Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Life begins where WIFI is weak
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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:

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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
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Go Hotels in Dumaguete, surprisingly good! 

I spent one night at Go Hotels in Dumaguete and it was surprisingly good. I usually have other options in Dumaguete but they were fully booked. I kind of hesitated when I arrived there coz at this time they were renovating the place so I was worried it might be very noisy. The receptionist promised me that it wouldn't be any problem with noise and it turned that she was right.
Go Hotels, Lobby area, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The lobby at Go Hotels

Go Hotels, Lobby area, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The lobby area was large and spacious

Convenient location

Go Hotels is nothing for the one who is looking for a beach resort near the sea with amazing sunsets and a white sand beaches. Aside from that Go Hotels has a very convenient location. It's 2 minutes walking distance from Robinson mall with shopping and restaurants. It's 5 minutes walking distance from the Ceres bus terminal. It's 10-15 minutes walking distance from downtown and the famous Rizal Bouleward (Or just the Boulevard) where you have everything you can wish for.
Go Hotels, Coffee shop, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The adjacent coffee shop

The room but no breakfast

The room came with a private shower and CR and it was nice and clean. The AC was quiet and easy adjustable. The TV was working with all the channels that you ever want. The bed was fresh and of good quality so I had a good night's sleep. I paid 1500 PHP for one night and the breakfast not included. 
Go Hotels, The room, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The room had a good, quiet, and easy adjustable air condition

Go Hotels, The room, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

I love to have a window in my room!

Go Hotels, Breakfast, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Breakfast in the coffee shop. Nothing out of the ordinary, a traditional beef tapas with coffee stick and creamer. The breakfast was not included in the room price.

Conclusion

If you are not looking for a beach resort or that cozy little family owned hotel with personal service and home cooked food... well then Go Hotels can be an alternative. Competitive price, good location, nice and clean room make Go Hotels to an excellent choice to stay for a couple of days.
​Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Location
5 Sleep Quality
5 Rooms
4 Service
4 Value for the money
5 Cleanliness 
Go Hotels Dumaguete
Calindagan Rd, Dumaguete
6200 Negros Oriental
Philippines
Phone: +63 35 522 1100
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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:

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Review of Allegre Bar and Restaurant

Allegre Bar and Restaurant is nicely located on Rizal Bouleward and comes with sea view. The competition is fierce in this end of the Bouleward, since Allegre is located just beside Honeycomb and Why Not and they all attract many customers specially in the evenings. 
Allegre Bar, Interior, Dumaguete, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

View over the Bouleward and the sea in the background

Allegre Bar, Interior, Dumaguete, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The bar was fully loaded

Allegre Bar, Menu, Dumaguete, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The menu was loaded with goodies to reasonably prices!

Fully recommended!

Aside from beer and drinks in the bar, Allegre serves tapas, steaks, pasta and pizza. We ordered chicken fried with onions and squid cooked in its own ink. The food was delicious and the staff was friendly and helpful. More good things, the prices were reasonably, they had WiFi and the comfort room was clean. So Allegre Bar and Restaurant is fully recommended!
Allegre Bar, Chicken, Dumaguete, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Fried chicken with onions

Allegre Bar, Squid, Dumaguete, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Squid cooked in its own ink, highly recommendable

Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food 
4 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
Allegre Bar and Restaurant
Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete
Negros Oriental, Philippines
​Phone +63 917 709 1752
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Bo's Coffee, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

A review of Bo's Coffee in Dumaguete

When I came to Dumaguete for the first time it was Bo's Coffee shop which greeted me when I left the pier. Bo's Coffee has a very good location just outside the port on Rizal Boulevard. Under my stay in Dumaguete it almost became my second living room. Good coffee together with something chewable and a reasonable good WiFi, what else can you ask for? 
Bo's Coffee, Outside, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Bo's Coffee in Dumaguete

The coffee made me smile

I wrote in my previous post, the review of UCC Vienna Coffee Shop in Manila, that good coffee makes me smile. It really did specially here at Bo's Coffee! It must have been some artistic soul with the urge to express her (or his) creativity when doing my Lattes. Who wouldn't be smiling when a little bear peers at you from the coffee cup? I appreciated their efforts a lot. 
Bo's Coffee, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

A cute little bear

Bo's Coffee, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Looks like a logo of some other coffee chain...

