Happy Foodies

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/6689113857/"><img alt="Lia's famous Avocado Cake" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6689113857_6a5d5bb540_z.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lia's famous Avocado Cake (P670 - whole/ P85 - slice)</figcaption></figure> Avocado is one of my favourite fruits and being a sucker for desserts, the combination of the fruit with a cake can be lethal. Strolling along with a fellow foodie friend in the streets of Kapitolyo, Pasig, which is fast becoming a food hub with a lot of new dining options popping up, we discovered Lia’s Cakes in Season. Lia’s is one of the old dining establishments in the area (it's been there since 2004) known for its signature Avocado Cakes.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie/6553373851/"><img alt="Alcapone Donut" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6553373851_f3ce7dee0e_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alcapone Donut</figcaption></figure> Before you know it, we're deep into the Christmas holiday. It's the time of the year when part of the tradition is the merry eating, often a cause for indulgence that will visibly manifest itself come January. It's also the time to give and receive (food calories included in the merry swapping of presents) so it was really a pleasant surprise to get boxes of J. Co Donuts at the doorstep. Hmmm, gets us into thinking: is there really room for another donut brand in a sweetly saturated market? J.Co isn't really a new brand, having been around in other Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia where it got started since 2005. Well, only with a taste test can tell so we made room for extra calories to give Happyfoodies readers our impressions.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie/6295265603/"><img alt="Malaysian Beef Rendang" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6295265603_22327e3f51_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Malaysian Beef Rendang</figcaption></figure> Ahhh, those Malaysia, truly Asia commercials running endlessly on the cable channels. Catching them every so often, you can't help but wonder about the sightseeing, shopping and of course, the eating over there. By a stroke of luck, Happyfoodies got an invite from AirAsia Philippines and Tourism Malaysia for a look-see, look-buy and look-taste in Kuala Lumpur. One of our memorable food stops was Madam Kwan's at the upscale Pavillion Mall which is a good opportunity to see why the place is popular.

<img alt="Luz Kinilaw in Davao" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/6170/6168205848_cf70761ae2_o.jpg"> We concluded our recent Mindanao trip with an overnight in Davao City. With limited time on our hands, the temptation to cram never entered our mind as we took our sweet time shopping for durian candies, malongs and ref magnets at Aldevinco before heading out for dinner to where else but Luz Kinilaw. We came on a midweek evening but the place is still half-filled with eager diners. Funny but the times I've eaten here, I've never ordered their kinilaw (fish or seafood cooked with only vinegar or a similar souring/acidic liquid) as the biggest attraction for me was and is always, the Inihaw na Panga ng Tuna (Grilled Tuna Jaw).

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/6208/6068633168_ac9d664ee6_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="667" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/6208/6068633168_ac9d664ee6_o.jpg" width="500"></a></div> <figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"> <figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fried Chicken with Hash Browns and Vegetables at Rock Inn</figcaption></figure> We came to Sagada on a weekday to explore the foodscape as much as the landscape. The weather, as always, was conducive not only for hiking but also for good eating. In the limited time we stayed, we found either newer places or newer offerings from the old reliables. Here we share some of our favorites.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/5570251136/"><img alt="Bu-os " src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5570251136_48cab86a32_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bu-os (Ant Eggs)</figcaption></figure> Real good food with the absence of impurities and natural is done by going back to nature. In my recent Tour with Lakbay Norte 2, we visited the isolated forest town of Adams in Ilocos Norte. After our hike to visit Anuplig falls, we had a late lunch where they served us meals which they consider organic. It's those simple dishes with ingredients freshly hand picked from their surroundings which made them good on their own.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie/5543648346/in/set-72157626183294517/ "><img alt="Oh My Gulay House Salad" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5543648346_0ce3ed66fe_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Oh My Gulay House Salad (P100)</figcaption></figure> Go up five flights of stairs, past the sporting goods store on the ground floor, the drinking joint with the blaring karaoke on the second, a gym on the third, more offices on the fourth, and enter the world of artist, Kidlat Tahimik. There are artistic curiosities on this high-ceilinged, top-most floor -- large installations here, framed paintings over there. The plants spread all over the place are real, lending it a lush, texture-filled vibe. Up on the second level, the dining area offers a panoramic view of the city center. Welcome to Oh My Gulay along Session Road in Baguio.