Book sale galore at National Bookstore

Got these at the book sale at
National Bookstore-SM Davao =)

I went to National Bookstore-SM Davao to look for Bob Ong's new book (Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin) because I'm a huge fan of Bob Ong's books. Searched their shelves but to no avail. Wala pa palang copies ng new book dito sa Davao. When I looked around, I saw a very attractive sign: BOOKSALE. I immediately went to the table and found plenty of interesting books. The prices were at 50 pesos and 100 pesos only. Ang daming magagandang books but I limited myself to five. Baka kasi hindi ko rin naman mababasa lahat. The books had a huge markdown. Here are the books with their original prices and current price:

**Ultimate Mandarin Chinese = from 705pesos to 50pesos

**Beatrice and Virgil (hardcover)  = from 745pesos to 100pesos (and mind you, this is a literary winner)

**Photography, 50 most influential photographers of all time (hardcover) = from 699pesos to 100pesos

**Pocket Vietnamese Dictionary = from 435pesos to 100pesos

**In-Flight Korean DVD = (no original price indicated) now only 100pesos

 I also got a noodles and stir-fries book at 74.75pesos, regular price.

See how much savings we get from book sale? This is why I really love book sale. ♥ I just wish National Bookstore will have price drop whole year round. ☺

Are you also a bookworm? Then head over to National Bookstore and maybe you'll have a great find, too, just as I did. Enjoy shopping! ☺

Free McDo Sundae Cone!

You'll get this card once you purchase a Globe prepaid
SIM at any SM Concierge/Information booth.
Take note, the SIM only costs 25 pesos. ;)

A friend asked me to buy a Globe SIM on her behalf. Since I was on my way to SM, I didn't mind and said yes. After running my own errands, I went to the SM Davao Concierge and got the Globe SIM there kasi naka-price down sila at 25 pesos na lang ang Globe prepaid SIM. Swerte dahil currently, Globe, McDonald's and SM has a current promo tie up giving customers a free Sundae Cone at McDonald's for every Globe prepaid SIM purchase. Yes, nakamura na sa SIM which is pre-loaded with some free text to all networks, may palamig pang kasama. I didn't use the freebie though since hindi naman ako yung gagamit ng SIM (and I already own a Globe SIM). =)

[Note: This blog isn't affiliated with Globe, SM, and McDonald's, nor was the blogger paid to promote Globe, SM, and McDonald's. The blogger just thought of sharing the good news. We all love libre naman, diba? =D]

Gervacio's Bakery

Snapshots of the place and the
Roast Beef Tenderloin Subs Sandwich

Recently, I've been preying on great deals presented as online vouchers. One of those was for a Roast Beef Tenderloin Subs Sandwich at a new snack bar in town, Gervacio's Bakery. Gervacio's Bakery is a sister company of Charlie's Bakeshop. Their very first branch is at Damosa Gateway, Lanang Davao City, just beside their sister company, Charlie's. They have a very attractive simple interior, minimalist style. Simple yet sossy. As usual, I always go check new places with either a relative or a friend. My visit to Gervacio's Bakery was with a friend, a fellow foodie. If you read my previous blogs, this is the first time that I'm not going to blog about pizza. Yes, it's not our usual snack but our trip to Gervacio's Bakery was sulit. Sulit because we got to taste one of their best seller sandwich and I got to visit a really pleasant place, plus their crew are very attentive. They seem to know good customer service pretty well. 

That day, while having our sandwich, more people arrived and ordered the same sandwich as we did. So, it made me think their Roast Beef Tenderloin Subs Sandwich might be their top seller sandwich. The Roast Beef Tenderloin Subs Sandwich was really tasty, cheesy, and full of goodness (because I really love lettuce on most sandwich, any sandwich that has meat). The only thing that we noticed was the gahi nga bread. We were hoping that it was more soft since it went with beef, but then maybe they opted for the healthier foods, hence the baguette. When it comes to prices, I personally think an average foodie will be willing to pay for their food prices. Probably just the same with other restos that offer the same food variety. Aside from the sandwiches, they also serve pasta, desserts, pastries and a whole lot more! They have plenty of food selections on the menu to choose from.

Overall, our Gervacio's Bakery experience whas okay. We weren't able to stay longer though because we still had somewhere else to go but our previous visit at Gervacio's Bakery definitely won't be the last. If you're looking for a place to chill, you might want to spend your afternoon at Gervacio's Bakery and have a bite of their good food. Anyway, their place isn't that far from the downtown area. If you'll ask me if their food is yummy, I won't give you a yes or a no. I recommend you try it yourself. ;-)

Pizza touched by an angel... Hans's Angel

Top Left to Right: Menu; Food Preparation Area
Middle L-R: The Godfather Pizza before it was cooked;
Smoked Chicken Veggie Salad
Bottom L-R: Watermelon Shake; The Godfather Pizza, cooked
(WARNING: It's really fully loaded, you might forget who you are
after tasting this yummy pizza. Hehe!)

These online vouchers have been the kuripots' haven for great finds and I'm one of those who checks on deals almost everyday. The most recent I checked on Davao deals, I got me some pizza vouchers for a this new pizza and pasta resto in Davao. The thought that it's a new place got me excited. After buying the voucher, I immediately told my fellow pizza monster and she's also excited to check the place. Another happy day for two pizza monsters as the voucher means visiting a new place, another pizza to taste. Yehey for us! Hehe! We set the date to "meet" the new place and agreed to meet at the mall near the place. I tried to search Google about the new place but still couldn't find much about it. Which gave me the idea that it must've opened just few days. I didn't even know the exact location as the voucher website didn't provide accurate map. Still I want to go there and thought we'll just look for the place when we get there.  And yes, we got a little lost at first because it's a new place, and the security guard didn't know about the place yet. He pointed us to another resto, which I know isn't our destination. But it didn't take long to find the resto. Merely 3-5minutes and we saw the huge tarp outside of the resto. Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta. Clap-clap went our pizza hearts as we're reaaaally excited with this new place.

We were warmly greeted by the owner, Hans and his dog, Buddy, when we got in. We told him we're going to use their online voucher. Kaulaw because I brought the wrong voucher with me, the one I brought with me was the one that's good for 4 voucher. Buti na lang Hans was so kind to still accept our voucher despite the voucher restriction. So he took our order, The Godfather Pizza (350 pesos). He told us that their servings are really generous but we insisted on having a large pizza (kaming 2 lang ng friend ko) and intend to order a bowl of pasta but he suggested we order salad instead. We chose the large Smoked Chicken Veggie Salad (190 pesos). He laughed and said we might end up with a huge tummy after dining, but we paid no attention to his remarks and pursued our orders. As for our drinks, we ordered watermelon shake (59 pesos/glass). Their price range are just fair enough for pizza lovers. For two persons na malakas kumain, pwede na ang budget na 300-500 pesos since may softdrinks in 1.5L bottle naman, but do order the smaller pizza kung dalawa lang kayo. Why? You'll find out, just read on.

Chika-chika, checking the menu for prospect orders when we come back the next time around, looking around the place, appreciating the beautiful interiors, and then the owner called us to take a look at our pizza before placing it in the oven. We said to ourselves, "kayang ubusin", but Hans's smile tells us otherwise. Few minutes later, our Smoked Chicken Veggies Salad was served followed by the Watermelon Shake. We were surprised by the how everything was prepared. The salad didn't have salad dressing, perhaps they used olive oil, and the watermelon shake didn't have sugar or any sweetener. Ang sarap ng healthy foods, hindi nakaka-guilty kumain nang kumain pag ganito. The way the salad and the shake was prepared excited us with how the pizza tastes. Kasi healthy ang salad at shake so siguro ganun din ang pizza, we thought. The our pizza was served. Immediately we helped ourselves with a slice and... with the first pizza slice, we already knew na hindi kaya ng dalawang tao lang ang large pizza! The crust is thin but isn't crispy, it's tasty! And the toppings are really fully loaded. So when they say it's for four, they really mean it. Unlike other pizza restos, Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta really mean what they say. So when they say it's for four, trust them with it. They don't serve substandard quality AND quantity. Meryenda lang talaga ang intention namin but with the amount of food that we had on our table, inabot kami ng dinner sa Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta. Medyo nahiya na nga kami for staying long, like 4 hours na siguro or more, but (another surprise) the owner likes it when diners stay longer than usual Pinoy style eat-and-go, and really appreciate the food.

Since inabot kami ng gabi, naabutan na rin namin si Angel, co-owner and Hans's wife. We had a wonderful chat with them plus we got to taste the wine that they'll be offering. It was only then that I realized that pizza and wine can go together, too. Usually kasi pizza and Mug rootbeer order namin. Mind you, for wine lovers, you will truly enjoy staying at Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta because of the affordable wine prices. A bottle of that wine that we had was yummy, has no strong alcohol smell and it's only priced at 200 pesos. It's such a steal! The price range, I can say after tasting their foods, are really reasonable. Their pizza is fully loaded, they use fresh veggies for their salad and their watermelon is freshly pureed. Sooobrang sarap, sooobrang nakakatakaaam! Aside from Pizza, Pasta and Salad, they have more to offer listed on their menu. I can't remember everything but I think it's better if you'll check it out yourself.

