Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Life begins where WIFI is weak
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My second living room, Bo’s in Tagbilaran

Bo’s Coffee Club in Tagbilaran is an institution for coffee lovers and others. It’s a life savior when you need a break from the bustling life outside and it comes with access to WiFi and clean comfort rooms as well. When I have been staying here in Tagbilaran it almost has felt as my second living room. 
Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, entrance © www.travelblogonline.com

The furnishing and decoration is still the same as it was the first time I was here years ago

Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, pastries © www.travelblogonline.com

Aside from the pastries they also offer breakfast and lunch

Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, Reader’s Digests © www.travelblogonline.com

As a kid I liked to read Reader’s Digest so now I can do it again. Some of them were from 2002!

Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, Junel © www.travelblogonline.com

This is Junel, he has been a loyal staff member at Bo’s since 2014

Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, staff member © www.travelblogonline.com

The staff member of the day serving my coffee

There are two Bo’s in Tagbilaran

There is one Bo’s located in ICM mall 3 km from the Plaza Rizal aka the City Square. The other one, this one is located at Plaza Rizal. Tagbilaran and not to mention Panglao with its new international airport is a very expansive area. New malls, restaurants and coffee shops are growing like mushrooms after a rain all over the place. So in this fierce competition, Bo’s still holding its position as the nr one coffee shop here in Tagbilaran.
Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, Inside © www.travelblogonline.com

Today I was lucky, it was quiet here. Sometimes it can be really crowded.

Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, blueberry cheesecake and caffe latte © www.travelblogonline.com

Today I had my “coffee break special”, blueberry cheesecake with a large caffe latte. As you can see it’s really large, at least a half liter!

Bo’s Coffee Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines, expectant customers © www.travelblogonline.com

Expectant customers are waiting for their orders

Conclusion

Simply the best coffee in town. Deliciously unhealthy pastries and breakfasts. WiFi and clean comfort rooms. Nice and swift service. A good thing to know, is that the coffee they serve at Bo’s is grown and harvested locally here in the Philippines. So what are you waiting for??
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food 
5 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
Bo’s Coffee Club
J.S. Torralba St,
Tagbilaran City,
​6300 Bohol, Philippines
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Indian food today, New Bombay in Manila

So far on my short stay here in Manila I’ve eaten me through two different countries. Now it’s time for the third country India. It’s not that I don’t like Filipino food on the contrary I do, but soon enough I will travel out in the province where Filipino food will be the only option.
New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, The menu © www.travelblogonline.com

New Bombay, the menu was thick like a bible

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, The interior © www.travelblogonline.com

Time was still relatively early so it was very quiet when I was here

The menu was like a bible

I am far from being a specialist on Indian food but it seems to me that’s nothing was missing in the menu. Mutton, chicken, fish and seafood in many varieties. There were lot’s of vegetarian dishes without any meat as well. So down below are just some samples of what was available.
New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines The menu © www.travelblogonline.com

Paneer is fresh cheese which is a common ingredient in the Indian kitchen

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines The menu © www.travelblogonline.com

I tried the Chicken Cafrala

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, The menu © www.travelblogonline.com

Together with the Paneer dishes there were lot’s of options for the vegetarian to eat

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, The menu © www.travelblogonline.com

I got the mandatory Naan bread with garlic and cheese. Super delicious!

The food

​I ordered Chicken Cafrala, cubes of boneless chicken cooked in onion cashew gravy with coconut milk, garnished with grated cheese and cashew nuts with rice and Naan bread with garlic and cheese. The portion was not gigantic but together with the Naan bread it was totally enough for me and I consider myself as a big eater after all.
New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, Naan bread with garlic and cheese © www.travelblogonline.com

Garlic and cheese Naan bread

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, Chicken Cafrala © www.travelblogonline.com

Chicken Cafrala

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, The food © www.travelblogonline.com

As usual I forgot to order the rice which was not included. In Sweden where I come from the rice is always included so it’s easy to forget that when you are abroad.

