Reviews Archives - Page 9 of 11 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Nov82010 by Mindanaoan Irene5 Comments

Senator Kiko Pangilinan congratulates www.Mindanaoan.com!

Advocacy, Agriculture, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Announcements, ARMM, Arts, Bacolod City, Banks, Basilan, Beauty, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, Blogging, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Business, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Campus, Caraga, Cebu City, Commentary, Compostela Valley, Consumer, Contests, Controversial, Corporate, Cotabato, Crime, Culture, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Dipolog, Education, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Flights, Food, Freebies, General Santos City, Gifts, Government, Headline, Hotels, Humor, Iligan City, Internet, Island Garden City of Samal, Jobs, Journalism, Kaamulan Festival, Koronadal, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leisure, Maguindanao, Make Money Online, Malaybalay City, Marawi City, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Movies, Music, Musings, Muslim Mindanao, Negros Occidental, News, North Cotabato, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Ozamis, Pagadian, Personal, Personalities, Photos, Politics, Radio, Recipes, Religion, Resorts, Reviews, Sarangani, Shopping, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sports, Style, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacurong, Tangub City, Technology, Television, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Visayas, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

I must admit that even a few days after my humble Mindanaoan.com blog won as Best Lifestyle Blog for Mindanao in the Philippine Blog Awards 2010, I still am on cloud 9. While a lot of people have already congratulated me (and I still continue to receive several congratulatory messages until now) and even my ever-supportive Mama has already made plans to have a special tarp printed and displayed (yikes! :D), nothing prepared me for an absolutely wonderful surprise I got yesterday. November 6, 2010, the very day of a blogging 101 workshop that I organized, was made extra special when someone sent in this video message that did not only make my cheeks burn but make my heart melt as well :) No less than Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan congratulated me! Yes, THE Senator Kiko Pangili...

Nov72010 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

California Berry Davao – frozen yogurt delight in Mindanao

Blogging, Business, Consumer, Davao City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews

I was in Manila during the first wave of the so-called "froyo" or frozen yogurt craze. As a self-proclaimed Mindanaoan foodie, I visited almost every available frozen yogurt store (and yep, basically said adieu to my diet!) and I often wondered when the "froyo" craze would invade Mindanao. Fast forward a few months later, the frozen yogurt trend has finally penetrated Mindanao - there are now frozen yogurt businesses in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City. I'm pretty sure more frozen yogurt businesses will sprout in other Mindanao areas. The froyo outlet I most recently visited was California Berry. Located at the 2nd floor of Gaisano Mall Davao along Bajada, California Berry Davao serves nonfat frozen yogurt. I ordered the seasonal green apple yogurt with, as you can see, three differe...

Nov42010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Where to eat in Davao City Mindanao – CTres Buffet Restaurant and Piano Bar

Blogging, Business, Davao City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism

More and more buffet places have been sprouting in my hometown Davao City, much to the delight of both Dabawenyo and non-Dabawenyo foodies. One of the buffet places in Davao City that has been receiving great reviews is CTres Buffet Restaurant and Piano Bar. CTres, by the way, is pronounced "seetres." Located along E. Palma Gil Street, Barrio Obrero (although a lot of people consider it part of Bajada), CTres serves buffet lunch and dinner everyday, even on Sundays. If you're planning to have dinner there, I highly suggest that you reserve a table as the place gets packed really quickly. I personally witnessed this. I went to CTres at around 6:30pm and there was only a lone vacant table. About two minutes after I got settled, I saw an entire barkada enter the joint and got disappointed ...

Nov22010 by Mindanaoan Irene8 Comments

Review: Las Casitas Inn | Hotel in Davao City Mindanao

Business, Davao City, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

I first stayed at Las Casitas Inn, Davao City, Mindanao during the campaign season for the May 2010 elections. I only stayed at Las Casitas de Angela Inn Davao City overnight then so I barely had the chance to take photos of my room. Hence, when I went back to Davao City for a special event, I decided to check-in at Las Casitas Inn --- which, by the way, is now known as Casitas Hotel. I got a single room at this Davao hotel and only paid P895.00 (roughly US$25.00) Located along JP Rizal Street, Las Casitas de Angela Hotel is considered a "small hotel." This Davao City budget hotel is conveniently located downtown - at the very heart of the city. From the Davao International Airport, it'll most probably take you about half an hour to reach Las Casitas Inn. This cheap Davao hotel...

