Happy Foodies

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtLoQvaesExg3g1XSBGIJg-sxGN5WvCCsleWmdk0-rss1Om8WS92i0b0rGofJqtknIxpmcAH5uVIsYAY7FJL_jDLECurhKrMSGIqPzBH28ADzRjnhE9YnhbhsTBzsgjWHkZdb4p3ACSWUIxrc9dS2S2ml1ENEeo8Vzp4UGoosnf1O5S5SOahKmkXekG0/s1024/kape-agape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtLoQvaesExg3g1XSBGIJg-sxGN5WvCCsleWmdk0-rss1Om8WS92i0b0rGofJqtknIxpmcAH5uVIsYAY7FJL_jDLECurhKrMSGIqPzBH28ADzRjnhE9YnhbhsTBzsgjWHkZdb4p3ACSWUIxrc9dS2S2ml1ENEeo8Vzp4UGoosnf1O5S5SOahKmkXekG0/s16000/kape-agape.jpg"></a></div><br><p>Amidst the small town of Anao, Tarlac, is <strong>Kape Agape</strong>, a small community cafe inspired by the highest form of love “agape” - the love of God for man and of man for God. Located at the heart of town abundant with ylang-ylang trees, the cafe not only serves nourishing food for the tummy but also for the soul.</p>

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD184QZmEyDvn5m3lQXg09-HxrRfvMdKmkpUtmXFFJJzV4UniP0dlYRJ1J6pXbAB6dvWnmQUfPd8Z4BXXAF1HGzDJn-oBbyGtcSzM_CTK9lZv3uMo2D10kBUplIo6AZXIV9QrdC_G1d3rpXAlhn8c0GKpO4Rq4TUEAk2c-pQgb72fRWGOIyG7onauhhhE/s1024/eagles-nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD184QZmEyDvn5m3lQXg09-HxrRfvMdKmkpUtmXFFJJzV4UniP0dlYRJ1J6pXbAB6dvWnmQUfPd8Z4BXXAF1HGzDJn-oBbyGtcSzM_CTK9lZv3uMo2D10kBUplIo6AZXIV9QrdC_G1d3rpXAlhn8c0GKpO4Rq4TUEAk2c-pQgb72fRWGOIyG7onauhhhE/s16000/eagles-nest.jpg"></a></div><br><p>What do you do when you find yourself in Anilao on the eve of a brewing tropical storm?  You pray for better weather and find other things to do while on staycation.  For your Happyfoodies, it was a good excuse to food trip at the Eagle's Nest Restaurant and Bar of <strong>Eagle Point Resort</strong>, perusing the menu and asking the friendly staff for recommendations and suggestions.  We haven't been anywhere around here for a long time so it was nice to find that the resort's eating venue offers a great view of the sea (roiling as we sample the fare the two days we stayed there).</p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahsRhW92N6pLQSClIp3P0LezwrJamEzwhI16MyBihKoOpKc5euMu07J8UVPVK2Rbwxp653BJpao-XVDdz-kcrhGCOnNrpvAPK3gVvecRpCw9_lkHthHmMUsiGvHzQU-PM3eb7b_BUvi5IDfaotscnTzMtRCE4BGNvmlpsWrFF_esBnhXy-V6ZW5Qo4RE/s1023/angono-art-capital-cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahsRhW92N6pLQSClIp3P0LezwrJamEzwhI16MyBihKoOpKc5euMu07J8UVPVK2Rbwxp653BJpao-XVDdz-kcrhGCOnNrpvAPK3gVvecRpCw9_lkHthHmMUsiGvHzQU-PM3eb7b_BUvi5IDfaotscnTzMtRCE4BGNvmlpsWrFF_esBnhXy-V6ZW5Qo4RE/s16000/angono-art-capital-cafe.jpg"></a></div><br>Living up to the town’s reputation, <strong>Art Capital Cafe</strong>, is a cozy little cafe right beside a Caltex station in Angono. It serves up more than the usual brews but also showcases inspiring art pieces from up-and-coming artists. <strong>Art Capital Cafe</strong> was the last stop in our tour of Angono sites and eats. May we have saved the best for last?<p></p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7ERlzjGcGhlHRrlor3tpyCAspfCofmkbed8_ii6Zz3BtR1dfZny4Zau8SeNqUsUgJiW4u1eebmHtGJBvsEkWOH9rqFYcscopUZD4kpbUC9HtQ0SvoS2vQBUv15swEQrElJ1SdFo7EdcyYV8-5AqOUiXG37aCDIVI2kNfpxV58K4dMVJdo3FxOuQS584/s1023/wings-on-the-go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7ERlzjGcGhlHRrlor3tpyCAspfCofmkbed8_ii6Zz3BtR1dfZny4Zau8SeNqUsUgJiW4u1eebmHtGJBvsEkWOH9rqFYcscopUZD4kpbUC9HtQ0SvoS2vQBUv15swEQrElJ1SdFo7EdcyYV8-5AqOUiXG37aCDIVI2kNfpxV58K4dMVJdo3FxOuQS584/s16000/wings-on-the-go.jpg"></a></div><br>Finding a boutique shop inside a burger and chicken wings joint may seem to be an odd combination. For owners Faye and Leo David, they are just all too happy to finally have a place where they can serve their homestyle grilled burgers and buffalo wings and a lifestyle shop to give back to their loyal online customers. The <strong>Wings On The Go</strong> restaurant may have opened recently this year (March 2016), but they have been operating since 2012 in a delivery and pick-up system. Their menu and offerings, showcased online via Facebook, were such a massive hit they developed a cult-like following in Angono and nearby towns. On a recent visit to Angono, I had a chance to try Wings on the Go and find out what made people crazy about <strong>Wings On The Go</strong>.