Bo's Coffee, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Maybe me, I have a long nose too...

Bo's Coffee, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Meaoowww...

Bo's Coffee, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

The WiFi could have been better

The staff was always friendly and helpful. The WiFi was reasonable good, but it could have been much better. You couldn't really rely on it. If I had important work to be done I usually went somewhere else where I could be more sure that the WiFi really would work. 
Bo's Coffee, Big breakfast, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Bo's Big Breakfast Club Plate for the hungry ones

All in with the Bo's Big Breakfast Club Plate

Bo's Coffee shop offered breakfasts, pastas, sandwiches, omelettes, and a variety of sweet pastries. Sometimes when I was really hungry and I knew I wasn't going to eat for a while I took the Bo's Big Breakfast Club Plate. Nothing for the one who is on diet and thinking about the cholesterol. Sausages, crispy bacon, home made corned beef, scrambled egg and toast. Everything with a perfect taste. After the Big Breakfast Club I stayed more than full the whole day!
Bo's Coffee, Oatmeal and Rasin Cookie, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Caffee Latte and an Oatmeal and Raisin Cookie

Less hungry

If I was less hungry I went for the Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich as breakfast. It always came with crispy bacon and French toast, which is more tasty than the regular toast. They also had vegetarian alternatives like for example the Three Cheese Omelette or the Grilled Italian Veggie Sandwich. When it came to the sugar doping, one of my favorites was the Oatmeal and Raisin Cookie or some of the delicious cheesecakes they had, for example the Blue Berry Cheesecake.
Bo's Coffee, BLT sandwich, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Bo's Coffee, Chicken sandwich, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Chicken Sandwich with pesto

A new competitor the next door

I really like Bo's. They make one of the best Cafe Latte in Dumaguete and have many delicious options to eat. I felt at home there, almost like my second living room. But now there is a new coffee shop actually next door to Bo's. Tom N Toms coffee shop is already open. Unfortunately it was still under construction when I was there but next time I come to Dumaguete I am excited to try Tom N Toms for the first time. I guess the competition will be fierce since they are located door to door to each others.
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Food 
5 Service
5 Value
4 Atmosphere
Bo's Coffee
Rizal Boulevard
Negros Oriental, Philippines
​Phone +63 35 422 2119
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A visit to ​UCC Vienna Cafe in Mall of Asia

Yes, good coffee smile, at least good coffee makes me smile! In my hunt for good coffee and cravings for something sweet I ended up at UCC Vienna Cafe in Mall of Asia. They offered a wide variety of dishes not only coffee and pastries. They had breakfasts in different styles, soups, salads, burgers, pastas, pastries etc and even Japanese dishes. But for me, I had cravings for something sweet and a cafe latte. 
UCC Vienna Cafe, interior, Mall of Asia, Manila © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

UCC Vienna Cafe has a nice relaxed ambience

UCC Vienna Cafe, cafe latte, Mall of Asia, Manila © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

My cafe latte at UCC

Cafe Latte and pancakes with ice cream

I ordered a Cafe Latte and pancakes with ice cream and whipped cream. The Cafe Latte had a quite strong coffee taste which is good for some but I myself prefer a little bit more mild taste. The pancakes was to my full satisfaction. At a previous visit I tried their Blue Berry Cheese Cake, good for two, which was among the best I ever tried. 
UCC Vienna Cafe, pancake, Mall of Asia, Manila © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

This was good!