Oct312010 by Mindanaoan Irene5 Comments

Mindanaoan.com wins! Best Lifestyle Blog – Philippine Blog Awards 2010 Mindanao

Advocacy, Agriculture, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Announcements, ARMM, Arts, Bacolod City, Banks, Basilan, Beauty, BIMP-EAGA, Bisaya, Blogging, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Business, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Campus, Caraga, Cebu City, Commentary, Compostela Valley, Consumer, Contests, Controversial, Corporate, Cotabato, Culture, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Dipolog, Education, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Flights, Food, Freebies, General Santos City, Gifts, Government, Headline, Hotels, Humor, Iligan City, Internet, Island Garden City of Samal, Jobs, Journalism, Kaamulan Festival, Koronadal, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leisure, Maguindanao, Make Money Online, Malaybalay City, Marawi City, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Movies, Music, Musings, Muslim Mindanao, Negros Occidental, News, North Cotabato, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Ozamis, Pagadian, Personal, Personalities, Photos, Politics, Radio, Recipes, Religion, Resorts, Reviews, Sarangani, Shopping, Society, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sports, Style, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacurong, Tangub City, Technology, Television, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Visayas, Weddings, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

Woke up to sweet and absolutely wonderful piece of news today! This humble blog - www.Mindanaoan.com - won as Best Lifestyle Blog in the recently concluded Philippine Blog Awards 2010 - Mindanao Division! Yebah! Woot woot! :D My warmest, sincerest gratitude to the organizers and sponsors of the Philippine Blog Awards 2010! Thank you for the recognition and may you continue to uplift the blogging community! And of course, my deepest gratitude to all of my readers and followers! Like I previously mentioned, just the thought of you guys sparing a few minutes of your time each day just to come and visit my little online home brings me so much joy and inspiration. I am humbled. Daghang salamat! And to the readers and followers of my two other blogs that were also finalists of the PB...

Oct272010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

My ultra lucky night at Resorts World Manila casino

Blogging, Business, Corporate, Entertainment, Features, Freebies, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Reviews, Society, Technology, Tourism

Before I do share the AMAZEBALLS and fantabulous thing that happened to me and my lucky stars that night at Resorts World Manila, let me rewind a bit. So remember I recently attended Wordcamp Philippines 2010, right? A few days before my flight from Cagayan de Oro to Manila, I found out that some CDO Bloggers (Jacq, Cherry and Venus) will also stay in the same hotel where I will be billeted...and we will be on the same flight! So that put me at ease somehow. On the day of my our flight, I woke up really early. I had a good 4 hours before boarding time so I decided to laze around the house, surf the web, watch TV...in other words, I became too freakin' lax for my own good. What happened next was a disaster. I was so late for my flight that I was still in the middle of a traffic jam on...

Oct242010 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Golden Cowrie restaurant at Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro

Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews

Finally had the chance to treat my mom and brothers to the newly opened Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant located at the Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao. This Golden Cowrie CDO branch is a franchise and the first outside Cebu, where Golden Cowrie started in 1982. I'm actually a regular customer at the original Golden Cowrie restaurant along Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City (just a few blocks away from Waterfront Lahug) and I often bring my PR clients there for meetings or small press conferences. In fact, a few weeks before the May 2010 elections, I organized mini press briefings there for three senatorial candidates (all of whom were my clients --- I provided public relations, events, media and marketing services to them). Anyways, going back to the Gold...

Oct142010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Forever 21 Manila Philippines – my initial loot

Arts, Beauty, Blogging, Business, Consumer, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Reviews, Shopping, Style

Well, it basically took "forever" but the wait is finally over! (Hey, how's that for a rhyme? :D) Forever 21, a popular retail chain, opened its first Philippine branch over at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City last July. Sadly, I wasn't in Manila when the Forever 21 Manila branch opened and I also didn't have the chance to visit it even if I was there last August. Ugh. But well, I was back in Manila for Wordcamp Philippines 2010 and yes, I allocated an entire afternoon just to visit the store (finally!). That was how determined I was to snag at least a few pretty finds! LOL. Besides, it was the afternoon before the big John Mayer Live In Manila gig and I wanted to wear something special! Good thing my fellow bloggers Venus, Jacq and Cherry decided to join me in my quest to scour all of the...

Oct102010 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Starbucks Cagayan de Oro and Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Coffee

Announcements, Blogging, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Gifts, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, News, Northern Mindanao, Personal, Reviews, Shopping, Society

If you're living in Northern Mindanao, chances are you've already heard of the upcoming opening of Starbucks Cagayan de Oro. In fact, I wrote about the much-awaited opening last May, along with a job opening announcement for baristas and store managers. Fast forward a few months later, word's out that Starbucks CDO is set to open in just a few weeks' time. Starbucks CDO is located at Limketkai Mall corner Rosario Drive, right across the Missy Bon Bon gelato and bread store and very near Mc Donald's. As expected, they got an ultra prime location. That area will soon see the rise of an 18-floor hotel and is just a few blocks away from the Regional Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, a state university and a mixed-use building. So yeah, the Starbucks CDO branch will enjoy heavy fo...

Oct72010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Bacolod: Balay ni Tana Dicang | Bacolod tourist spot you must visit!

Bacolod City, Blogging, Flights, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Reviews, Tourism, Travel, Visayas

So a few weeks ago, I shared with all of you all about the New Bacolod Silay Airport and the two places where my friends and I dined in Bacolod City (Pepe's Grill for the delicious ribs and Calea for the best desserts). Now I'll share a nice tourist spot we visited at Talisay City (about half an hour away from Bacolod City) --- Balay Ni Tana Dicang. Located along Rizal Street, Balay Ni Tana Dicang (Balay means home while tana is shortcut for "kapitana") stands as one of Negros' most preserved ancestral homes. It's so well-preserved, in fact! These days, it's now a museum and occasionally plays host to art exhibits and other mini shows. It was build in 1883 for Don Efigenio Lizares and Dona Enrica Alunan at the later stage of the Spanish era in the Philippines. This bahay na ba...

Oct62010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

John Mayer Live In Manila – that oh-so-wonderful experience!

Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Musings, Personalities, Photos, Reviews

This is a follow-up to my earlier post! John Mayer Live In Manila. October 1, 2010. SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. It was one memorable date I will never forget. Firstly, because it was THE John Mayer...the love of my life! Secondly, because the entire country has waited for this moment for years (and a few months more...especially after this gig was postponed from May to October!). And thirdly, because I've never attended a concert in the middle of a typhoon! (But what the heck - it was John Mayer for chrissakes!) So my gal pal Crissa and I arrived at the concert venue just in time (and I mean REALLY JUST IN TIME!) for John's very first song. I was clad in my newly bought Forever 21 top, walking shorts, Rudy Project biker jacket and ever dependable Fitflops (I know, it wasn't the wor...

Sep292010 by Mindanaoan Irene9 Comments

Review: Castle Peak Hotel Cebu City | and why I won’t stay in Castle Peak Cebu again

Cebu City, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism, Travel, Visayas

Castle Peak Hotel Cebu City is the second Cebu City lodging place that I think I will never patronize ever again. The first one is Paragon Suites along Juana Osmena, Cebu City where I had a rather unpleasant stay early this year. Castle Peak Hotel in Cebu City is now the second one on my "must not try again" list. Before anything else, though, I want to make something clear. I HATE giving negative feedback especially on services or establishments that are related to Philippine tourism but if giving it would serve as a wake-up call for entrepreneurs or managers and if giving it would mean that they'd change and learn to give better service next time around, then I won't hesitate to do so. So here goes. Castle Peak Hotel Cebu is located along F. Cabahug corner President Quezon Streets,...

