside from the comfort of the sofa- the sound of water flowing from this artificial falls. I could also hear the tweet tweet chirping of birds yet I could not figure out where the sound was coming from.

Adjacent to the artificial falls was this condiments carrier reminiscent of old wooden carriages.

There is no corner of the cafe which isn't put to use and this area below the staircase looks like the business book-keeping zone.

Now let's go up the mezzanine!

 The staircase is quite steep so I recommend taking off your shoes especially when they are high-heeled when getting to the mezzanine. After all this is what's waiting for you up there...

...cuddly throw pillows and mats for straightening up those tired legs; interesting reads on the shelves and the view of pristine mountains...you wouldn't need your shoes there, just your calm self breathing in and breathing out soaking in the peacefulness that emanates from the view.

I could have stayed there longer had I not felt the grumbling of my stomach smelling the aroma from below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And so the ordering began...

Now what to order?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since I am on a fresh food and low carbohydrate diet it was easy to pick from the menu...

The Chef's salad got my attention in a flash! It's a refreshing mix of fresh greens drizzled with crab sticks with almond nuts with a choice of either garlic or vinegrette dip. I was tempted to order something sweet and cold like their fire on ice but managed to stop the craving.

The hubby on the other hand totally indulged and requested for his all time favorite- pancit palabok!

 ...this was a totally tasty version the hubby swears :)

looks like somebody with the name "Kulasa" envied her hubby's farm ham sandwich that came with a food for the soul- a note that said...

"Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared."  Proverbs 22:24-25

I read it out loud to the hubby who sometimes fails to keep his temper with the toxic nature of his work. I said maybe he should crumple the note and eat it! We had a good laugh!

Now that was me allowing myself to let all the food sink inside while you could see the hubby's head bobbing out on the lower left side corner satiated and sleepy again!

Care to join me take a peek at the garden al fresco dining area while we waited for our bill?

The oh so green plants and fresh air makes one feel rejuvenated and ready for another journey. The hubby and I got an idea of turning our backyard into something akin to this where we could entertain our family and friends. We still got other priorities so that will have to wait until we have the time and more importantly the ample budget.

I freshened up before we left and what do you know? I found myself taking selfie shots in the ladies' room simply because the sight of trees and the plants inside were simply irresistible.

 The next time we visit I would love to try out their three new menus!

• Soul Cafe Steak Breakfast
• Soul Cafe Rib Eye Teppan
• Soul Cafe Salad Tropique

 and their various gourmet coffee, pasta pastries and more using only the freshest ingredients....

My weekday short dates with the hubby never fails to make our relationship not only smooth sailing but always sweet oh amidst all the toxicity of our jobs. I wish all the married couples out there get the time to go out and explore together too....

So, if you're heading North of the country you might want to drop by our new discovery-

S.O.U.L. Cafe (Spice of Urban Life) where you'll get the feel of home, away from home...

"do check out our restaurants label for more of our foodie adventures"

Have a Blessed Weekend dears...

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This isn't a paid post, just another satisfied customer's honest opinion

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S.O.U.L. Cafe is located in Rosario, La Union...just a little after the bridge joining the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union if you're coming from Manila.....
........for further inquiries you could contact them at tel. nos. (072)712-0852, 0919-9285345

 

Cafe Esperanza- A Mellow Cafe for Mellow Thoughts...and Sweet Valentine Conversations...

Cafe Esperanza

~a  place in the heart of the city that I ......love visiting

they got the tastiest native cakes and

sweets as well as pastries and 

 pasta and Chinese dishes

and of course coffee

I love eating while watching passersby along the busy city streets

It is a corner in the world where I could

go back in time and be the innocent girl

-I used to be

because it is on the right side of my highschool Alma Mater

and the St. William the Hermit Cathedral where 

I spent so many hours praying for a blessed future...

I usually drop by here when I'm without company

and I just love to talk to my dreamy self and

reminisce...

hmmm yep, dating myself too is one way I keep my sanity in this sometimes too toxic world called 

ADULTHOOD...

The cafe  has a homey feel

Something I love most

and the mere sight of bricks on the walls 

..bread and pastry on jars
!takes me to Neverland

Cafe Esperanza's Cream Pop is the best
!!!I also enjoy their home-cooked style spaghetti
I wonder what their secret ingredient is
....
Their native rice cake believe me
amazed me the first time I tasted it
..having been too stuffed with the serving of pasta I just took home the rice cake...
I put in in the fridge and remembered only to eat it the next day and whoa to
my surprise it was still soft and chewy
and marvelously just sweet enough to
make me scream with delight
and I am saying this not just because I am an Ilocana and a sucker for native cakes...

The place could get too crowded at times but for the love of their specialties everyone seems patient enough to wait for their turn to order and pay....

They offer catering services and I heard they have another Valentine dinner promo!

Too bad, I ain't got my partner tonight!

~The place is hard to miss when you're in San Fernando, L.U.
because the cafe is overlooking the city plaza.~

I just checked their facebook page here-
and had a peek into their Valentine's Dinner menu...

Menu for Dinner Buffet on Valentine's Day

Appetizers: Garlic Mixed Nuts, Nachos with Mexican Salsa, Cheese Sticks
Main Course: American Beef Stew, Southern Style Barbecue Ribs, Chicken Ala Kiev, Fillet of Fish Wrapped in Bacon, Mixed Vegetables with Pasta Penne, Java Rice, Steamed rice
Bread BasketCarrot SoupOpen Salad BarDessert Bar: Fresh Fruits in Lemon Syrup, Mango Jubilee, Cinamonettes, Macaroons, Assorted Cake Bites..

Buffet Starts at 7:00 PM
Price @ Php 399.00

For reservations, please call at telephone number 072-242-0659
Buffet Starts at 7:00 PM Price @ Php 399.00

~geeezzzz the Mango Jubilee and assorted cake bites is enough for me to crave here~
~since the hubby is not available tonight...who wants to raid the Cafe with me????!!!!~
~pay for your own buffet girls! hehehe~

They're at P. Gomez Street, 2500 San Fernando, La Union

see you there tonight SINGLES?

you just might finally meet, Mr. RIGHT!

~definitely not a sponsored post but just another happy customer's honest opinion

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE