EchoStore

We cannot deny the fact that a lot of people nowadays are becoming more health conscious. To top that off, a lot of companies and businesses are offering products that are also beneficial to the health. Talking about being healthy, people are also becoming more aware of the kind of food they eat. Going organic is now making its waves.

EchoStore (Environment and Community Hope Organization) is a shop which offers a lot of different products that are organic. From organic treats, beauty products, home products and a whole lot more! They even have a cafe which offers a wide variety of food.

So if you're on your next food trip, make sure to check out EchoStore.

Location: Streetscape Mall, Paseo Saturnino, Ma. Luisa Rd., Cebu City

The

Pan de Donuts

These days, a lot of companies are competing against one another especially if it comes to food. Let's take for example the doughnut. In my country alone, big names such as Krispy Kreme, J Co, Dunkin' Donuts are just a few of companies offering and specializing in this sweet treat. Long before Krispy Kreme and J Co invaded the country, the old time favorite Dunkin' Donuts is the most popular. Now, with the presence of these other international companies, the competition is at its finest.

Last weekend, as I was passing IT Park and bought some bread in Pan de Manila, I noticed a display of cute pastry. There was this one that looks like the Alcapone of J Co. Then as I read their posters, the Pan de Donuts is the newest addition of the company. I was not able to try one, maybe next time. At Php 38 per piece, one can already have a taste of Pan de Manila's newest product.

Butterfly Conservation Area

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

After our quick stop at the man-made forest in Bilar, we made our way to the Butterfly Conservation Area or Habitat Bohol located in Poblacion, Bilar. Home to over 100 butterflies, this place is truly beautiful. 

It was over 12 noon already and the group was indeed looking for something to eat. One thing that we were not able to bring was lunch because we were just depending if we can pass a small restaurant or store which serves food but along the way, we were not able to see one. So the good thing about visiting the butterfly sanctuary was that they serve food! Yey! 

So we paid the entrance fee which was Php 40.00/ adult (Php 10.00/ child 4-10 yrs old) and then we went inside. Before exploring the place, we ordered our lunch first. I ordered their sweet and sour fish which costs Php 99.00.

The menu

After ordering, we then went around the place. One thing that can really catch your attention is that their guides are really funny. They will totally make you laugh while they're explaining about the butterflies. 

Pupae

The alphabet (notice that the letters are wings of butterflies, cool huh? :D)

Hello butterfly!

When we went there, there were only a few butterflies, but still they were very beautiful. I can't get enough of them. If only, I can take one. haha :P After roaming around the place, we then went back to their restaurant and the food was served, In fairness, the food was good.

Fish Sweet and Sour

Happy tummies! 

After eating our lunch, it's time for us to say goodbye to the butterflies and proceed to our next destination! 

Related blog posts: 

* Bohol Escapade (1st day)

* The Buzzz Cafe

* Loboc River 

* Zoocolate Thrills

* Sevilla Hanging Bridge

* Tarsier Conservation Area

* Man-made Forest

* The Shiphaus

* Chocolate Hills

The Buzzz Cafe

Island City Mall in Tagbilaran, Bohol is one of the malls in the city. The mall boosts of different shops, restaurants, cinemas and so much more. When we arrived there, we were just planning to buy some snacks and water for the tour but since the group is not yet complete, we decided to look around the place. Then we spotted this cafe --> The Buzzz Cafe. 

The Buzzz Cafe

The Buzzz Cafe is actually a branch of Bohol Bee Farm which is located in Panglao. Since we cannot go to Panglao, we opted to go inside the cafe and have some pizza. (teehee!)

Upon entering the cafe, you will surely feel that you are not inside a shopping mall. In my case, I felt like I was in the countryside. haha The interior as well as their exterior design is so homey which will surely make you feel relaxed and comfy.

inside the cafe 

"Live Well. Laugh Often. Love Much" ♥

We ordered their Vegetarian Pizza priced at Php 220. It was really good! There were tomatoes, some leafy veggies, pineapple and *iforgottheotherstuff* in it. haha But I assure you, it was one of the healthiest pizzas I have eaten in my life. :D

Vegetarian Pizza Php 220

Aside from serving healthy dishes, the cafe also has a healthy ice cream station (too bad, I wasn't able to try). There were also products displayed for sale.

If I am given another chance to visit Bohol, I will surely visit Bohol Bee Farm in Panglao. ^_^

Related blog posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* Loboc River
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge 
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Man-made Forest
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
*  Chocolate Hills

Shamrock Bakery and Restaurant

If you are looking for a place to buy some pasalubong (souvenirs) here in Cebu especially if you are looking for some delicacies, I would recommend visiting Shamrock Bakery and Restaurant. There are about 5 different branches here in Cebu wherein you can buy some of their pasalubong goodies.

Plus if you are planning to have a vacation here in the Queen City of the South,  they also have a pension house with affordable rates. No need to worry about where to eat too because they also have a restaurant which serves meals in affordable prices.

Last night, we headed to Shamrock located in Fuente Osmeña's Circle. This is also the place where the pension house is located. We ate our dinner there but too bad, I was not able to take a picture of the food that we ordered. Anyways, we ordered their barbeque meal which costs Php 60.00 inclusive of three barbeque sticks, one rice and a glass of iced tea. The combo was great plus the barbeques are bigger compared to other barbeques.

Here's a sneak peek of the prices:

Shamrock has been one of the leading pasalubong centers here in Cebu. Whenever I visit my hometown in the south, buses make their stop over in Shamrock Barili. I usually buy some of their bread and munch on my way. :D

Locations (source from their website.)

