Enter the new Secret spot — Fishcove!

Let me qoute a phrase from its site: A tranquil spot in the midst of the city, Fish Cove offers you nature in its most exquisite form – Whether you need solace for your soul , a retreat from the rigors of the city or just a simple dose of peace — These can be yours without going out of town”.

In short, you don’t have to go out of Naga to find this place. It’s smack in Abella St., just before Bayawas street. You might not know about it because  it’s super secret until now until its owners decided to open this private garden as “venue for rent” for special occasions.

The place boasts about a hanging bridge over a koi pond, a gazebo in the middle of a bigger pond and a newly constructed tree house on top of the narra tree. It has two gardens which is perfect for small cozy parties or business meetings — the rock garden and the showroom garden. At present, you can also rent the gazebo on a per hour basis: P400/hr , while rentals for a day event ranges from P1500 to P2000 and at night from P2500 to P3000. the place can accommodate up to 100 persons (it is small!) but it you like it cozy and tight…well, it’s the perfect spot for you.

Oh, a friend mentioned that it would be a great place to stage a marriage proposal…well yes, you can do that too…it would be perfect at the water hut. In case the girl says no, you can just tip her over the bridge and watch her drown. (ha-ha, just joking!)

At present, the owners (who are my relatives by the way) has plans underway to improve the place. Pretty soon, they’ll open up a guest room for rent so guests can stay overnight in case they get too drunk to drive home.

lover's swing made from antique wood

The place has a typical Filipino ambiance, and looks great during the night with its host of lanterns scattered around the garden. There are two huge ylang-ylang trees and the smell of its flowers can be sometimes overwhelming during its bloom season — but it keeps the mosquitoes out (which is a perennial problem in a water-landscaped garden).

If you’re going there during the day, don’t miss out feeding the kois — watch out for the huge hammerhead sharks (Pangasius) named “Pangga” and “Daba”. they are both vegetarians, so don’t worry about getting your fingers bitten off.

feeding the kois

party tables at night

The treehouse

view from the treehouse

"Pangga" the Pangasius

The place accepts bookings for birthday parties, corporate meetings, and other special gatherings. They can cater your food, with a minimum of 50 guests for around P10,000. That includes everything — from set-up, to a 4-viand menu with rice and drinks.  For bookings and inquiries, Fishcove has an FB site, and a a multiply site at www.fishcove.multiply.com.  You can also text  09175272387 to inquire about bookings.

The Water Kubo

A panoramic shot taken from the rock garden

Hot Chili Ice Cream!

Locally flavored Ice cream in Naga

It is a bit of a paradox when you taste an ice cream and find it HOT!

….but that’s what you get when you buy Chili ice cream from Colonial Grill here in Naga City.

Colonial Grill is located at the 2nd Flr. of SM Naga in its food court. the unobtrusive restaurant serves burgers, pasta and an array of local flavored ice cream indigenous to the city. Here you will find strange sounding flavors like : Malunggay Ice cream, “tinutong na bagas” (burnt rice) and the famous bitingly hot Chili Ice cream.

At P25 per cup, it’s a bit expensive for its size, but it is surprisingly smooth and creamy and yes, ultra super spicy. I had to have a tissue on hand to wipe away my tears and a glass of water to wash out the sting.

Admittedly, this won’t be a dessert easy to swallow, but for the adventurous in spirit, heck, it’s worth a try.

Go to the Cabana!

It was the first time I tasted squash maja.

 The experience was quiet surprising, since I was expecting something a bit gooey like the traditional majah blanca. Instead, it was firm, with a very distinct taste. Not too sweet, it was both delectable and nutritious – imagine, you’re eating dessert packed with vitamin A . That’s a far cry from the sugar-laden calorific leche flan… and for only P35, it’s a pretty good deal.

So where can you find it?

It’s served in Caby’s Cabana – a quaint local restaurant sandwiched between two fast food giants in front of the city’s Plaza Quince Martires.

To the non-city dweller, Caby’s might be mistaken for a snooty fine dining resto because of its impressive exteriors. But, inside, the budget conscious pinoy will be right at home. With prices ranging from P50 to P135, the resto specializes in affordable rice meals which caters to both meat lovers and vegetarians.  For tourists looking for local delicacies, Caby’s serves pinangat and Bicol express for only P65.

If you’re tired of looking at a menu, boasting of chicken cooked in two hundred different ways, then you’ll be greatly relieved to look at Caby’s food list. They have everything! From chefs salad for those in perpetual diet, to the tuna panga for the sea food lovers, and belly busters like crispy pata– your sense for variety will be catered to in a very satisfying manner.

And at night, when you simply want a few beers while sitting in a cozy couch, it’s also the place to go. They offer free pulutan for every second bucket of beer from 4 to 10 pm. they even have free wifi, so you can update your FB status while idly sitting in their veranda overlooking the park.

On Sunday, its barkada day…if you come in with your friends  and order a minimum of P500 in food , you get a free pitcher of red tea!

At present, they have included a selection of hot and cold coffees and fresh fruit shakes for the discriminating yuppies.

I have tasted their mango lychee shake, and…it’s highly recommended!

Caby’s Cabana opened for business in 2005 and is owned by the Cabral siblings – a well known family in naga who has also other businesses including the Starview hotel adjacent to the restaurant.

“although Naga is saturated with different restaurants, both local and national, we try to compete by offering the customer a fine dining experience which is very friendly on the pockets…” says Marlon Niea, Caby’s Marketing officer.

Penafrancia tours: Taking you smoothly to Bicol

With all the media blitz cam sur is getting nowadays, going to Bicol has suddenly become an “in” thing for the highly mobile young professionals.

But – getting a promo ticket from the budget airlines is like trying to nail down a pesky fly with a pair of chopsticks – a thing quiet impossible to do unless you’re Jacky chan.