Sep192010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Lychee mojitos at Mu Shu

Bacolod City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Visayas

I like mojitos. It's one of my favorite cocktails. In my opinion, it's a pretty friendly drink - delicious, sweet and with just the right amount of "kick." For the uninitiated, a mojito is a traditional Cuban drink. The "regular" mojito is usually made up of 5 ingredients - white rum, sparkling water, mint (mint leaves as garnish), lime and sugar. To product a mojito, lime juice is added to sugar and to mint leaves. The mixture is then mashed. The mint leaves, by the way, should not be too minced or shredded. Instead, they should just be sliced or bruised enough to release the leaves' essential oils. Rum is then added and the entire mixture is stirred in order to dissolve the sugar. Sparkling water is then added. Lime and mint leaves can be used as garnish. Now if you're wondering wh...

Sep182010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Bacolod: Calea for the best desserts!

Bacolod City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Recipes, Reviews, Visayas

I was told that one's Bacolod City escapade will never be complete without visiting Calea, a famous homegrown cake shop...and it was easy to understand why. Calea Bacolod produces the best cakes, pastries and desserts this side of the world. Calea is Bacolod's answer to Manila's cake shops and bakeries but with better choices and lesser prices. This Mindanao blogger's recent trip to the Visayas was made sweeter when my friends and I stopped by Calea (the branch along Lacson Street, just a few blocks away from Sorrento Piazza, where my friends and I had a sumptuous dinner at Pepe's Grill!). This Calea branch is supposedly the first ever. These days, this cake shop has two other branches - one at Robinson's Place and another one at East Block. And just in case you're wondering about the h...

Sep142010 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Bacolod: Pepe’s Grill | Where to eat in Bacolod

Bacolod City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Negros Occidental, Reviews, Tourism, Travel, Visayas

So to continue my kuwento about my great big Negros Occidental adventure with three amazing friends, we had dinner at Pepe's Grill, known to be one of Bacolod City's finest restaurants. Located at Sorrento Piazza along Lacson Street (the main thoroughfare in Bacolod City), Pepe's Grill is almost always packed. Lucky for us, there was a spare table good for the four of us when we arrived! A lot of yuppies go to Pepe's Grill for dinner before heading off to a bar for a night of booze and dancing with friends. Families and barkadas also go to Pepe's Grill for weekend lunches and dinners. In fact, when we arrived, there were several parents enjoying meals with their kids. So judging by the many satisfied customers, one can surmise that this Bacolod restaurant is doing something right! Oh...

Sep102010 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

DL8 Pure Herbal Tea – Caffeine free herbal tea that I recommend

Advocacy, Agriculture, Announcements, Blogging, Bukidnon, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Food, Freebies, Gifts, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Opinion, Reviews, Shopping

Anybody who knows me would say that I'm not exactly the biggest fan of tea except probably when it's iced. And anybody who knows me would also say that I'm also not exactly the biggest fan of so-called herbal teas. Apart from the fact that I'm more of a coffee person and that it's very rare that I don't start my day without coffee, I usually stay away from herbal teas that offer a million and one health benefits. Yes, you could say that I was a skeptic and a cynic. And yes, I used the word "WAS." You see, things changed when a friend of mine introduced me to DL8 Pure Herbal Tea - a caffeine free tea that aims to cleanse, alkalize, revitalize and enrich the body. For the first time in a very long time, I saw myself drinking herbal tea and actually loving it! I enjoyed drinking DL8 Pure H...

Sep72010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Waddy’s Place | Where to stay in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental

Features, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

About an hour and a half away from Bacolod City is San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. It's a small, quaint little city that was the very first out-of-town host of a Presidential cabinet meeting during former President Fidel V. Ramos' administration. San Carlos City is also home to Congressman Jules Ledesma, boxer Gerry Penalosa and singer Jaya's mom, Elizabeth Ramsey. And yes, it was in San Carlos City where Jules proposed to actress Assunta de Rossi. My friends Joyce, Iza, Crissa and I, together with Crissa's parents, went straight to San Carlos City the very same day we all arrived in Bacolod City. It was drizzling that time but the rain eventually stopped once we arrived at our destination - Waddy's Place. Located at Sitio Punod, Waddy's Place is a mountain resort overlooking San...

Sep22010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Cebu: IMAX Theater at SM City Cebu – plus a contest you can join!