<p></p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmoBmIDhSFSvuWPndRFvGibQyWz6gPwPMtmH7urvOuV8sBWLwXsd2NJ_SjkbhgtXx2vKubuCRNFnA9NmJRf3ZhhIMZb02vaeS_A1IqnxKx_iRVgC6wHp-u0IsVYNbXZdaUJbjtKTtwGAX-e4kV5ZONomkpZzS2ZvBR-R-vBny1KfBsczXjgcorNuSRxw/s1023/angono-balaw-balaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmoBmIDhSFSvuWPndRFvGibQyWz6gPwPMtmH7urvOuV8sBWLwXsd2NJ_SjkbhgtXx2vKubuCRNFnA9NmJRf3ZhhIMZb02vaeS_A1IqnxKx_iRVgC6wHp-u0IsVYNbXZdaUJbjtKTtwGAX-e4kV5ZONomkpZzS2ZvBR-R-vBny1KfBsczXjgcorNuSRxw/s16000/angono-balaw-balaw.jpg"></a></div><br>Angono, the art capital of the Philippines, is not only a haven for artists but also a showcase of the Philippines' rich culinary heritage. Talk about Angono and Balaw Balaw will eventually come up in the conversation. <strong>Balaw Balaw Restaurant and Art Gallery</strong> has been known to serve exotic dishes utilizing indigenous ingredients used by our forefathers like the <em>balaw balaw</em> (fermented shrimp sauce). They are also popular for serving exotic dishes like butt and balls Soup #5, the fried <em>itik</em> (native duck), and <em>uok</em> (giant coconut worms).  While the staples are still there, the Vocalan family who run the restaurant still tries to innovate on traditional dishes to adapt them to modern times.<p></p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQc_RrZtXO2RRi1TRJUb2Aem7rWVCeK9RJ9rbeDlW-xmgdpW-RSx4ofiDj06yKxN8JK19EhIDEAFrpqebwzAkkPwzw7XD4hx7F8Pt9eukKB8bJPx7UDlESkFfxxRY0dneOmwUwVLEcCUHhKN2UzDuLtkVIPOYO90UnstEGYajLFvYo_DBIJMX6UgFdMg/s1023/el-union-coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQc_RrZtXO2RRi1TRJUb2Aem7rWVCeK9RJ9rbeDlW-xmgdpW-RSx4ofiDj06yKxN8JK19EhIDEAFrpqebwzAkkPwzw7XD4hx7F8Pt9eukKB8bJPx7UDlESkFfxxRY0dneOmwUwVLEcCUHhKN2UzDuLtkVIPOYO90UnstEGYajLFvYo_DBIJMX6UgFdMg/s16000/el-union-coffee.jpg"></a></div><br>I have a friend who’s known as the “Sound Check Guy”. He’s musically inclined and decided to live in La Union for good, finding he felt more at home there. He worked as a barista for a small coffee shop for a while and that’s where I first heard about <strong>El Union Coffee</strong>. This small cafe run by Kiddo and Sly sources locally grown coffee beans from around La Union. Their signature blend became a hit among the locals and tourists alike. The cafe quickly outgrew its original site and had to move to a new location along the MacArthur National Highway.<p></p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUgm8K6Vy9HpBR4ttKbdVBzpnnLOtN02gy0dxECInvWCPge0S4MC_xn0EhBayoRVI-whKL41hCuEPxTePoRDwAZj7qTCyokYO1BEQC43s6zgCTc7C0ChYBgqcK7uEWdTDsGoYM3AoZQ6ITl9YGMY1yyI2wCjnr5DJ5zG253Vvmjj-PC4oZTEiELifpZQ/s1023/the-coffee-library-baguio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUgm8K6Vy9HpBR4ttKbdVBzpnnLOtN02gy0dxECInvWCPge0S4MC_xn0EhBayoRVI-whKL41hCuEPxTePoRDwAZj7qTCyokYO1BEQC43s6zgCTc7C0ChYBgqcK7uEWdTDsGoYM3AoZQ6ITl9YGMY1yyI2wCjnr5DJ5zG253Vvmjj-PC4oZTEiELifpZQ/s16000/the-coffee-library-baguio.jpg"></a></div><br>Your <strong>Happyfoodies</strong> trudged to the northern highlands for the days leading up to the new year with an overnight stop in Baguio.  By chance, we got billeted in a hotel on a quieter street parallel to the always-busy (read: noisy) Session Road and chanced upon the barely month-old <strong>The Coffee Library</strong> on the ground floor of the Rex Hall Student Residences along General Luna Street.  Needless to say, it was a serendipitous find.  Yes, it is eye-catching, with tasteful touches of ethnic crafts, a mix of red brick and warm wood, and even vintage "<em>padyak</em>" (foot pedal-powered) sewing machines converted into tables, but how was the food, you may ask.<p></p>