Urban Chic in Cebu City's La Maison Rose

I've wanted to visit "La Maison Rose" 3 or 4 Cebu visits ago, but for some reason, I kept putting it off. But I am weary of crowded restaurants. i wanted to visit during off-peak hours. Finally, after visiting Jumallon  Butterfly Farm/Museum in Basak, I decided to head straight to the "Pink House" - at 4 PM, perfect when you don't want a crowd.

Once seated, a tablet was handed to me by a waitress dressed as a French maid. This tablet was my menu. I'd have to pick food from an array then complete it without much fanfare using the tablet. If you'd require the presence of the waitress, you can just holler. I chose the set meal: roast chicken, shrimp and pomelo salad, and banana crumble. No wine for me at 4 PM.

While the exterior is an uninteresting pink building that has seen better days (which also houses the city's Institut Francais), the interior is a different story. In fact, it transports you to another world. One hallway is conceptualized as a pared-down French quarter; the next room is the appropriately gaudy Shanghainese hallway, with the lurid colors of red, pink and blue-green; war-time Chinese posters; colorful lanterns, parapluie de Chinois, a piano, etc. There's a long French table decorated with flowers. The whole concept turns into a fusion of French and Shanghainese gastronomic underbelly.

Food is heavenly, I was particularly surprised with the concoction of shrimp and pomelo. Who would have thought?  Finally, dessert was Banana Crumble: baked banana underneath the cookie crumbles freshly served from the oven. Delectable. I wanted to try the macaroons from the neighboring cafe ("La Vie Parisienne") but I was too stuffed to even attempt. Gluttony, after all, is a sin.

Cebu constantly waits to be rediscovered through its myriad of activities, food, sparkling and modern malls. No wonder "Travel and Leisure"shortlists this city among its Top 10 best islands of the year, alongside Palawan and Boracay.

"La Maison Rose" (The Pink House) is located along 371 Gorordo Avenue in Lahug, Cebu City, close to the Church of Latter Day Saints compound. Seats seem limited during lunch and dinner so it would be wise to call (032) 260-4388. 

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Shrimp and potato salad

Banana crumble

Had fun consuming these complimentary starter set with a few pieces of bread. 

"transports you to another world..."

Shanghainese area

French quarter

I love this painting.

Tablet for your menu and order.

La Maison Rose

La Vie Parisienne is a lounge and a bar that opens til the wee hours. It serves the best macaroons in the city, and probably in the country.

#cebucity, #foodporn, #dining, #philippines, #gastronomy

The Fries at TGI Fridays (BGC, Taguig)

Have you ever seen anything as radical looking as this serving of their seasoned fries from TGI Fridays at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig? It is fries as you like them, but more tastefully done. It boasts of an avant-garde presentation with - yeah! - a dash of spiciness!

I think it deserves a spotlight.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Food Tripping and Flower Overdose in Dos Palmas Palawan

That sinfully crunchy bite of lechon kawali...

Among my favorite Dos Palmas moments are my date at the buffet table and the constant assault of ubiquitous flower decorations! It seems as though the resort has decided to overdose on flowers, with mostly red gumamelas strewn across tables, walls, posts, massage gurneys, desks, lounging chairs, toilet urinals and even on food trays at the buffet table. These flowers are just everywhere. Surely, they would have to stock up on their fortnightly supply of these flowers, since Arrecife Island doesn’t seem to culture them extensively.

As for the food, lunch buffet is included in the day tour fee (PhP2,500 at peak, PhP1,800 off-peak). Most gastronomic delights are supplied at 2 rows of tables gracing the restaurant, although from my last 3 visits, I haven’t encountered much seafood which is ironic as it is, after all, an island resort, surrounded by the vastness of the freshest ocean environment (well, except for salmon which was plentiful).

Yes, there are no shrimps and clams, crabs or lobsters, which is sad. Maybe they reserve those more expensive items for the night time table? Maybe not! One thing is sure: They will surely be available for ala carte orders! There are some varieties of fish and the occasional stuffed squid or calamari. But there is so much to choose from that absence of the aforementioned goes almost unnoticed. There is the sinfully delectable, crunchy lechon kawali, along with an array of local dessert delicacies from the likes of pitsi-pitsi, cassava cake, etc. Lunch starts at 11:30AM and ends at 2PM. Local performers sing acoustic ditties all through lunch. A group of Korean tourists kept cheering them on, while i couldn't be bothered. LOL. Cola drinks and alcoholic beverages aren’t included in the package, but potable drinking water flows eternal – from very observant and perceptive waiters. Bringing canned drinks from outside the resort may result into corkage fees – so, don’t!

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Grilled chicken (lechon manok)

Salmon and steak

Fruits of the season: oranges, pineapple, apple, watermelon. Where are the mangoes?

Stuffed egg on tomato. I was salivating just looking at this. Funny thing is, I don't even like tomatoes.

Potato salad

They call this the palatok.

Squares of Cassava cake.

The 2nd buffet table: salads, fries, etc.

My 2nd plate. I could be guilty of gluttony here by having so much, but it isn't that much, is it?

Flowering Fire Tree adorns the altar.

Petals scatter among a garden of thorny aloe plants.

What are these? Once ripe enough. they crack open and out pops the seeds to sort of pollinate.

Tiger-inspired orchid flower.

Abloom and isolated.

Gumamela (Hibiscus rosa sinensis) on a thatched roof.

Birds of Paradise in a bouquet.

Buko (coconut fruits) on a dwarf tree standing as tall as 4 feet.

Gumamela (Hibiscus) is found everywhere, even at the toilet.

An overview on Dos Palmas - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2009/09/dos-palmas-resort-palawan-unbridled.html

More photos in: Images from Dos Palmas - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2009/09/images-from-dos-palmas.html