It was the happiest food trip for me so far that it took me long to create this blog. Sa sobrang dami ng good vibes, I'm still overwhelmed up until now. It's a place na hindi ka magsasawang balik-balikan dahil sa super yummy food, super sulit na price, and the happy environment the place have. Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta is definitely a great place for friends' bonding, family, barkada, teammates, workmates, classmates, schoolmates, at lahat na! The prices are just right, even for budget conscious like me.

Hungry already? Head over to and Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta and I'm sure the owners will be very glad to help you with your food orders. They're very nice to suggest food sizes (hindi sila nagsu-suggest ng hindi mo kayang ubusin, but they encourage take aways/take home para matikman din nga family). Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta is located at Victoria Plaza Compound, just near Ahfat 2. They're occupying the space that Farfalla Pasta used to occupy. Tambay and eat? No problem! They're open in the morning until 12 midnight. If you stay there the entire day, mabigat ka na pag-uwi. Hehe! Go go go and satisfy your pizza cravings. Go to Hans's Angel Pizza and Pasta today! =)

Ano raw? Handuraw!

Top left to right: Handuraw Special, Ube Ice Cream Cake
Bottom L-R: Handuraw Crew, The author with the chefs

My cousin knows I am a total sucker for pizzas and so, when she saw an online voucher deal on a certain website, she immediately informed me. Thanks to her, I got a voucher for Handuraw. Handuraw is a branch of a pizza parlor that originated in Cebu. They say that Handuraw means "the power to imagine". I may be a bisaya but the bisaya I know is Davao bisaya so I'm not realy familiar with other Cebuano bisaya. Handuraw also have several branches in Luzon (in Manila to be particular), and their most recent to date is the one that opened here in Davao, the only Mindanao branch, months ago.

I was so excited to go and taste their pizza that I invited my Tita and my cousin, a fellow foodie, to have a bite of their house specialty as soon as I got the voucher. I usually choose the house specialty whenever visiting a new pizza place. So when we got there, I ordered the Handuraw Special. While waiting for the food, aside from usual chika-chika, we looked around the place, took some snapshots, and read their menu. They also have happy hours for pizza, the famous buy-one-take-one for all pizzas, between 12 noon to 8pm. I personally think their prices are just the same with other pizza parlors, not much competition with the price, rather with the quality. Their only edge are (speaking before the pizza was served, before tasting their pizza) their buy-one-take-one happy hours are longer, they have artists playing at night time, and they close at midnight. Yes, midnight. So if you're craving pizza, you may drive to Quirino Street, or take a taxi ride.

After minutes of waiting, our pizza was served. All their pizzas by the way are thin and crunchy crust. Ours was really tasty that I can finish it by myself. The house specialty pizza is topped with Italian Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Pepperoni, Onion, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, Black Olives,  Mushrooms, Mozzarella Cheese, and Spices. Thin crust pizza lovers would definitely go gaga with their house specialty. And as for pizza monsters like me, you'll definitely want more servings during your visit. Hehe! After pizza, we wanted to try their dessert. We ordered other dessert then but wasn't available so we ordered the ice cream cake. It must be a best-seller as well since at that time, there's only one ice cream cake left. Good thing we were still able to taste their ice cream cake. It's like having a dessert minus the guilt kasi hindi gaanong matamis. (Dili bidli, in our term.)

Now pizza addicts have a lot of choices. If you're curious about Handuraw, don't deprive yourself and find out all about Handuraw. Visit them at Quirino Street, beside Jip's Catering. If you opt to call before going there, they'd be glad to take your reservations. You may reach them at 0922-8942978 or at 3054848.

On another blog...

It's been a while since I posted my last blog and with that time, I've been to few restos already making it harder for me to blog about all of them. Hehe! So, here's a reaaaally short entry that shall be changed or followed after I finish my draft about another pizza parlor. Well, yes, another pizza parlor but... I really can't resist pizza. And another about a bakery which offers tasty snacks, really tasty. So, keep posted about my next pizza and other snack blog entries. ;-)

Budget Pizza? Pizzakaya yan!

Pizzakaya at Lachmi Food Court,
San Pedro Street, Davao City

Been trying around different pizzas for quite some time and I haven't seen any negative thing about pizza. Masustansya dahil maraming gulay! Unless you're for the all meat pizza, of course. Hehe! My first pizza love is Mommy's Pizza which I already blogged about. I've been looking all over Davao for Mommy's Pizza but I really haven't found a single stall anymore. Few years back, during my college days, I saw this stall at Lachmi. Pizzakaya. "Cool! Another pizza parlor," I thought. The place looks like the prices are for people who are on low budget so I went in and asked what their best seller is. The lady said Italian Deluxe has always been their customers choice. So I ordered an Italian Deluxe combo meal consisting of four pizza slices and a cup of Iced Tea. Well, very budget-friendly indeed as their combo meal only costs 35 pesos.

