Tradisyon Restaurant: Pinoy Comfort Food at Azalea Baguio

You know a Filipino restaurant is good when their food reminds you of your mom’s cooking and you feel right at home. There are but a few restaurants in the country that were able to make us feel that way, and we never really thought we would find one tucked inside Azalea Baguio Tradisyon Restaurant.

Tradisyon Pinoy Comfort Food Restaurant

If you’re looking for good eats in Baguio, you don’t really have to go far, really. One elevator ride from your hotel room in Azalea Baguio is Tradisyon Pinoy Comfort Food Restaurant, where they offer their guests a good mix of all-time Filipino favorites, local Baguio fare, and a few international dishes.

Tradisyon delivers a homey feel with colors and textures similar to that of a bahay kubo. The plush chairs, bright yellow lighting, and intricate wall decor all contribute to that appeal. The restaurant has a seating capacity of 70 persons, which can easily handle the influx of diners during their operating hours.

Breakfast Buffet at Tradisyon Restaurant

Guests staying at Azalea Baguio can fuel up and jump-start their day at the hotel’s daily breakfast buffet that starts from 06:00 to 10:30 in the morning.

They have all kinds of breakfast food you can think of – from breads and pastries to fresh salads or from piping hot arroz caldo to delicious Pinoy delicacies.

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Club Paradise Resort – A Piece of Paradise in Coron, Palawan

It started a couple of years ago when Ken and I made a pact that on our birthdays, we have to celebrate by traveling some place we’ve never been. Our 2014 birthday celebration was not as spectacular as we wanted so we vowed to make up for it in 2015. And, boy, that we did… in an island paradise in Coron, Palawan – Club Paradise Resort. 🙂

Club Paradise is under The Discovery Leisure Co. (TDLCI) We planned a 4D3N vacation in Coron, but due to unforeseen circumstances – my flight with nanay got cancelled, so we had to fly out early on our supposedly Day 2 – it was cut short by a day. Ken’s flight had no issues so he was there already. Thankfully, our stay in Coron and in Club Paradise made us forget all that happened on Day 1. They gladly made adjustments to our accommodation, and we had an absolutely amazing time. Nanay was particularly amused by the VIP treatment we got from the moment they picked us up until the time they dropped us off the airport to fly back to Manila.

We were picked up from the hotel where Ken stayed on his first day and we were taken to Club Paradise’s own private port where a speed boat is waiting to take us to Dimakya Island. The speed boat ride was exciting, and we had the whole boat to ourselves. They offered us some snacks – bottled water and a sandwich. It’s a 30-minute boat ride, I think. I can’t remember ’cause we were busy taking photos and enjoying the windy ride. 😀

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Highway Ribbery Grille: Haven of Criminally Delicious Comfort Food

After a long and exhausting day at work, most people combat stress by stuffing their mouths full of delicious and filling food. We are guilty as charged! My sister and I are big stress eaters, and itâ€™sÂ a crime weâ€™re more than happy to repeatedly commit at restaurants that serve straightforward comfort food like Highway Ribbery Grille in Quezon Cityâ€”the latest brainchild of Chef NiÃ±o Runas, who is the same chef behind El Cangrejo in Tomas Morato.

Highway Ribbery Grille

Highway Ribbery Grille first opened its doors May of 2015 and has become one of the newest and hippest hangout place to hit La Loma, Quezon City. Its industrial-themed interior design, together with the wooden tables and chairs, delivered a rustic yet modern appeal. The restaurant is not air-conditioned, but donâ€™t worry; they have enough cooling fans to keep the area at a tolerable and comfortable temperature. They also have more tables on the second floor, including a rentable function room that can accommodate up to 35 people.

For our refreshments, my Nanay and I ordered two glasses of their House Blend Iced Tea (PHP 125), which arrived ice-cold and had this super refreshing citrusy flavor. Mhel, on the other hand, asked for a bottle of the Belgian craft beer, Brew Kettle (PHP 55), that turned out to be incredibly light and tasty. Highway Ribbery Grille has a limited line-up of alcoholic beverages, since they want the restaurant to become more of a dining joint than an inuman spot. Aside from Brew Kettle, the other beer they offer is San Miguel Light for PHP 50 a bottle.

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Contadina Easy Spaghetti with Meatballs Recipe

In culinary school, we were taught that great food begins and ends with the ingredients. The dishes that you prepare will only be as good as the quality of the ingredients you put in them. Using fresh meat and produce is ideal in cooking excellent meals, but most of us simply do not have the time to do supermarket runs daily and cook from scratch. Thankfully, there are high-quality food products out there made with premium ingredients which can cut cooking time in half but do not jeopardize flavor and nutritional value. One prime example of that is Contadina.

