Biographies of world figures

Quest Hotel and Conference Center For the past few months, I've written blog posts about my unexpected discoveries in some of Cebu's hotels. There were the Jose Rizal drawings , the Miss Universe 1974 winners , and that huge world map on  a lobby ceiling . I had to stop after these posts since I was still on a search for enthralling details about other Cebu Hotels. And it's such a coincidence that I found my new inspiration in Quest Hotel and Conference Center Cebu. Yesterday was just my second time to attend an event in one of Quest Hotel's Meeting Rooms and on my way to the designated room, I got lost. Instead of going to the 6th floor, I ended up on the 7th. As I was reading the sign where specific meeting rooms were located; I saw a pattern. Hillary, Magellan, Armstrong, Lewis, and Henson --- I repeated the names several times in my mind; Then I had a lightbulb moment. From the North Pole to the Seas to the summit of the highest peak to the vast territory of a con...

What comes to mind when we think of Switzerland? Vatican Swiss Guards, skiing at the Alps, Swiss Army knife, watchmaking, chocolates, cheeses, Roger Federer, and Banking, but there are more to the country than these. In honor of Swiss National Day, Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu has prepared a Culinary Journey across the different regions of Switzerland. French, German, and Italian influences dominate the Swiss food atmosphere. Swissness from A to Z is available from July 30 to August 4 . Lunch and Dinner Buffets will feature traditional Swiss dishes and specialties. Monday to Friday Lunch is at 880PHP and Dinner is at 1440PHP. I've listed 6 Swiss foods that you can enjoy when you take advantage of the festivity. And I do recommend these dishes since I was able to try them during the opening of the Swiss festival last Sunday, July 30. A word of caution to would be diners, there is an abundance of sweets, carbohydrates and dairy products in the buffet spread. You might wa...

I discovered two things that are a must when having Brunch, Mimosas and Bloody Marys. They're the best pick-me-ups especially after a night of painting the town red. Marco Polo Plaza Cebu's Cafe Marco has been hosting their Sunday Brunch Plus since the month of May; I was lucky enough to snag an invite one Sunday morning. Brunch ala Gossip Girl I have a confession to make. I used to be a fan of the hit WB series, Gossip Girl. For me, it wasn't about the intrigues or the romances or the break-ups of the show's characters --- the attraction was all about the place, Upper East Side Manhattan and the privilege life of it's citizens. In episode 2 of the first season, Chuck Bass and his family hosted a Champagne Brunch at their hotel; I was fascinated by that party concept. It got me thinking on how glamorous a Champagne Brunch is; All of this came to my mind while munching a slice of Salmon Sashimi and sipping my second flute of Mimosa. I felt like I was in my own episod...

Heavenly taste of rock sugar honey sauce All that glitters in Brewer's Kitchen is the result of that flavor sauce made of rock sugar honey. It's salty, sugary, and sticky combination is addicting. It's all the craze in the Philippine food scene and I got to sample dishes coated with this Chinese-cooking key ingredient when I got invited to Brewer's Kitchen by Brewery GastroPub. It's one of the restaurants that recently opened at City Times Square 2, Mandaue City.  When I go to a pub, I gravitate towards more to the food than the beer. And if a place serves appetizing and tasty meals, I won't hesitate to spend time and money. Rock sugar honey sauce is more of a glaze rather than a marinade. You normally add this to have that zing to your dishes. It works well with grilled, fried, and roasted food.  If you want to have the full experience of this tantalizing glaze, order the Rack of Skewers which has lime chicken, Thai pork, grilled bratwurst and Hungarian sa...

Traffic on a Friday night made me decide to eat 20 oysters in 30 minutes. For some, the number 20 might not be a lot but for someone who brings their own supply of antihistamine, it's a feat. Charcoal Boy Cebu made my challenge a reality. That experience became my own version of Man vs Food. And I didn't spend more than 300 PHP for this food trip. At the end of my twentieth shell, I felt like the Walrus (or maybe the Carpenter) in that Alice in Wonderland story. Craving satisfied! I've heard about Charcoal Boy Grilled and Oysters restaurant from a friend and I was planning to visit next week but when I saw it while being stuck in traffic, I decided to try it out instead. Charcoal Boy Cebu is located in Mahogany Place, Pope John Paul II Avenue (formerly Juan Luna Ave), Kasambagan, Cebu City. It's right in front of San Carlos Seminary. While looking at the menu board, I wanted to order all of their oyster dishes. You can have it steamed, baked, grilled, fried, kinilaw or ...

Si Kalipay ug ang Kinagamyang Tiktik Brooklyn-based, Filipino-American Christina Newhard pays homage to her Filipino roots by launching three Children's books written in local Filipino languages. The Book Launch will be held on June 26 at Casa Gorordo Museum in Cebu City. The books are designed for children 5 to 8 years old and can be used as teaching tools. Each book  includes a bilingual glossary and discussion/activity questions. The stories teach core Filipino  values (community, respect for elders, tolerance) and Philippine subjects (weaving, folklore,  migration). The book “Si Kalipay ug ang Kinagamyang Tiktik” is in Cebuano, “Si Melo A Mahakay A  Umang” is in Ivatan, while “Si Amina Y El Ciudad de Maga Flores” is Chavacano. The stories were developed during Ms. Newhard's many trips back to the Philippines. She worked with various talented illustrators, translators, and authors. For the book, "Kalipay and the Tiniest Tiktik", Ms. Newhar...

In recent years, Thai food has been gaining traction with the Cebuano palate. And we have seen the growth of Thai restaurants in the province.  From June 23 to 27, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu features the creations of Thai Chef Nontra-Udon Buapha from Marco Polo Prince Hotel, Hong Kong. Cafe Marco's Thai Sojourn will include traditional and signature Thai dishes that Filipinos are familiar with.  Brian Connelly, the new General Manager of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, was on hand to introduce Chef Buapha to the guests. Thai Chef Nontra-Udon Buapha and GM Brian Connelly The level of complexity and flavor structure found in Thai food can be attributed to 5 basic ingredients that are essential in the cooking preparation: spicy chilies, lime juice, red curry paste, sweetened cream, and fish sauce. Looks simple but when you pound and mash all of these ingredients together, the result is that unique taste that you can easily identify and savor. There were three things that I highly enjoyed durin...