New Bombay Indian Restaurant, Robinson Place Ermita, Manila, Philippines, The interior © www.travelblogonline.com

Conclusion

The food was delicious. The flavor was rich and spicy and together with the Naan bread it was super. Service was nice and swift. The prices are low to midrange. All together my lunch here was very pleasant and I will be back some day!
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Food 
5 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
New Bombay Indian Restaurant
Level 4, Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place,
Pedro Gil cor. Adriatico Streets,
Ermita, Manila. ​
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Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place

Today I had no special plan for the lunch. I was just randomly wandering around in Robinson Place fixing stuff when I ended up at the Teriyaki Boy, Japanese styled restaurant. 
Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, Entrance, www.travelblogonline.com

Teriyaki Boy is located in Robinson Place Ermita

Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, Inside, www.travelblogonline.com

Potential customers are peering into the restaurant

Picture Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, Inside, www.travelblogonline.com

The menu

Ramen, Tofu Steak, California Roll, Gyoza, Sushi, Rice Bowl, Dynamite Roll are examples from the menu. Some of the dishes would be suitable for vegetarians also. What I miss here is a combo platter with both sushi and rolls in a nice combination. They actually have something called sushi platter where you choose two variants of the four rolls which are available. In my ears that’s a roll platter not a sushi platter. But I might be wrong... it’s still to be discovered. The menus down below are just a sample, they have more to chose among.
Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, The menu, www.travelblogonline.com

I ordered the Maguro Sushi. You get two pieces.

Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, The menu, www.travelblogonline.com

I tried the California Rolls and the Philly Cheese Steak Rolls

Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, The menu, www.travelblogonline.com

The food

I ordered a Maguro Sushi (tuna), you got two pieces for PHP 95. I also ordered four pieces of California Rolls and four pieces of Philly Cheese Steak Rolls and Miso soup. The Miso soup had a good salty and rich taste. The Maguro Sushi were two generous slices of tuna but they were only ok. I noticed also the two slices had different colors... hm two different batches of tuna? One old and one fresh? Well I don’t know. The rolls were all very good. The steak rolls had an interesting meaty taste but hey (!) it was meat after all. The California rolls were with fresh mango which made them very tasty.
Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, Maguro Sushi and Miso soup, www.travelblogonline.com
Teriyaki Boy Restaurant, Robinson Place Manila, Rolls, www.travelblogonline.com

Conclusion

The overall impression was good. Staff was nice and friendly. Price range low to medium also very reasonable. But the competition is fierce among the restaurants inside the mall so maybe next time if I would be craving for sushi I probably would try another place.
​Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
3 Food 
4 Service
4 Value
3 Atmosphere
Teriyaki Boy
3rd Level Robinsons Place Manila
​Adriatico St. Malate
Manila, Metro Manila​
​
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Soi, eat thai, love thai

That’s their motto. Can they live up to that? Well we will see.
Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, the entrance

This was after lunch time so it was quiet and peaceful here

Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, the motto

Eat thai, love thai is their motto

Soi Thai Restaurant

Soi Thai Restaurant is located inside the The Robinson Place mall in Ermita. When I am there and craving for Thai food I usually go to Soi Thai. Last time I was here was one year ago and since then they had changed the furnishing. New tables and chairs. The big question, was the food also changed?
Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines

View out in the mall.

Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, the bar

It was quiet here today

Menu

They offer a variety of typical Thai dishes. For some that might be good not to have to choose between too much but for me I wish they could have broaden their menu. You can find chicken, pork, fish, seafood and veggies cooked Thai style. They have vegetarian dishes without any kind of meat but they are probably not vegan. Notice that the pictures below just showing a sample of their menu.
Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, the menu

As a starter I chose the Papaya Salad which is among my favorites

Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, the menu

Prawns in Basil & Chilies for P 368 became my choice here

Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, the menu

Chicken, pork and squid fresh from the grill

Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, Papaya Salad

My beloved Papaya salad. Spicy, sweet, salty and with crispy unripe papaya.

