Kinamat Resto Bar Silog and Budbod Menu (Angono, Rizal)

"Fi-fi-fo-fum. I smell a hungry customer. Solve this riddle to enter..."

Kinamat Resto Bar in Angono, Rizal is a simple native eatery with a band area for guests to experience a little live music while dining or drinking with friends and family. It has a rustic ambiance with all the natural materials like wood, bamboo, and nipa, used in the building structure. Outside, traditional masks used in festival parades look out to welcome diners. One could easily pass by this restaurant without noticing it. There's just a gravel driveway where guests can park, but apart from the sign hanging from a bamboo post and what's painted on the front wall, one would think that it's not a restaurant at all, but people do frequent the place and word-of-mouth gets around. When kids hear about the shark lamp, they all want to see it with their own eyes, though it's only made of fiberglass, maybe.

Sink your teeth into this crispy Kinamat pork chop.

Kinamat Resto Bar is simple, informal, quaint, and a local favorite, which means tourists have nothing to lose by checking out the place and ordering local food favorites like budbod, which is similar to Spanish tapas but with fried meat that's heartily mixed in with rice and slivers of scrambled egg. There are different kinds of budbod available. There's Shanghai (lumpia or egg roll as it's called by Americans), Pork, Beef, and Mixed, Of course, where there's budbod, there's also likely the silog dishes which are essentially fried rice (sinangag) with ulam, which is the meat you eat with the rice, like fried beef, pork, longanisa, chicken, bangus, hotdog... all served with fried egg, tomatos and your choice of either vinegar (suka) or fish sauce (patis). It's like breakfast at any hour of the day! there's also the popular breaded pork chop that is crunchy on the outside and juicy in the inside. Most of what's in the menu would complement a bottle of cold beer, as the locals would prefer it. But just as the restaurant is simple, so are what's in the menu, but it's all good. Kinamat Resto Bar is located along 1342 Col. Guido St. near the Manila East Rd. Tricycle and jeepney drivers can tell you where it is.

Kinamat Resto Bar's Beef Budbod.

Kinamat Resto Bar's Menu. Click to read.

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Balaw Balaw Exotic Food Restaurant Art Gallery in Angono, Rizal

The Balaw Balaw restaurant welcome sign

Welcome to Balaw Balaw

Balaw Balaw is a native specialty restaurant in Angono, Rizal in the Philippines that doubles as an art gallery. Established by local artist and crafstman, Perdigon Vocalan and his wife, Luzvimin in 1982, Balaw Balaw became known for its menu which includes adobo crickets and timber grubs. If you're a tourist looking to experience a new and challenging culinary adventure in the Philippines, then this is the place to go to. You can find Balaw Balaw restaurant along the Manila East Road near the corner of Doña Aurora Street in Doña Justa Village in Angono, 

Looking down from the 2nd floor

There are plenty of the surprises inside the Balaw Balaw restaurant. There are several floors and rooms that are open to guests where they'll find all sorts of wood and paper sculptures and also paintings depicting local culture. The house itself is a wonder to behold with it's winding staircases and local antique charm. You can start your exploration in the dining area where there are already plenty of installation art and sculptures from local festivals on display. The ground floor is bisected by an artificial creek that's obviously been sitting there untended for a very long time. You'll find a little bridge of rocks that you can cross to get to the other side where the art gallery actually begins. The sculptures there appear old and untouched so don't be surprised to find huge cobwebs and a spider or two staring back at you. But it's all part of the thrill of the old house. 

The Balaw Balaw dining area

A roomful of paintings

There are lots of very old things to discover inside Balaw Balaw restaurant and if you go visit when few people are around, like two in the afternoon, it can feel like you're exploring an abandoned house. You might get an eerie feeling when looking at the many sculptures with faces and religious iconography, and at times you might feel like you're being watched from a dark corner. A section of the house is actually occupied and the rooms are connected by obscured passages, so you might get startled when someone suddenly appears when it seems you are alone in a room. Just hide your surprise by pretending to admire your surroundings or by asking if the piece of art you're looking at is for sale.

Head up to Balaw Balaw restaurant

A partly hidden room

At the roof deck, there's a quaint garden of potted plants and a shed where paper mâché masks used in the local Higantes (Giants) festival held in November are displayed. Be careful going in there because there's likely a guard dog in a corner of the room (another one of the little surprises of Balaw Balaw). It's actually where the art workshops are held. 

So, if you love adventure when it comes to eating exotic food and exploring old art houses, why not get a taste of Balaw Balaw restaurant? It might not be the kind of place for a first date, but if you are into art, antiques, strange food, eerie things and a meditative state, this is highly recommended. Go to Balaw Balaw for the experience. The memories will stay with your for a long time and enough for you to take a few friends or tourists along so that they can also experience it with you as their guide. 