Italian Deluxe Combo Meal:
4 slices of pizza and a cup of Iced Tea

When I tasted their pizza, it somewhat reminded me of Mommy's Pizza only that, Pizzakaya's crust is thinner. I fell in love with their pizza that I frequented Lachmi just because of Pizzakaya. I even brought friends and relatives with me so they, too, will enjoy the good food that I enjoy. Pizzakaya also have other pizza flavors, too, like Hawaiian, and Ham and Cheese. I can't remember them all but I'm sure they're equally good as Italian Deluxe. All their combo meals, regardless of pizza flavor, are priced at 35 pesos only and their pizza sold by the box (eight slices in a box), has the price range of 75 pesos to 90 pesos. Maybe that's why they go by the name Pizzakaya, because their pizza are all abot-kaya (affordable, in English ) for everyone. If, like me, you also miss Mommy's Pizza and you want to have a bite or more again, then Pizzakaya is the answer to our prayers!

Mind you, I could eat up the eight slices by myself, that's how tasty their pizza is. Please don't take my word for it, go try Pizzakaya yourself. I believe Pizzakaya has 2 branches only. One at Lachmi Food Court, San Pedro Street, Davao City and at City Triangle, C.M. Recto Street, Davao City. Tara!

Budget Snack? Burger Dine it!

An afternoon of boredom struck the Kuripot Laagan. Too lazy to go out, too bored to stay at home. What to do? Go online? Yes, but eventually, I got tired of the click-click-type-type-click mechanism. Still going out para mag laag (gumala, in Tagalog) is still not part of my choices. Then I considered movie marathon. Since there's a shop nearby that offers 3 DVD copies for 100 pesos, the Pirates of the DVD (WARNING: DO NOT IMITATE. Hehe!), I decided to get me a copy of 3 movies that I haven't watched yet. After minutes of scanning on the store's wall of DVDs, I finally decided which 3 movies to watch. Pero ano naman ang movie marathon kung walang snacks, right? Popcorn would have been a great snack to munch on while on a movie trip but there's no convenience store nearby that sells popcorn, and don't expect to find one on a sari-sari store either. Luckily, there's a burger junction just almost across the street. Burger Dine!

Nauuso na ngayon ang buy one take one burgers kahit saan ka pumunta. Burger Dine is one of those junctions that offers buy one take on burgers. Yes, all their sandwiches are sold on buy one take one basis, except for the footlong, but Burger Dine sells the cheapest buy one take one compared to two burger junction giants that offers the promo. They may be the cheapest in price but the taste isn't. Their most expensive, the Double Burger, is priced at 36 pesos. Yun na yung pinakamahal ha, double patty on each burger sandwich pa yun. Unless of course you'd request for add-ons like extra cheese (add 7 pesos to add cheese on both burgers) or extra coleslaw (add 3 pesos to add on both burgers). As for my order that afternoon, I had one buy one take one Double Burger with cheese and coleslaw add-on valued at 46 pesos all in all. Saktong sakto lang for my movie marathon.

Burger Dine is open 24 hours. Their busiest time of the day is when everyone is awake but that doesn't mean walang customers kapag tulog ang karamihan, because some people who are not from the same area even come to Burger Dine place to satisfy their burger cravings. They serve orders in less than 10 minutes, even during their busiest times. Just in case you wish to eat your burgers at their shop, they only have limited seats, so eat-and-go yung mga diners. Also, they have a large TV so dining and waiting customers won't get bored. They also serve coffee, hot choco (Milo) and softdrinks for people who wants to dine at the shop.

Curious about Burger Dine? Visit them at their outlets at the following areas in Davao City: Garcia Heights, Agdao, Ecoland, Times, and Matina Aplaya. As mentioned earlier, they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Pizzang Pampamilya at Pizza Pamilya

Top: Friendly Service Crew and the author
Bottom:  Kitchen Crew

Okay, so I'm blogging about another pizza parlor again. But each pizza parlor have their own specialty pizza, right? And that's why I went to check out another pizza parlor in the city. At Pizza Pamilya, everything really is pampamilya. The place made me feel like I was just in some friend's dining room. Even the servings are pampamilya.

My first visit at Pizza Pamilya was with my cousin, Joyce. We were warmly greeted by smiling crew and a very homey atmosphere. The place is well-lighted, you'll notice everything in the store. And it feels like the whole place is germ-free. This is also the only pizza parlor that has a mini-play pen for kids. Their staff/crew are all very friendly and helpful with food suggestions. Walang suplada. Plus, the complimentary appetizers are definitely plus points. Sa lahat ng napuntahan kong pizza parlors, sila lang yata yung may ganun. We were lucky on our first visit, kasi birthday ng anak ng may-ari, we were given a huge slice of cake. San'n ka pa? It's the only resto that treats their customers as part of their family. They really live up to their name, Pizza Pamilya.

From top (left to right): Pizza Pamilya Menu,
Free Appetizer
Bottom (left to right): Pizza Pamilya,
Free Cake (during date of visit)

The servings are also pampamilya. For families with 4 members, one or two whole pizza would fill up 4 hungry tummies. They serve thin crust pizza but they top them generously with various toppings. Their house specialty is Pizza Pamilya, one of the most interesting pizza that I've encountered. Ever tried sweet potato and corn on your pizza? It sounded odd to me at first but when it got to our table, the pizza was actually very tasty, one of the tastiest pizza I ate. Pizza Pamilya (the house specialty pizza) has sweet potato, corn, sausage, salami, bell pepper, tomato, mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola, ricotta, and parmesan cheese as toppings. A very interesting pizza that would keep you coming back for more.

My second visit was with a friend. I introduced to her Pizza Pamilya's house specialty and it surprised her that those toppings would taste good together. Plus, their house specialty is just 320 pesos. Best value for families and barkadas on food trip.

Top (L-R): Signage, Garlic Bread with Salsa
Middle (L-R): Pickled Veggies, Quesadillas
Bottom (L-R): Spaghetti Carbonara,
Solo Hawaiian Pizza

My third visit was still with the same friend, my fellow Ninja Turtle, fellow pizza monster. This time, we opted for more food choices, not just pizza. I wasn't so hungry so I decided to take on something light. I've been looking for Quesadillas and thought of trying theirs. 250 pesos is quite expensive for a pica-pica, I thought, but still gave it a try. My friend went for their Combo Meal A which consist of Spaghetti Carbonara, Hawaiian Pizza and Iced Tea, priced at 150 pesos. Not bad, she said. Kasing presyo lang ng Greenwich Big Time Meal na may isang slice ng pizza, small serving of pasta at drink. Or so we thought. We didn't know why the lady who took our order was smiling but when our food was served, we understood her smile. Napagkamalan yata kaming mga barakong patay gutom. Their pampamilya servings applies to all their foods, they're all definitely for sharing! The Quesadillas are larger than the large plate, the solo pizza is more or less same size with Greenwich's Double Pizza, and the Spaghetti Carbonara is served on a platter that's good for two (or three, maybe). Napalaban kami sa kainan! Haha! Sa sobrang dami ng pagkain, may pabalot pa kami. After that incident, my friend and I realized another thing about Pizza Pamilya, they also value their clients' hard-earned money by not serving sub-standard food and commercialized quantity. Presyong pampamilya, lugar na pampamilya, serbisyong pampamilya, a total package that everyone is looking for.

Hindi rin magpapahuli sa promos ang Pizza Pamilya. They offer the best deal in Davao, longer pizza happy hours than other pizza parlors offering buy one take one pizza. Pizza happy hours are from 2PM to 10PM, Mondays to Thursdays, and 2PM to 8PM Fridays to Sundays. They are open from 11AM to 11PM daily, so buy one take one pizza offer is available almost the entire day of store operations. The best part is, pwedeng ipabalot/i-take home yung tirang pizza slices ng inorder na buy one take one, unlike other pizza restos.

View from outside

With their kind of service, food quality and quantity, and affordable prices, I'd definitely go back and even share to other people about Pizza Pamilya. Takam na takam ka na rin bang mag Pizza Pamilya? Sugod na sa J.P. Laurel corner Bacaca Road, Bajada, Davao City. Their store is almost across Abreeza Ayala Mall. You can get there by your car (parking spaces are available), by taxi or by jeepney (along the highway lang sila). If you want wish to hold any celebration there and want to use more than one table, you may call (082) 224-2319 for reservations. I assure you, after dining, you'll come out with a smile. Kainan na!

I had Coffee For Peace

One of my personal favorites, probably the best coffee shop I've been to (thanks to my cousins Eileen and Joyce for introducing this place to me) is Coffee For Peace. Their place isn't spacious but seats and tables are just enough if you and your friends would like to own the place for a day. Their interiors are elegantly decorated with native crafts like native scrolls, baskets, some white pebbles on the side, and native racks for some displays. The place is so peaceful, you'll forget you're still in the city proper. It makes you feel like hanging out at a place far from the noisy traffic when in fact, their location is so much of the opposite. Nasa business strip ng Matina area yung location nila.

Everything about Coffee For Peace made me fall in love with this coffee shop. From the taste of their food and drinks, to their crafts (decors and those that are for sale), to the ambiance of the place, to their service, to their cause. Yes, the coffee shop exists for a cause. Unlike other coffee shops, Coffee For Peace isn't all about profit. They help Mindanao coffee farmers by fair trade education and buying coffee from them at the price that they truly deserve (fair trade). Of course, we all know about the hard work that they go through growing coffee and taking care of those trees and fruits, isn't it just fair for them to get the price that they truly deserve? They went through a lot of hard work just to give us the best cup of coffee that we want, that should be equaled with right price. Coffee For Peace isn't about capitalism. From their name itself, they exist to share peace, to spread peace in Mindanao be means of livelihood for our natives. As mentioned earlier, apart from buying coffee from the Mindanao coffee farmers, they also orient/educate them about proper and fair trade, the business to put an end to the capitalists' scheme of taking advantage of our natives' good heart.

Also, about what I mentioned earlier, Coffee For Peace exists to share pace, to spread peace in Mindanao. You might be wondering, "through coffee? Like how?" Diba nga kapoag nagkakape tayo, nagkakaroon tayo ng pagkakataong magnilaynilay o mag meditate, lalo na kung nagkakape tayong mag-isa? So we feel peace and eventually feel that aura the entire day. Wag nga lang ma-stress sa trabaho. Also, drinking coffee has been Pinoy's habit. Kape sa almusal, kape sa meryenda, kape sa gabi dahil may tatapusin, kape para magmukhang sosyal (at bibitbitin yung baso, iikot sa mall kahit wala nang laman yung baso, maipakita lang na nakapagkape ng mamahaling kape). Coffee has been a big part of Pinoys' lifestyle. Kape nga rin yung inihahain kapag may padasal at nag-uumpukan, nagkukwentuhan pagkatapos ng padasal. That kind of concept, having good conversation while having coffee definitely brings peace. That's the Coffee For Peace's idea of sharing peace with coffee.

When it comes to the price, they are just like any other coffee shops in Davao, excluding Starbucks, of course, because Coffee For Peace is cheaper than Starbucks. They have a lot of entries in their menu to choose from, all reasonably priced. Plus, the thought of patronizing products that our fellow Filipinos worked hard for (talking about the Mindanao coffee farmers), helping them build trust in their abilities of doing business, would make you forget about the price and just enjoy your food and drinks. Enough to put a smile in your heart and theirs, too. Everything they serve are healthy. Walang maalat, o sobrang tamis sa mga binebenta nila. They serve only fresh ingredients, like fruits and veggies, o the products that they serve.

Aside from the foods and drinks, they also sell souvenirs like native necklaces, shirts, mugs, scrolls for your home, calendar, etc. And if you still can't get enough of their coffee, coffee beans are also being sold by bag (I think 100 grams per bag). Their coffee is great to stock at home, at work (if your office's pantry has coffee maker), or give it as a gift for your coffee-holic friends.

Coffee For Peace is conveniently located near Ateneo de Davao University Matina Campus, they are fronting McDonal's Matina. They are beside Eastwest Bank at McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City. They are open from 8 in the morning until 10 in the evening, daily. Wifi is also available in the shop, so nothing to worry about your deadlines that needs to be sent through email, or have a video chat with your boss. You can always combine leisure (or even relaxation) at Coffee For Peace.

Value for your bucks? Try Buckstab.

My blog site might be mistaken as a pizza blog site because my previous posts are about pizza. Yes, I am a self-proclaimed pizza monster but, no, this is not a pizza blog site. So I came up with this blog about a coffee shop not far away from my place.

This newly opened posh coffee shop put an end to the danger of converting a certain street into a motel strip, somewhat like a red light district. I am so relieved that a sossy coffee shop sprouted in the middle of the motels used for "short time", just by the nest of the budots/budats (term only Dabawenyos would understand and no, I'm not translating it for you).

Buckstab opened last August of 2011. It was inspired by the success of the world-renowned Starbucks. According to the staff whom I asked, the name Buckstab was even derived from their "idol" coffee shop, Statrbucks. "Supposedly, Buckstar yung name but it sounded baduy, kaya pinalitan ng may-ari ng Buckstab. Madali ring tandaan.", says their staff. On a personal note, it's really better than Buckstar, so they don't have to live in the shadows of Starbucks, being the gaya-gaya at walang originality version of Starbucks had they thought of retaining the name Buckstar. That way, Buckstab would create noise of their own, and not be compared to Starbucks all the time. It's also going to give negative impression to the patrons, making their name sound funny to most hinawayon (mapanglait, in Tagalog) if they kept the name Buckstar.

Anyway, Buckstab may not be of the same level as Starbucks but they are closing in, in terms of service, and quality of foods and drinks they serve. Their prices on their menu may be cheap but the  quality isn't. Here's an overview of their menu:

Price range for:

Sandwiches: 55 pesos to 110 pesos

Desserts: 50 pesos to 75 pesos

Pastries: 35 pesos to 50 pesos

Cold drinks: 90 pesos

Hot drinks: 60 pesos to 90 pesos

Frappe: 100 pesos

Sandwiches: 55 pesos to 100 pesos

Other foods, like chips are also available.

With their minimalist concept in their interior design, plus such affordable prices on the menu, who wouldn't be lured to come and spend some time there? The place, by the way, is excellent for friends who want to spend some quality time and catch up, lovers on a date, family who wants to take a break from the noisy atmosphere of the city, or business meeting with colleagues.

Buckstab also offers computer rentals (a.k.a. Internet Cafe) inside the shop. For or coffee shop customers, nothing to worry regarding the shouting and howling of gamers inside. The computers are at the other side and clients renting PCs are asked to mellow down voices so as not to shoo away the coffee shop clients. If you wish to go online but you want to use your own laptop, PDA or phone instead of renting their PC, you may do so using their WiFi connection at no extra cost. Their WiFi connection is really fast, so you can post status updates or upload photos while waiting for your date. You may even take a photo of yourself alone and upload it as an evidence that you got there hours before your date. Hehe! =D

If you happen to feel like spending the day at a coffee shop with a great value for money, stop by at Buckstab, just by Bonguyan Times Beach , Matina Aplaya, Davao City. And oh, you might want to reserve your favorite table/spot before going there, you may call them at 295-2712. They're open from 8am to 12 midnight daily.

Picobelo Ristorante Italiano

One of my favorite Pizza Parlors in Davao is Picobelo Ristorante Italiano. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Picobelo already exists even before Pizza Hut came to Davao. It's a fine dining Italian resto but dress code is not implied. The place has a touch of classy Italian ristorante at the price of a trattoria (medium priced Italian resto) or locanda (simple resto serving simple dishes). They serve different varieties of Italian dishes from rice meals to pastas, to pizzas. Most people go there to have their pizza. If you and your company are in the mood to have lots o' pizza, between 2pm to 5pm (any day) is the best time to go there as those hours are considered as their happy hour. Dig this: BUY ONE TAKE ONE PIZZA. And if you're a pizza monster like me, you'll probably enjoy their brick oven-baked, uber yummy pizza. Masarap na, mura pa. The price range for pizzas are just between 250 pesos to 300 pesos. If you're ordering two different pizzas, then you'll just pay for the more expensive pizza. Remember, 300 pesos lang yung pinakamahal. Isang basketball team ba kayong pupunta? No problem, it's just like paying half of your bill. Do the math. ;-)  Their best selling pizza is the Calzone. It's a stuffed pizza, somewhat like a whole pizza folded into half.

Apart from A-grade wines, they also serve healthy fruit juices and shakes. My personal favorite is the Four Seasons fruit juice.  I forgot to note the price of their wines but they sure are considered affordable for the wine aficionados. As for their fruit juices, they're all priced at 55 pesos per glass only. At ang laki ng glass nila. I'm sure enough na yung isang glass unless you're a camel. And oh, back then, they used to add 10% for their service charge but recently, I noticed they dropped the service charge, billing you to pay only for what you ordered. Now, if you're satisfied with their service, it wouldn't hurt to leave some tip naman diba? ;-)

Picobelo Ristorante Italiano has been serving great Italian food for, if my calculations are right, about 10 years, or maybe more. They've been in the business for so long that they already have a lot of suki already. Not convinced? Go visit them and find out yourself. I'm sure they'll be glad to serve you the best. Picobelo Ristorante Italiano is located at the 5th floor of Gaisano Grand Citimall (former JS Gaisano), Ilustre street, Davao City.

My first Pizza Love

My childhood was during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles era and perhaps I got the influence of pizza-diction (addiction to pizza) there. Or maybe not. But when it comes to pizza, I would really claim to be a pizza monster. I always want to try the specialty of every new pizza parlor in town then try other pizza flavors when I visit again. I don't know what's with pizza but it sure does lure a lot of people to devour as much.

The very first pizza I fell in love with was Mommy's Pizza, the one with the most pizza outlets all over Davao City way back 1990's. Mommy's Pizza never had a pizza parlor/store, rather, they had stalls/booths along sidewalks, malls, schools, markets, practically everywhere. If I could remember it right, they only had two flavors and those were Hawaiian and Ham & Cheese. Their pizza was more of like home-made, so imagine the yummy-ness of the crust, but lesser of the topping compared to top selling pizzerias of course. I don't know why Mommy's Pizza stopped selling pizza but it surely is missed by few patrons like our family and some friends I know.

Like I mentioned earlier, their pizza wasn't really that one like of the biggie pizza parlors like Pizza Hut, Shakey's or Greenwich but they gave justice to the price that we paid. Mommy's Pizza was really sumptuous, and they serve your one box order fast (5 minutes to reheat the pizza, add more minutes if there are more customers ahead of you). No more waiting forever for your hunger to the satisfied.

Back in my childhood days (hey, I'm not that old, really), if my memory is still correct, they used to sell a box of pizza, either flavor, for only fifty pesos, and a box of pizza consists of eight slices. Price sounds cheap but the taste isn't. Well, fifty pesos was already considered as expensive for us back then (yes, my parents were kuripot, too). My mother used to bring two boxes whenever she had spare cash because she knows pizza monsters are waiting at home. And when the boxes are handed to us, we were like monsters pigging out.

Up until my High School years, I still enjoyed Mommy's Pizza, especially that our High School canteen had a booth of Mommy's Pizza. Now, with only one booth to cater the entire High School Department, picture in mind the long wait we had to endure just to have few slices of that pizza may it be during recess or afternoon snacks after classes. From fifty pesos when I was a kiddo, the price went to eighty pesos per box when I was in High School. That's ten pesos per slice. Imagine how much torture it was for me to be unable to afford the entire box for I could live my school days eating just pizza. (HAHAHA!) We were taught to budget our baon so we could survive the day having snacks in the morning, enough lunch, afternoon snack and get home not on foot. Going back to Mommy's Pizza, I believe they bring in more than a hundreds boxes each day for our school canteen and yet not a single slice is left everyday.

Mommy's Pizza was really huge back then. If I'm correct, I think it was only when the bigger pizzerias came to Davao City that Mommy's Pizza slowly drifted out of the scene. For some, like me and my family, and some friends I know, we still crave the taste of Mommy's Pizza (both flavors) once in a while (to me, like every other day or every 12 hours? Hehe!) Like most people say, one really won't forget first love. =)

I wonder if I could find the owner of Mommy's Pizza and order three boxes... Hm... (Mommy's ta diha! Hehe!)

A Little Intro

Kuripot Laagan is a Davaoeña who likes to go places and try different foods but is on a budget. Mentioning that Kuripot Laagan is a Davaoeña, she is a female who wants to keep her identity secret for now. Why? Well, apart from being shy (yes, shy. Hehe!), she doesn't want to be famous. She blogs not to be famous but to share what she's been up to. Before forgetting to explain, the term Kuripot Laagan means someone who goes places but is mindful of the expenses. Sa Tagalog, ang "Kuripot Laagan" ay "magala pero kuripot.".

Kuripot Laagan will feature her favorites, food and travel, because as we all know, food and travel really goes together. Any traveler always try the best, or if not, new, dish of the places that the traveler visits.

Kuripot Laagan is not a a pro in the blogging scene. She thinks she's an amateur blogger and will forever be amateur blogger as someone's always better than her. So, wag mag-expect ng sobra sa mga blog dito ha? But she always thinks of sharing than competing or comparing herself to other bloggers because all bloggers just want to share and not compete; also, Kuripot Laagan believes everyone is a student forever as we all have one Master. (But this is not about Religion and Philiosophy so let's not go into that and stop at that thought. =) )

Kuripot laagan will always find something to share, about her adventures/misadventures regarding places she went or goes (like cities, restos, malls, etc.) food she tastes there, great deals, bargains, etc.

Whoa! That's quite lengthy for an intro there contrary to the title. (LOL) Hope you'll find the posts interesting, amusing, informative, fun, and/or helpful.

Happy reading!

1st Entry

Okay, since I love going out, either planned or not, I decided to create a new blog for my adventures. Might as well import old blogs here if it matches the category. Here, you will find a rather informal blog kasi mahahaluan ng wikang Pinoy, Tagalog man o Bisaya, just so I can express my thoughts well.

The contents of this blog will involve food and travel, from a kuripot/nagtitipid's perspective. Kasi nga mahirap ang buhay ngayon. Kaya mas mainam ang practical. I won't provide lengthy blogs para hindi boring at nakakpagod basahin. Some might even just be bullet-type para parang nasa school lang. Hehe!

Happy reading!

[PS: This is the first entry of this blog. Next entry... Abangan!]