My suggestion? Take the bus instead.

The buses serving bicol is located in front of the Alimall. Once there, you can take your pick from the wide variety of buses plying the Manila – Bicol route.

…uh, you can take your pick, but I can take a pick for you. The best bus going to Naga, is none other than Penafrancia tours.  Yep, I am recommending this line, because they have one of the best suspension system I have ever tried.

I’m a frequent traveler which goes almost anywhere. I have tried almost all of the bus lines, but among them, the penafrancia tours offers the cleanest and the most comfortable ride going to Bicol.

Their new luxury fleet of Mercedes buses is giving the planes a run for their money – at only P980, you ride the bus at 9pm and wake up at 5am in Naga.

The leather covered seats gives you ample leg room and reclines far enough that you can sleep in comfort throughout the ride.

They have one stop-over in Sariraya Quezon so you can take your midnight meals, but, going to the restroom is no longer a problem, since they have a comfort room inside the bus.

A wide 32-inch TV is also installed for the passengers entertainment, where movies are played during the first two hours of the trip.

For reservations, you can go to their site at www.penafranciatours.com, or you can call (02) 913-1528 / 480-3050.

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side note:

Bus trips from from Manila to Bicol starts from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Bus terminal in front of Alimall, Cubao. While Bus trips going to Manila leave from Naga City at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Naguena in Cebu

I’m in Cebu! in a few days, i’ll be homesick for my beloved Naga, but… for the moments before that unbearable time, here are some photos I took while waiting for SM cebu to open.

st. joseph parish, built at around 1891.

…I was about to twirl around and hop and just be my exuberant self, when I noticed this sign:

Beside the church is an old house, which I assumed is where the parish priest and his deacons live.

convent

For P2 each candle, you can choose your favorite saint to champion your cause.

the cebuanos leave the singing to the professional, as there are more jukeboxes here than karaokes.

I got thirsty and bought Buko juice for P15.

if you don't have time to go to cebu's landmarks, you can just go here where they made miniature versions. bongga!

Finally, at SM, I get to have a photo op at one of their finest furniture exhibits -- a swing made from driftwood. want it? it's only P65,000.

Bicolanos flock to SM Naga

May 2, 2009 It was raining cats and dogs…wind was up, and some of the streets were flooded…but when you go to the “centro” you couldn’t see a soul.
They are all in….SM Naga!
Yep, it was opening day, and just like everybody, my parents thought that because it was raining, people would stay at home and watch TV, so they thought SM wouldn’t be crowded.

They thought wrong.
It seemed everybody was thinking the same thing.

They asked me to go with them, I graciously declined.
My idea of relaxation was not going into a huge mall and freeze to death because of its spanking new airconditioning.

In fairness, SM Naga has provided the Bicolanos jobs, shopping convenience, and status that Naga has indeed arrived in the cosmopolitan scene.

Local Jewelry, world class quality

In a land known for its Pili nut and Abaca products, one enterprising lady managed to start another industry … costume jewelry! Baycrafts is proudly naga-made. Although its materials are imported from other provinces, its labor is completely 100% Bicol.
Owned and managed by Marianne Olano, Baycrafts is a 4-year old company producing costume jewelry made from pearls, shells, fabric, crystals, fiber and even seeds.
You can view their complete line at www.baycrafts.net
If you want to see their collection, you can visit their factory at 154 Abella St., Naga City, just beside Abella Chapel. You may also call them at 054-4780188.

Home of the Best Cakes in Naga

There’s this cozy little place along Magsaysay which looks like an upscale residential hose…but is not. It’s actually a local restaurant which serves Filipino dishes and Cakes. What’s so great about this little restaurant is its ambiance, which tries to duplicate the inside of a well-loved folksy western dining room.The inside is a collection of long wooden dining tables with upholstered seats. They have seating groups of 4, 2′s and 8′s.
Well, The decor might be Americanized, but the dishes are a mix of Western and Filipino food. A must-try is their Kare-kare, Hickory ribs, Sinigang na Ulo sa Miso and their pasta dishes.
Red platter though is most well known for their cakes and pastries. Their Black forest supreme is to-die-for, as well as their rolls. Oh, and did I mention that it is also home to my favorite mini-carrot cakes, which, by the way, is now P65.

Cheap Buffet Breakfast

For those who think cheap doesn’t mean good, they have a surprise coming. Eating in Naga is a gastronomic experience, without busting your wallet, like this buffet breakfast we had at moraville — which costs us only P120 per person! yeps, they had 3 kinds of beverages – pineapple juice, Milo, coffe…and various breakfast dishes! they had tocino, longganisa, tapa, fried egg, dilis..etc. They also had turon, ginatan, hotcake..etc. Their lunch buffet is for P165, but i haven’t tried it yet. Service is exceptionally good as the waiters were very prompt and helpful. their buffet breakfast opens at 6 and ends at around 10 am. Highly recommended.

Old Houses in Naga

Built in 1927, this old house was originally owned by Ludivico Arejola. In 1949, it was rented out to Melchor Villanueva to become the first site of Naga College Foundation. At present, this house has been bought by Ermelo Almeda.
Located in Penafrancia Ave., the house stands as mute symbol of the past. Naguenos are still waiting for this house to be open to public, since the inside is sure to be a historical treasure trove.

Barlin street is a haven for old houses, including this one which used to be the residence of the late Senator Raul Roco. Made entirely of Wood, this has been the old family house of the Rocos since time began.

An old house turned Restaurant, this is one sample of the Nagueno’s ingenuity to keep up with times while making profit. Now named “Our House”, this resto serves barbecue and beer. Their rates are affordable enough for students and young professionals who flock barlin after office hours.