What does balaw balaw mean? The term refers to a local delicacy in Rizal made from fermented shrimp paste and rice. 

The grand room of driftwood sculptures

Join the Last Supper of Balaw Balaw Restaurant

The wooden spiral staircase of the Balaw Balaw house

The art workshop

Balaw Balaw Restaurant house facade

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Summer Fun at Club Serene Resort in Rizal, Philippines

View of the entrance of Club Serene Resort from the inside.

Club Serene Resort in Taytay, Rizal is one of many basic resorts with pools that are common destinations of local day trippers who are looking for a resort in Rizal for some simple summer fun with family or friends. It has five swimming pools, cottages, and picnic tables.

For only 130 pesos (as of this writing), you can enter and spend an entire day enjoying the pools. For a little extra, you can belt out songs using the videoke machines available for general use. At Club Serene Resort, you cannot expect to experience more than what you'd expect for that amount, which is really for locals who just wish to have a summer diversion in a resort with pools. Resorts that offer affordable rates equates to more local visitors who look beyond quality sought by foreign tourists and actually expect nothing of the sort in favor of spartan facilities that serves their purposes.

Like other resorts in Rizal, Club Serene Resort overlooks the skyline of Metro Manila and is a short distance from SM Mall in Taytay. If you and your family live in the Antipolo, Taytay, or Cainta area, Club Serene is one option if you are looking for an affordable escape even for just one day, just to have fun with family and friends. Based on resort reviews of locals and visitors who've been to Club Serene, in this resort, it's not the ambiance, the facilities, or the scenery that's important or what you'd care to go to; it's really more about the time you spend with the people you care about.

The main patio of Club Serene Resort with a tamarind tree as a centerpiece.

Club Serene Resort with pools is located along Cabrera Road, Barangay Dolores, Taytay, Rizal. You can check out more of the resort on the official Club Serene Resort website.

Red Dragonfruit from Taytay Farm in The Philippines

Red Dragonfruit from a farm in Taytay, Rizal, The Philippines.

The red dragonfruit has found its way to the Philippines. The dragonfruit, a strange succulent fruit sought after for its juicy melon-like pulp, has slowly crept into the Philippine marketplaces and is now getting to be a more familiar sight in fruit stands. The relatively low demand has caused it to be pricey, but it has a loyal base of fans. When chilled and cut into cubes, it serves as a delicious and crunch (because of the black seeds) though not-so-sweet snack.

The type of dragonfruit that were initially sold in the Philippines were of the white-fleshed variety, the pulp inside is white. The white version isn’t sweet but it’s perfect for salads and as a cooling snack. If you know how to make ice cream, it’s a perfect exotic ingredient. It’s hard to tell if a dragonfruit has white or red pulp, unless you’re familiar with all the different varieties, but the pinkish variety has both a white and red version.

The red dragonfruit has a bright-red pulp that’s also filled with black seeds, just like the white. But unlike the white variety, the red one is slightly sweeter and of course full of antioxidants. Chilled, you can eat directly from the skin. With just a slit of a knife you can peel it like a banana and you’re left with the inside flesh. The red dragonfruit is a strange-looking fruit, but it’s a fun fruit to eat. It’s also healthful. 

The red dragonfruit pictured here came from a farm in Taytay, Rizal.

A round chili plant and a lesson from the aphids

The First Maid Cafe in the Philippines

This is Meidolls, the first maid cafe in the Philippines where the waitresses are dressed in cute maid costumes worthy of an anime cosplaying party. Meidolls is at the second floor of the building just across the Rublou shopping plaza near the Brookside jeepney stop in Cainta, Rizal (UPDATE: In 2012, the restaurant had moved). You can see the interior of the restaurant from the outside of the building through a long glass wall fronting the road. The management of the cafe had relocated to this front unit from a smaller one on the same floor that's hidden from view.

The interior of the Meidolls maid cafe is quaint with a television in the corner where a maid or two usually sings or dances. The large counter in one corner is where all the food is prepared and served from for ease of service. The restaurant has just enough room for maybe two or three groups of people and a few pairs along the side. The tables and chairs have short, or no legs at all, to simulate an authentic Japanese dining experience. Once you open the door, the "maids" inside greet you in traditional Japanese fashion and attend to you almost immediately; at least, as long as they're not busy attending to other guests.

The maid servers call all diners "master" and they are summoned with the ring of a counter bell on each dining table. Just tap the bell and they come to fulfill your dining needs. They can even perform a little song for you (see images), if the timing is right. It's all about fun dining and you can even play an eating game - with a corresponding order of course! Meals are easy to eat and fun to look at. The colorful menu says it all. If you want to, you can even have your meals prepared to go. But then if you do that, you miss all the fun.