Arts, Business, Corporate, Entertainment, Features, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Movies, Reviews, Society

One of the things I did during my most recent trip to Cebu City was watch a movie at the brand new IMAX Theater in SM City Cebu. It just opened last July 2010 - much to the excitement of Cebuanos and tourists alike. The IMAX Theater at SM Cebu is, after all, a major project - one that's been much-awaited for years now. Although the SM Cebu IMAX theater failed to open just in time for the first round of showing of the movie Avatar (this James Cameron masterpiece will be re-released, with additional 8 minutes of footage, according to reports) or Toy Story 3, this didn't dampen Cebuano moviegoers' spirits. My brother, who works in Cebu City (and who's also a blogger! He owns Tennis Guru), managed to get a couple of freebies during the first few days since the opening of the SM Cebu IMAX Th...

Aug272010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Cebu: Big breakfast at Ilaputi, Asiatown IT Park

Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Visayas

My brother, who runs the uber famous Philippine-based tennis blog, Tennis Guru, has been raving about this 24-hour place at Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City called ilaputi. He regularly eats breakfast at this Cebu restaurant and eventually, he has managed to convince a lot of his friends to try ilaputi Cebu as well. Well, since I'm in the Queen City of the South for a few days, I decided to ask him to take me there as well. So on a bright and sunny Thursday morning, we visited ilaputi's Asiatown IT Park branch and ordered ilaputi's "Big Breakfast." I was not disappointed. Not at all. Ilaputi Cebu Asian and fusion restaurant's big breakfast was a real treat - yummy chorizo, bacon with garlic fried rice, two (!) eggs and marinated pork with rich sauce. The delicious meal was served on a ...

Aug142010 by Mindanaoan Irene8 Comments

Paradise Island Resort Samal Island

Beauty, Davao City, Hotels, Island Garden City of Samal, Mindanaoan Update, Resorts, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

I did a "wala lang" weekend trip to Davao City, Mindanao a few days ago. I just wanted to go to the beach and not think about my business, clients, contracts and everything else. I just needed to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, I wanted to feel the sand in between my toes, I wanted to breathe fresh air, I wanted to swim...I just needed to be at the beach again. I felt that, after months of working so hard, I badly needed an escape...at least for the weekend. I wanted a quick, no-nonsense trip and for this I thought of revisiting one of my family's long-time favorite tourist destinations at the Island Garden City of Samal - Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort. Paradise Island Samal is perhaps the largest beach resort in the IGACOS (Island Garden City of Samal) area. With a sh...

Jul242010 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Review: Citi Park Hotel Cebu City | Hotels in Cebu City

Business, Consumer, Hotels, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

Nestled along Cabahug Street, Panagdait, Mabolo Cebu City is a relatively new but not too expensive hotel in the Queen City of the South. Citi Park Hotel is conveniently located between Cebu City proper and Mandaue City, making travel time to and fro Cebu International Airport easy. I had the chance to stay at Citi Park Hotel Cebu during the recent electoral campaigns/sorties. I was with one of the senatorial candidates that I did PR/media relations for and we stayed for two nights at Citi Park Cebu. Here's a look at their lobby cum lounge. I arranged for a mini press conference here with some of my Cebu media friends: Here's the restaurant at this hotel in Cebu City. We took our breakfast here. They serve it buffet style: A photo of one of the hotel rooms in Citi Park Hotel after...

Jun162010 by Mindanaoan Irene8 Comments

Eyelash extensions now a big hit in the Philippines | My eyelash extensions

Beauty, Blogging, Business, Consumer, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Reviews, Style

Ever heard of eyelash extensions? These are different from fake eyelashes, mind you. Eyelash extensions add thickness, length and fullness to natural eyelashes. Compared to fake eyelashes, eyelash extensions appear more "natural." The synthetic single fiber polyester thread-like materials are applied lash by lash (compared to fake eyelashes where an entire strip of lashes are glued to one's eyelid) and eyelash extensions are usually semi-permanent. These days, eyelash extension salons are sprouting like mushrooms all over Manila. Although no eyelash extension shop has opened in Mindanao (yet), I bet one will open very soon. So here's the deal...one of the things that I treated myself with during my most recent trip to Manila was...well, you guessed that right...getting eyelash extens...