Conclusion

Vienna Cafe in Mall of Asia has a ​nice ambience, offer good quality but they are a bit pricey compared to other coffee chains. 
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Food 
4 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
UCC Vienna Cafe
SM MALL OF ASIA, PASAY
​Manila, Philippines
Phone: (+63 2) 556-0175
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Bringing the girls to Red Rock Hot Spring

Going to Red Rock Hot Spring is a perfect getaway for a day, specially if it's cold weather since the water in the pools are nice and warm. The water is volcanic and comes naturally from the mountain. There are now two pools, they added a kids pool since last year. Well I know everything is relative, but some days can actually be colder than others even in the Philippines and then it's really cozy to slide down in the warm water. 
Picture

It's easy to get here, just around 30 min from downtown Dumaguete if you have your own motorbike.

Picture

If you don't have your own transportation the option is to take a Habal Habal (motorcycle taxi) from Valencia proper.

Clean and well maintained

We paid 25 PHP per person to get in and 150 PHP for a table with chairs. They had a kiosk where they sold crisps, biscuits, soft drinks etc and they also had a menu with some simple dishes. We ordered Pancit Canton (noodles), and deep fried fish with fries. Everything was clean and well maintained. 
Picture

The entrance

Picture

The main pool with nice warm volcanic water. The new kids pool is behind this one.

Picture

When I was in the water I didn't want to get up...

Picture

After being in the water it felt almost cold in the air

A great time!

To bath and swim in the warm pool was really enjoyable specially for the little one, she had a great time. She behaved almost the whole time... so check the video!

For more info, visit their Facebook page:

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Visiting La Verna Resort in Valencia (late post)

Picture

Both were excited when we were going to visit La Verna Resort.

Picture

The pool with the big fish

Many pools, some with fish!

La Verna Resort is located 20-30 min with tricycle from Dumaguete in Valencia. The resort had several pools in different sizes. The special thing here was that some pools were with fish, one with bigger fish where you were not allowed to swim and one with smaller fish where you could swim. The water in the pools with the fish looked a little bit dirty so we preferred without fish where the water was clean.
Hey, don't forget to watch the video at the end!
Picture

There was a pool for everyone here

Picture

On exploration among the many pools

Kids friendly

La Verna Resort seemed to be well maintained and was kids friendly. There were a pool for everyone, young, old or adventurous if you like to swim with the fish. There was a little kiosk where they had basic stuff like coffee sticks, crisps and sodas. But if you like to eat real food then bring your own picnic.
Our visit concentrated as a 1 minute video clip
Published on

A very affordable place 

GK Coffee Shop, Entrance, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Entrance to the coffee shop

GK Coffee Shop, The Lobby, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Lobby of the RM Guest House

GK Coffee Shop, Interior, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Nicely decorated

GK Coffee shop nicely decorated

GK Coffee Shop is located beside the lobby of RM Guest House. It's conveniently near the place where I am currently staying for the moment. So yesterday when it was raining, instead of taking the motorcycle to downtown I walked to The GK Coffee Shop  instead. The place is nicely decorated and has warm and inviting colors. 
GK Coffee Shop, The Menu, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

The menu is nothing out of the ordinary

GK Coffee Shop, The Menu, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

But the prices are reasonably

Reasonably prices

They offer the usual stuff to reasonably prices. I ordered beef tapas with rice and a caffe latte. I specifically asked if they make the latte without sugar. Yes it should be without sugar. But when I got the latte it had a sweet taste as if they had added sugar despite all. My beef tapas turned out to be a small portion but the taste was good.
GK Coffee Shop, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

My caffee latte

GK Coffee Shop, Beef Tapas, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Beef tapas, small portion with a good taste

Conclusion

You get what you pay for I guess, so no complaining here. Since the prices were very affordable you might not expect miracles, right? But if I specifically ask for an unsweetened latte, then I expect to get that. So of course next time I will think twice before I order a latte or maybe I need to ask twice instead just to be sure... hehe.
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
3 Food 
4 Service
4 Value
5 Atmosphere
Gk Coffee Shop
Crossing E Rovira Dr and National Highroad
Bantayan, Dumaguete
Negros Oriental, Philippines
Phone: +63 
915 110 3114