Soi Thai Restaurant, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, Prawns with basil

Prawns with basil. Even though the portion was not huge there were plenty of prawns.

Conclusion

Yes the furnishing was changed but the food still remaine untouched. Thanks for that! You always get a complimentary snack, like spicy peanuts as a small starter before you order which is nice. The food is tasty and well cooked and they offer complimentary service water with ice. That’s not bottled water but tastes the same and is perfectly safe to drink. The portions are not huge but still enough for me, so if you are not a really big eater it’s probably enough for you as well. You don’t have to wait long for your food and the staff is nice and friendly. The prices are low to medium range so it’s very reasonable. In my opinion you can’t go wrong here at the Soi Thai Restaurant.
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food
4 Service
4 Value
3 Atmosphere
Soi Thai Restaurant
Sta. Monica Atrium Robinsons Place
Adriatico Street, Ermita, Manila

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Mukut, the local favorite

Long time no see. So finally it was time to revisit Mukut which claims they are the local favorite in the hood. Mukut has been here as long as I remember. I live in the area so I should know. Not long ago they opened a new branch called New Mukut (Nya Mukut) on Sankt Eriksgatan 110, it’s walking distance 5-10 min from this place.
Mukut Indisk Restaurang (Indian Mukut Restaurant), Stockholm, Sweden, © www.travelblogonline.com

Mukut is strategically located in the corner of Ynglingagatan and Dannemoragatan

Mukut Indisk Restaurang (Indian Mukut Restaurant), Stockholm, Sweden, © www.travelblogonline.com

As long as it’s relatively warm weather they have seatings outside. This evening though they offered blankets for the frozen ones.

The food

Mukut offers a wide variety of Indian dishes with beef, chicken and lamb and also vegetarian. I was interested in the spicy section of the menu so I ordered the king of all spiciness, Chicken Vindaloo for 160 SKR. Rice and salad was included but the Sada Nan bread 20 SKR wasn’t. My dinner companion ordered the Mixed Thali with king prawns. Garlic Nan bread and one Samosa was included in this dish for 199 SKR. To be honest the Mixed Thali dish looked much more tempting than my Chicken Vindaloo...
Mukut Indisk Restaurang (Indian Mukut Restaurant), Stockholm, Sweden, © www.travelblogonline.com

A fresh and delicious salad was included in all dishes.

Mukut Indisk Restaurang (Indian Mukut Restaurant), Stockholm, Sweden, © www.travelblogonline.com

Chicken Vindaloo with Sada Nan bread.

Mukut Indisk Restaurang (Indian Mukut Restaurant), Stockholm, Sweden, © www.travelblogonline.com

Mixed Thali with king prawns looked very tempting!

Conclusion

My Chicken Vindaloo was an orgy in rich taste and spiciness exactly as I want it to be, specially since I added a little bit squeezed lemon on top. The portion was big enough for me which definitely is a plus. I tasted one of the king prawns from the Thali dish and it tasted really delicious. We were both surprised of how big and many the prawns were. This was one of the better Thali dishes my friend had tasted. Mukut is a nice and friendly place with a pleasant atmosphere so the conclusion is I will definitely come back here soon!
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Food
4 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
Indisk Restaurang Mukut
Ynglingagatan 26, 113 47 Stockholm
​Sweden
​Phone: +46 8 30 70 86
Published on

Important notice! The restaurant is closed until further notice!
New vegan/vegetarian restaurant in Stockholm

By coincidence a friend of mine found out about this new place and we decided quickly to try it out. It's easy to get here, just walking distance from the metro station Odenplan. At nice weather there are also seats outside and two floors inside so there are plenty of room for hungry guests.
Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang, entrance, Stockholm Sweden, www.travelblogonline.com

This is actually the chef coming out of the restaurant

Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang, interior, Stockholm Sweden, www.travelblogonline.com

The ground floor where the buffet is. There are more seats in the upper floor available.

Vegan and vegetarian dishes

There were many vegan and vegetarian dishes including pizza, lasagna and dessert. By the time we were there we didn't see the dessert though except for some sweet cookies. The lentil soup was extremely delicious especially if you spiced it up a bit with chili flakes. Lemonade and coffee were included in the price of 110 SEK which is around 10 EUR. 
Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang, the food, Stockholm Sweden, www.travelblogonline.com

Soup, lemonade and coffee was included in the price

Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang, the food, Stockholm Sweden, www.travelblogonline.com

My favorits among the cold dishes were the potato sallad, hummus, red cabbage salad and the parsley salad with onions.

Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang, the food, Stockholm Sweden, www.travelblogonline.com

Among the warm dishes I can recommend the lasagna, moussaka and the super delicious sheep cheese rolls. We missed the pizza though...

Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang, the food, Stockholm Sweden, www.travelblogonline.com

I usually always eat too much at buffets but this time I manage to downsize my portion to somewhat more "normal" proportions.

You can't go wrong here

Bella Vegetarian Restaurant is easy to find, price worthy and have many vegan and vegetarian options. The staff was welcoming and the comfort room was clean and fresh. If you are hungry and you are after some healthy veggies and stuff you can't go wrong here!
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food
4 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
Bella Vegetarisk Restaurang
Odengatan 87, 113 22 Stockholm
Sweden
​Phone: +46 8 30 08 81
Published on

Mismukuno, a Japanese in Ayala center

Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. But that's not all this place has to offer, Mismukuno has a wide selection of Japanese dishes like maki, sushi, sashimi, ramen, tempura etc etc. It's a little bit for everyone here if you are in to Japanese food. 
Mismukuno Teppanyaki Sushi, Inside, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The wall was extremely colourful

Popular place

I have been here a couple times before, around lunch and it has been relatively crowded every time. That must be sign for good food, right? Anyway this time I ordered the Platter special which they advertised about at the entrance. Sashimi, sushi and maki in a nice combination.
Mismukuno Teppanyaki Sushi, Menu, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

A lite bit of what they have to offer

Mismukuno Teppanyaki Sushi, Platter Special, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

I took the Platter Special

Platter special

Platter special offered 9 maki rolls, 3 pieces of sushi and 6 slices of sashimi (salmon and tuna) for 510 PHP. Miso soup was not included. Everything was more than ok but a little bit less than delicious. For example the meat of the tuna was ​slightly too fibrous for me to be perfect.
Mismukuno Teppanyaki Sushi, Platter special, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

This is how the Platter special looked in real life

Mismukuno Teppanyaki Sushi, Sushi plate, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Sorry to say the tuna meat was a little bit too fibrous for my taste

Conclusion

Mismukono Teppanyaki gave a clean and fresh impression together with a nice hardworking staff. They have lot's to offer on the menu that I would like to try. For example I am curious about their teppanyaki which should be their specialty I guess. So the conclusion is I will come back for more. 
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food 
3 Service
4 Value
3 Atmosphere
​​Mismukuno Teppanyaki
Fourth Floor, The Terraces, Ayala Center
Cebu City, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 238 7880

Last but not least... a link:

Published on
Phat Pho a Vietnamese kitchen, Outside, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The house of Vietnamese noodle soups

A Vietnamese kitchen in Ayala center

If you are craving for Thai papaya salad, Som Tam, and you are in the Philippines and you are tired of Filipino Thai restaurants what do you do then? I went to Phat Pho, a Vietnamese restaurant instead. Yes, I know there seems to be no logic in that at all, I know. But before you cry out loud, please read this review to the end!
Phat Pho a Vietnamese kitchen, Inside, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The ambience was relaxed with a modern style

Phat Pho a Vietnamese kitchen, Inside, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

It's nice with an overlooking view

Modern style

Phat Pho had a nice interior and when I was there it was not crowded. My impression was a modern style mixed with warm ambience and quality. I got my table on the upper deck with a nice overlooking view.