Shamrock Fuente
Honoria Paras Bldg.,
Fuente Osmena Park
Tel. No. 238-5464

Shamrock Mabini
#3 corner V. Gullas and A. Mabini streets
Tel. No. 255-2997
Fax No. 412-1066

Shamrock Capitol Area
#0269 Don Gil Garcia St.,
Capitol Site
Tel. No. 255-4478

Shamrock Mactan
Quezon National Highway,
Pusok Lapu-Lapu City
Tel. No. 340-2112

Shamrock Barili
Sergio Paras Bldg.,
South National Hi-Way,
Poblacion Barili-Cebu
Tel. No. 470-9235

Manggahan

Hello world! It's almost a month since my last blog post. Guess I'm a little busy these days. Anyways, I am back and I'd like to share my food trip last weekend. ;)

After a long tiring day at work, the best thing to do aside from relaxing is ----> eating! All day talking sure makes you tired so after work, Jera, Cherry and I decided to eat out somewhere. Jera suggested Manggahan which is located near Pino Restaurant in Lahug.

Manggahan has opened it's door way back the year 2013 and this is going to be my first time to try the place. I have heard good reviews about the place and I was really curious why they called it Manggahan. haha For your information, manggahan in our dialect means an area with a lot of mango trees, thus the name.

The facade of the place is good, simple yet very inviting. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by their staff. We were then given the menu. This was not Jera and Cherry's first time to eat here, so they were the ones who ordered for the three of us. haha

Here's our orders:
(p.s. I forgot to take note of the names of the dishes >.<)

• Platter of Hipon Rice 

One should definitely give this a try. Hipon is not only good for pairing with green mango, it's also a good combo with rice!

• Monggos (Mung Beans Soup)

I personally don't like to eat monggos due to some health complications (ehem2x, if you know what I mean. haha) But I gave it a try and it was just okay.. the normal taste of monggos. :P

• Pancit Canton (noodles)

Nothing beats pancit canton! Be it for snacks or viand. 

 •  Pork Barbeque 

This is definitely a hit for most of the people. Enjoy a stick or two of this pork barbeque dipped in your favorite sauce (sawsawan).

• Chopsuey

A healthy choice consisting of various vegetables and meat.

•  Mixed Juice

Mixed oranges, watermelon, calamansi- to thirst your quench!

The food was great! We even had a hard time eating all of it so we ended up bringing home some of the food.

Location:
30 Wilson St., Lahug, Cebu City

Gimme s'mores!

We visited Krispy Kreme today to claim Richard's 3rd visit of the month reward. Looking at the display, my eyes were caught by the Salted S'mores donut! All this week, I don't know what's going on my mind, I have been thinking about s'mores. Haha So I ordered one and instantly when I took my first bite, I gave it a two thumbs up! It's a limited edition donut so you better hurry and grab one!

When I went back to the office, I immediately told Mau about the s'mores donut. Then we talked about s'mores and we're now planning to make our own version. :D

Anyways, this reminds me of Karla's version. We made this version of s'mores. Haha It was so chocolatey and gooey.

I guess this post is getting sweet so I better stop. Haha

Ciao! 

La Marea Pastry Shop

For sweet lovers out there, there's something you can definitely devour when you're strolling at IT Park. Located at The Walk, La Marea is a haven for someone who has a sweet tooth. From mouthwatering cakes, Sylvanas, cookies and their signature warm brownie cup; these sweets will surely satisfy your cravings!

Yesterday, after a tiring day at work, we visited La Marea. When we entered the shop, we were delighted to see all the sweets welcoming us. The mixture of coffee scent and the sweet smell of cakes beckoned us to make our order. :D

La Marea is a local pastry and coffee shop in Cebu which serves cakes and their famous warm brownie cups. So we ordered their brownie cups in three different flavors. We had their Chocolate Warm Brownie Cup, white chocolate cup and their chocolate sugar-free cup. All were surely delicious! Brownie cup's starts at Php 110. The secret in eating this is to eat it quickly-- making sure that you have a spoonful of brownie and the vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Warm Brownie Cup

Next, we also ordered their meringue cake which was also good. And last but not the least, we had one whole Oreo Cake and it's good as well!

Meringue Cake

Oreo Cake

Thanks to Mdm Sharpay for the delicious sweet treat! :)

Cafe Noriter

So last Saturday, a cousin of mine came home from Singapore and she invited us for a coffee talk at Cafe Noriter. When my mother told me that we were going there, I was really excited and happy because it will be my first time to visit the place. (Yes, I know.. I am so behind. haha) FYI: This Korean cafe opened its door, I think way back two years ago. This is one of the first Korean cafes that sprouted in the city.

So we went there around 4:30 in the afternoon. As soon as we entered the cafe, I saw the colorful post-its (which were really a lot considering the fact that they have opened for a long time already. hehe), pictures (of people who visited the place) and some cute stuff like large teddy bears, pillows, etc. 

We soon invaded one of their cute rooms and started taking our pictures. :P

Then we ordered the following:

Cappuccino Php 130/ 125

Chocolate Cake (sorry, forgot the price)

Java Chip Php 180

Red Velvet Cake (forgot the price again. -_-)

It was sweetness overload! Nevertheless, we enjoyed the food, taking pictures and of course, chatting with the company. 

Location: One Acacia Place Unit 10-11 Arch Bishop Reyes Ave Cebu City