Contadina came from the same makers of Del Monte, one of the most trusted brands for high-quality culinary products. Contadina is an Italian word which means â€œwoman of the fields.â€ It symbolizes the care and compassion that these women pour into making flavorful and authentic dishes. They adopt the Mediterranean philosophy of cooking meals with passion by using only the finest and freshest ingredients which are harvested from the worldâ€™s most abundant regions.

The new Contadina product line consists of basic Mediterranean cuisine essentials:

Olive Oil

Sourced from Andalucia, Spain, Contadinaâ€™s Olive Oils are extracted from freshly-pressed Hojiblanca olives, hand-picked from 100-year old trees cultivated under the Mediterranean sun.

Pasta

Their beautiful pastas are made from premium-grade 100% Durum Wheat Semolina, straight from the Western Prairie provinces of Canada. Firm and bouncy, each piece is a delectable bite worth savoring for a truly authentic Mediterranean pasta experience.

Pasta Sauces

Made in Italy, Contadinaâ€™s pasta sauces use fresh tomatoes, herbs, and authentic cheeses. Each pasta sauce is thoughtfully prepared, following a traditional recipe to reward you with authentic flavors that are undeniably Italian.

Tomatoes

Grown in California, their Roma Tomatoes are made with love and an abundant supply of sun and nutrient-rich soil resulting in firm cuts that aren’t lost after cooking and a delectable, fresh tomato flavor that enriches your recipes.

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Lady’s Choice is Lighting Up the Christmas with #ThankUTogether Project

We celebrate Christmas every year by decorating our Christmas trees, hanging bright ornaments, and lining our houses with colorful and shining lights. But it turns out, Christmas is not as bright and vivid in far-flung areas in the Philippines where there are communities still living without electricity. Ladyâ€™s Choice has devoted to light up the holidays of our fellow Filipinos who have grown accustomed to living in darkness.

Lady’s Choice #ThankUTogether For A Cause

Sitio Naubo, a small town in the outskirts of Dumaguete, has lived without electricity for years, but despite this, they have maintained a positive outlook on life that is truly inspiring. Their small community always celebrates their togetherness with an annual Christmas feast. Little do they know that Ladyâ€™s Choice has prepared a special surprise that will make their Christmas unforgettable.

Find out how Lady’s Choice made Christmas at Sitio Naubo more special by watching the video below.

This year, Ladyâ€™s Choice has set their eyes on lighting up the holiday season for the residents of Sitio Casili of Brgy San Antonio in Antipolo, Rizal.

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Julie’s Biscuits – Baked With Love, From Malaysia to the Philippines

While walking at the grocery last weekend, at the biscuits aisle, I recognized a brand that has been there for quite some time and it was only now that I paid attention to it. I guess I was used to picking the more familiar brands in this aisle. Now that I know more about Julie’s Biscuits – the history of the brand, how they make them, the culture and the people behind the company – it’ll be pretty hard to resist grabbing packs of it to take home whenever I go grocery-shopping. 😀

Contrary to what most Filipinos know, Julie’s Biscuits is not in any way connected to the local bakeshop that bears the same name. Julie’s is a Malaysian brand that has been around since 1981, and they are available globally, in 75 countries to be exact. They have 3 factories in Malaysia where all their products come from. They don’t have factories outside Malaysia because they want to ensure the consistency and quality of their products, starting from the ingredients down to how their biscuits and cookies are made. They have been available here in the Philippines for 4 years now, and so you might already be seeing them at the grocery. Trust me, if you havenâ€™t tried any of their biscuits or cookies yet, youâ€™ve got to!

I was one of the lucky bloggers who were invited to visit Julie’s factory in Melaka, and to experience the culture and the food in Malaysia. I’ll tell you more about our whole Malaysian trip on a separate post, but you can read the highlights as you read on. 🙂

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Celebrate Batangas Food Festival at Matabungkay Beach Hotel in Lian, Batangas

Summer is finally over in the Philippines, but being a tropical country means that we can still get perfectly sunny days even during the rainy season. Add the fact that there are a number of pristine beach resorts just a short drive from Manila, like Matabungkay Beach Hotel in Lian, Batangas, which will also be hosting the Batangas Food Festival (BFF) from October through December 2016, featuring traditional fare picked from a sea of dishes that have culinary roots in Batangas.