UPDATE: In 2012, the Meidolls maid cafe restaurant closed down.

Boracay, Wet and Wild in October

This is a Queens Blade Airi Black Maid Costume Statue just for you maid-loving anime figurine collectors. It's impeccably detailed and you know at a glance that she's a maid. The question is if she's out to serve or out to serve your head on a plate! Click here or on the image to order this fine anime maid statue with a huge scythe for your collection!

Punta de Fabian Resort in Baras, Rizal Has Great View of Laguna de Bay

Rizal is one big place. It's not exaclty a province separate from Metro Manila, since a big part of it is still well within the urban sprawl of the metropolis, but the fringes are pretty much rural. Lots of resorts are in Rizal and most of them are set either high in the hills or near Laguna Lake (Laguna de Bay). The lake itself is not fit for swimming because it is murky with lots of fish pens. However, the lake does provide a great view (top) and many tourists will find this a good alternative to Tagaytay where Taal lake is viewed.

Shown are portions of Punta de Fabian resort in Baras, Rizal which is a part of Tanay. It is small and is on top of a small and rocky hill. You will need a powerful engine to get to the top since there is a very steep but brief climb after you pass the guardhouse. There are two swimming pools (one small; another an infinity-type) and quaint cottages, most of which have great views. It's ideal for weekend trips with the family and corporate trainings, workshops, seminars, and team-building. The management is courteous and will go out of their way to help out clients with their needs.

The resort has facilities for indoor sports like darts, table tennis, and billiards in the game room. Conference rooms are convenient and spacious and are a short walk to the dining area where clients get treated to packaged European-style meals (below). There is also a videoke bar to release your hidden singing talents. When it rains, it pays to be careful when walking on tiled steps and the mud, both of which can get very slippery.

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Flood Prevention Efforts in Cainta, Rizal, Philippines

Here are pictures of workers hired by the local government of Cainta, Rizal to clean up drains in the hopes of alleviating the floods that frequently hits subdivisions like this one. In sudden downpours that last for two hours, flash floods often block roads and causing jams that last for more than 12 hours, stranding commuters who have no option but to walk home in deep and murky floodwater.

Residential areas also have to deal with muddy water that enter houses. Residents cleaning their homes of mud and debris in Rizal is a common sight every year during the rainy season. The little drain maintenance will hardly do anything to alleviate future floods. What is needed is a long-term project that will divert flood waters to big drainage systems massive enough to take in all the rain water and divert it to where it will cause no harm or damage.

 

Quick Dam Portable Instant Flood Water Control Resistant Prevention Barrier Shield Protection 6" X 10'

Popular Vegetable Stall in Taytay Market

There’s this vegetable star in a corner of the Taytay public market in Rizal that’s a favorite of vegetable buyers. It’s tucked in a lonely and less crowded corner of the market where few buyers go, but for those in the know, the prices of vegetables here are actually lower than what’s set by the other stalls. It’s near the fish stalls (left), so it’s not that hard to find.

If you happen to be buying your food at the Taytay palengke, then why not drop by this stall and see what cheap veggies you can buy for your lunch or dinner meal. The walk to the stall may be muddy, but it may be worth it, if you want lower prices. Note that the stall may move in time, so if it is not there, you may look around and simply compare prices before buying. It may take more time, but that’s just the way to go to get the best products that money can buy in a market in the Philippines.

  

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Fish Stalls in Wet Market of Taytay Rizal

Wet markets (palengke) in the Philippines have a strange appeal. You don't really want to be there yet somehow, the experience enriches and energizes you. Even if you have no business there, you get the feeling that you've been to a carnival - like a kid who goes out on a holiday.

Crowded, hot, wet, and dirty - you'd get dark mud all over your feet if you don't walk carefully, you can't help but to soak in everything in a wet market, especially in the fish section, where everything's abuzz with activity. Tourists rarely ever visit the wet markets of the Philippines but it can be quite an experience and you get to see the things that people buy to put on the dinner table. You'll see lots of interesting things - fresh fish can literally leap out of their basins looking for an escape, but of course the store owner is there to keep them secure.

If you are a tourist and wish to experience the wet markets of the Philippines like the one shown here in Taytay, Rizal, then be prepared to wear light clothing, sandals, and avoid carrying bags that snatchers, slashers, and snatchers will find attractive. Do ask a local whom you know and trust to accompany you. When in the market, it's best to just keep walking unless you intend to buy something. Otherwise, you will be bumped by so many people you'll end up like a soaked rag.You'll end up sweaty, muddy, and smelly, but you get to experience something only in the Philippines.

Cream Dory fish Iriga-style sinigang recipe 

 

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