Noodle soups

So what can you expect of Phat Pho á vietnamese kitchen? Since Pho in Vietnamese means noodle soup you obviously can expect they will serve noodle soups. Actually I would say, that's their specialty. Most of the guests when I was there ate different kinds of noodle soups. But they had other things on the menu as well.
Phat Pho a Vietnamese kitchen, Menu, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Phat Pho had many tempting dishes on their menu

​Shrimp & sour mango salad

Since I was craving for Thai papaya salad, Som Tam, I was obviously looking for something similar. So what couldn't be better than try the Shrimp & sour mango salad with rice. At least it looked a bit similar to the Thai papaya salad. So I did! I got a big portion of salad rich in flavour and spiciness. Not same as Som Tam but that was of course not expected. The Shrimp & Mango salad was unique in its own way and it felt as an excellent choice!
Phat Pho a Vietnamese kitchen, Shrimp and Sour Mango Salad, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Shrimp & sour mango salad with rice

Phat Pho a Vietnamese kitchen, Shrimp and Sour Mango Salad, Ayala center, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The salad was fresh with many rich flavours in a nice combination

Conclusion

Phat Poh lighted up my appetite for Vietnamese food and I will certainly come back. Everything was fresh and clean and the staff was nice and friendly. Next time for sure, I will try the their Poh, aka noodle soup.
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food 
4 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
​Phat Poh á vietnamese kitchen
Ayala Terraces
Ayala Center, Cebu City, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 410 9687

​And finally a link that might interest you:

Published on
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Sunset, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Yes, there are sunsets here at Punta Ballo Beach

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Main entrance, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The main entrance to Easy Diving Resort

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Beachfront, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Down at the beachfront

​Come as guest leave as friend

Come as guest leave as friend, is Easy Diving's motto. And yes, I think so. I made some friends here. Easy Diving and Beach Resort is beautifully located on Punta Ballo Beach around 15 minutes from downtown Sipalay. Expect to pay around 200-250 PHP to the tricycle driver. The Resort has 20 air-conditioned bungalows plus 2 bungalows with fan. 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Beachfront, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

It was very quiet here

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The restaurant comes with sea breeze and ocean view

The bungalow was very fresh

Since I don't like air-condition I booked my bungalow with fan instead, actually there were two fans. Everything was very fresh and clean. The bungalow had a nice little porch with two chairs and a table where you could sit in the evenings and enjoy the quietness and practice stargazing. A so called free WiFi was included as a pocket WiFi. As far as I remember you had 3 GB of load for free. When you had consumed that you had to pay extra to get an additional 3 GB load. I was told this was only temporary until they had fixed a more permanent WiFi solution. I hope they did.
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, My room, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

I really like the idea of bedside tables with lamps

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, My room, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The bungalow had no AC instead it had two fans which suited me much better!

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, My room, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

It was very clean everywhere

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Say no to plastic, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

To fight the plastic pollution you could buy an aluminum bottle for 500 PHP with free refill of service water

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The restaurant where you could enjoy Easy Diving's delicious food. They also accept walk in guests.

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

In the evenings they had mosquito coils so I was spared from mosquito bites

The food heaven 

In the restaurant they served excellent food, both Filipino and European style. The tuna steaks became quickly my favourites. Not to mention the delicious pancake with fresh mango and ice cream which was really addictive! In the evenings the atmosphere was really cozy in the restaurant. I was just sitting there inhaling the sea breeze and watched the sunset and contemplated about how good life was.
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Tuna Steak, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Oh my! I could die for this tuna steak with spicy wasabi sauce and garlic rice

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Tuna Steak, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

My second love, tuna steak with creamy yellow curry sauce...

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Pancake, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

My secret lover forever! Pancake filled with fresh mango served with ice cream and chocolate sauce

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Bicol Express, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Bicol Express, a famous spicy dish from the region of eastern Philippines, Bicol

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Breakfast, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

As delicious as it looks, the crispy bangus (fish) with rice and egg. So so Philippines!