Matabungkay Beach Hotel

If youâ€™re a 90s kid like me, you have probably spent a few summers at Matabungkay Beach Hotel with your family. You will be shocked to find out that nothing much have changed, especially in the main lobby.

The only thing that have obviously changed in this area was the now tiled floor. Previously, it had pebble wash floors. The wooden interior from the tables up to the ceiling is the same since it was built in the 1980s. And itâ€™s kind of nostalgic and comforting for me to know that a part of my childhood has remained the same.

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Masflex Celebrates 25 Years & Names Nancy Reyes-Lumen As Brand Ambassador

Thereâ€™s a high chance that if you go into your kitchen right now, youâ€™ll find at least one Masflex product. In our kitchen, I actually saw the knife set that my mom won in a Christmas raffle last year and the non-stick pan that I have been using for almost 5 years now. Masflex has easily become a Filipino household kitchen staple because their products are affordable, high-quality, and really durable. Itâ€™s no surprise that they are still number one in the Philippines since the brand was introduced in the country in 1989!

Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware has recently celebrated their 25th year anniversary by introducing their very first brand ambassador, Chef Nancy Reyes-Lumen, or more popularly known as the â€œAdobo Queenâ€ of the Philippines.

A food writer, Filipino food advocate, television host, radio personality, and a musical band singer, Chef Nancy isâ€”no doubtâ€”deserving to be the face of the Masflex brand in the Philippines.

After Chef Nancy was formally introduced, she demonstrated on how to cook four (4) Filipino heirloom recipes that were handed down to her by her grandmothers, including a dish eponymous to the new President â€“ the Rodrigoâ€™s Roast.

Dishes Cooked by Chef Nancy Reyes Lumen at Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware 25th Anniversary — Rodrigo’s Roast, Lola Merengâ€™s Adobo sa Beer, Mommy Nenaâ€™s Kinulob, and Bibingka Ube and Crepe Cake

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Azalea Baguio: Your Home in the City of Pines

When you think of summer in the Philippines, you would immediately imagineÂ white sand beaches and crystal blue seas. But did you knowÂ that the place that racks up the most local vacationers every yearâ€”even beating El Nido and Boracayâ€”is actually high up the mountains and boasts of a year-round cool and breezy climate, making it the perfect escape from Manilaâ€™s scorching heat? It is no other than the City of Pines itself, Baguio City! And weâ€™re so elated that we were able to cap off our summer in this lovely city, all thanks to Azalea Baguio!

One wonderful Tuesday in May, top fashion, food, and lifestyle bloggers were all hurled into three different vans for a long, butt-numbing 5-hour drive! Our destination? Azalea Hotels and Residences Baguio! Our mission? To visit the Summer Capital of the Philippines and enjoy one last summer getaway before we officially welcome the rainy season!

Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio

Azalea Baguio is the first and only 4-star serviced apartment hotel in Baguio City. They have luxury suites that each come complete with their own kitchen, living, and bedroom areas. What I love most about Azalea Baguio is its proximity to the cityâ€™s top tourist attractions BUT, because it is far from the busyness of the city and not located directly along a major road, it is the best place you can book if youâ€™re searching for some peace and quiet.

The front desk welcomes you as you enter the main door into the hotel lobby. Behind it are their incredibly friendly staff who would be more than happy to assist you with your inquiries and requests.

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Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas

Thank God itâ€™s Friday! This expression was coined because Fridays signal the start of the weekendâ€”the time when we can finally take our well-deserved rest from a stressful week at work. What do we do to welcome the weekend? We hang out with our friends and co-workers either going to bars or having dinner at a restaurant. Well, you can hit two birds with one stone at Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas, where you can stuff yourselves full during their Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet at Richmonde CafÃ© and then enjoy a few drinks at The Exchange afterwards.

Spend your Friday evening at Richmonde CafÃ© for their Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet and indulge in a wide array of international dishes, action stations for a la minute cooking, and refreshing drinks available from 6PM to 9PM for only PHP 750 nett per person. On top of that, you also get a 50% discount on wine bottle orders!

Executive Chef, Jesse Factor, together with her team, has prepared a sumptuous buffet spread for their Friday dinner buffet. For starters, you can enjoy a bowl of their piping hot Shrimp Bisque soup or their Vietnamese Shrimp and Pomelo Salad, which a chef will assemble fresh and on-the-spot for you. They also have a platter with a variety of cheese, which I highly recommend that you pair with some wine. A good choice is their Moscato, since it can go with anything from savory items to desserts.

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