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Breakfast, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

After a night of stargazing you need a real breakfast, so what can be better than hash browns with bacon and egg??

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Shrimps, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

A delicasy for the most demanding taste, spicy shrimps fried with chilli and garlic

Easy Diving has lots to offer

Easy Diving offers a lot, specially for those who are divers and I was told there are some really good diving spots just near. But even snorkelling was good if you swam enough out from the shore line. All the staff, from the owner to the room service were all very friendly and helpful. My highlights were the food, the quietness and beautiful location by the sea and not to mention my stargazing moments from my porch. 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Stairs, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

One of the many stairs at Easy Diving

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Reception, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The friendly hotel dog taking a nap in the reception

Video clip

The video shows a bit of what to expect from the stairs and the snorkeling near the beach.

Conclusions about Easy Diving Resort

I paid 2300 PHP per night for the bungalow with fan and breakfast included. That was competitive when I compared with other resorts in the same area at Punta Ballo Beach. The location of Easy Diving is more convenient than those resorts at the famous Sugar Beach which is only accessible by boat. But be aware of the stairs, if you can't or don't like to walk in stairs then Easy Diving might not be for you. There are many stairs to walk when moving around in the resort. Aside from that, the food, the friendliness of the staff, the cleanliness in the bungalow were excellent. 
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Location
5 Sleep Quality
5 Rooms
5 Service
5 Value for the money
5 Cleanliness 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort
Punta Ballo
6113 Sipalay-City
Philippines
(0063) 91 730 003 81
Published on
SumoSam Restaurant, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

SumoSam in Ayala center, Cebu city

SumoSam Crafted The Japanese Way

I don't know about that... but at least that's their slogan. I was there and unfortunately not impressed. But more about the negative later. They serve a wide variety of Japanese dishes with beef, chicken, salmon and other seafoods. I tried the Seafood Teppan Platter. A little bit pricy but it looked good. Two kinds of fish, squids, large shrimps, oysters and scallops.
SumoSam Restaurant, Interior, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The interior was nice

But I had to wait

I was looking forward to my meal. But after 20 min waiting I remember I was thinking, hmm (!) but maybe it's good it takes a bit time to to prepare the food after all. After 30 min the waitress obviously noticed that I was beginning to look impatient because she told me that I just had to wait a few minutes more. Well she was observant at least and I was thinking: The one who is waiting for something good is never waiting too long. We have that nice saying in Sweden to comfort yourself when you are waiting too long for something.
SumoSam Restaurant, The menu, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

There were many tempting dishes on the menu

SumoSam Restaurant, The menu, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

I ordered the Seafood Teppan Platter

Warm and cold

Finally I got my food and it looked good actually. It had also probably been good if the different pieces on the plate had been equally hot. The temperature ranged from "fresh from the grill warm", lukewarm to cold. The fish was "fresh from the grill warm" and the oysters were cold. The oysters had also a little bit strange fishy taste, so no thanks!
SumoSam Restaurant, Seafood Teppan Platter, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Seafood Teppan Platter

Conclusion: too long waiting time and too much rumble

Waiting time
The food had probably been perfect if everything had been "fresh from the grill warm". But it wasn't. When I pointed out for the waiter about the cold oysters, he actually offered me new fresh from the grill. But at that point I wasn't in the mood to wait for another unspecified time again for the oysters to be grilled.
Rumble
The ambience in the restaurant was nice aside from one thing. One of the AC:s there, obviously needed some kind of service because it was by far too noisy! There was a constant loud rumble in the whole place which made it very tiring to be there. I felt sorry for the staff who had to work in that environment but hopefully the management would fix that soon.
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
3 Food 
4 Service
3 Value
2 Atmosphere
SumoSam
G/F The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 401 0643

And finally a link that might interest you: